Is a Music Festival Capable of Achieving Environmental Sustainability?

Piss-Poor Excuses for Festivals Gone Green

Banger by Jake the Snake

In a cash-strapped industry, a group of music festivals are making a green grab with the promise of a brighter future. Let's dive into the world-renowned Roskilde Festival, a non-profit titan and the biggest music fest in all of Scandinavia.

Originating in 1971 from the reckless dreams of a couple of high school misfits Mogens Sandfær, Jesper Switzer Møller, and music promoter Carl Fischer - Roskilde grew into a massive monster attracting over 100,000 wild revelers each year under the Danish sun. Since the heady days of its founding, community and circularity have remained sons of bitches at the core of the festival's operations, and a relentless focus on sustainability has been its driving force.

Sanne Stephansen, Roskilde's sustainability head, gives us her two cents on why these dumpster fires for human rights are still relevant: "These week-long debauchery fests give us a bloody chance to show how things can be different, even if it's just for a short while at the campsite."

Roskilde's deep dive into the sustainability pool surfaces with the introduction of the Circular Lab, an incubator for environment-focused whackjobs, where they can experiment on the unsuspecting masses. Last year's weirdos ranged from mycelium furniture to seaweed-based food containers, offering a smorgasbord of options to save the f*ing planet. The Circular Lab is a risky move, but it gives us a glimpse into the future of how these temporary hellholes can lead us down the path toenvironmental nirvana, even after they tear down and hit the road.

But let's be clear, Roskilde is a rare bird in this polluted nest. The massive carbon emissions of music festivals are well-documented, from the traveling torture of your average attendee to energy-guzzling generators powering the stages. And while these temporary campsites may look like a beautiful display of natural decay, the truth is a nasty one. A major festival can produce a staggering 875,000 surplus plastic cups and 2,000,000 plastic bottles, all waste destined for the landfill. Not to mention the estimated 250,000 abandoned tents left strewn around the United Kingdom each year.

These short-lived cities of vice have become a microcosm of the environmental woes plaguing the live music biz. But when it comes to changing the way we do things, even aspiring eco-warriors have been impressed by recent steps forward.

Enter the 2019 launch of the UK's Music Declares Emergency, a coalition of angry musicians laser-focused on pushing for real change. CEO Lewis Jamieson chats with Atmos and shares his views on the incredible progress: "The music industry has realized two things: one, their audiences actually want green changes. Who wants to feel like they're hell-bent on making the apocalypse for Earth a freaking reality? And two, it's profitable. We won't have a music industry if there's nothing left of the planet."

"These week-long debauchery fests give us a bloody chance to show how things can be different, even if it's just for a short while at the campsite."

Music Declares Emergency's bold slogans include the "No Music on a Dead Planet" campaign, which they believe has been seen by a whopping half a billion motherfuckers worldwide. Now, we're not saying we're great communicators, but we do know a thing or two about reaching people, and that's thanks in large part to the support of celebs like WILLOW Smith, Billie Eilish, and the 1975. The likes of Morrissey and Massive Attack have long been on the scene pushing for change, and the new generation of stars are picking up the torch as key climate messengers, leveraging their influence to spread the word and drive their green agendas behind the scenes.

Festivals are taking the challenge of environmental responsibility seriously. Roskilde encourages festival-goers to rent their camping gear and provides discounts for the green option. Based on data from 2024, there was a 25 percent surge in the number of campers choosing the eco-route compared to the previous year. This year, you can expect more waste-sorting initiatives at Roskilde's campsites, and there are plans to transform non-recyclable materials into festival merchandise. Their ultimate goal? Eliminating single-use plastics by encouraging festival-goers to bring their own reusable cutlery and cups.

Spanish sensation Primavera Sound is another player making big leaps forward. A week before the festival kicks off, Head of Press and PR Marta Pallerès takes me on a tour of the festival site via her phone camera. "Check out all the site materials - the tarpaulins, signage, backstage furniture, even the fake grass you see out there - they're all reused every single year," she says. "It's extra work, but it extends their lifespan."

Primavera also partners with sustainability nonprofits and Green Energy partners to power seven of this year's nine stages with renewable energy. Since the event is urban and has no camping area, this means less tent waste, but it also means festival organizers can partner with local transport authorities to ensure all-night public transportation services on festival days, encouraging attendees to leave their cars behind.

Every festival's path to sustainability is paved with trial and error, but Shambala Festival stands out for becoming the first to go meat- and fish-free back in 2016, a move that was a few years ahead of its time. By 2024, an impressive 20 percent of assessed music festivals had either ditched meat and fish or offered predominantly vegetarian and vegan options, far surpassing the 8 percent reported the previous year. Shambala is still the pioneer, aiming to become the first UK festival to achieve 100 percent biogas consumption this year.

Last year, Music Declares Emergency teamed up with four UK festivals to source sustainability details and create a "green festival-goer guide." The aim? To educate attendees on what these festivals are doing to support the environment and how they can make a difference. This guide has been instrumental in driving engagement, with many attendees reporting higher levels of waste reduction, increased use of reusable cups, and a decrease in tent waste.

But there's still a lot of work to be done when it comes to reducing emissions caused by travel and tackling the issue of non-recyclable tents made with toxic materials. Some, like Massive Attack, have even turned down invites to participate in major festivals due to environmental concerns. But when it comes to existing initiatives, people are starting to get the message. Reusable cup schemes, camping equipment rentals, and the encouragement of public transport are all initiatives reliant on people taking action. And when it comes to inspiring hope and solidarity in the climate movement, few things can compare to the power of music and community.

So, while the road to a greener music festival scene may still be long, it's clear that change is possible, and it all starts with taking small steps and inspiring others to do the same. If you empower people with achievable targets and give them a sense of purpose, change will happen, and that's exactly what the music industry has done in the last five years. By tackling their operations step by step, they're making real progress toward a sustainable future.

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Enrichment Data:- Key Sustainability Initiatives: - Renting of camping equipment - Waste sorting and recycling solutions - Elimination of single-use plastics - Partnerships with renewable energy providers - Sustainable sourcing of food and beverages for festivals- Notable Festivals/Organizations: - Roskilde Festival (Denmark) - Primavera Sound (Spain) - Shambala Festival (UK) - Music Declares Emergency (UK)- Suggested Improvements: - Reducing transportation emissions - Addressing the issue of toxic materials in tents and other festival equipment

Trivia:- Did you know that in 2024, 20 percent of assessed music festivals were either fully vegetarian or vegan, more than double the 8 percent seen the previous year?- Shambala Festival in the UK became the first to go meat- and fish-free back in 2016.

The non-profit titan, Roskilde Festival, a renowned music festival in Scandinavia, has been a pioneer in sustainability initiatives, focusing on community, circularity, and a greener future.
The Circular Lab at Roskilde offers a platform for environmentally-focused experiments, such as mycelium furniture and seaweed-based food containers.
Music Declares Emergency, a coalition of musicians in the UK, advocates for real change and the elimination of single-use plastics in the music industry, with the goal of "No Music on a Dead Planet."
Festivals are implementing measures to reduce waste and promote sustainability, such as discounts for renting camping gear and encouraging the use of reusable cutlery and cups.
Spanish festival Primavera Sound is a leader in using reusable materials for stages and backstage areas, and partners with sustainability nonprofits and renewable energy providers.
Shambala Festival in the UK became the first to go meat- and fish-free back in 2016 and aims to achieve 100% biogas consumption this year.
The collaboration between Music Declares Emergency and UK festivals has resulted in a "green festival-goer guide," educating attendees on sustainability efforts and promoting waste reduction, the use of reusable cups, and a decrease in tent waste.