The advent of winter means the arrival of music festivals in other parts of the world. It is important to consider how harmful large music festivals are to the environment – from the trash left by attendees to the carbon impact of the performing acts.
Here’s some good news. Some of your favourite music festivals have announced that they are transitioning to sustainable practices. A slate of European events that have joined the Green Deal Circular Festivals (GDCF) sustainability pact. Launched in 2019 by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, GDCF brings together participating festivals to share knowledge and experience on sustainability practices in a bid to become circular and climate-neutral by 2025. The collaboration between festivals and towns to increase their effect in the circular and climate-neutral transition is another novel aspect of ADE Green.
A report by global organisation Greener Festival examined information from events held in 17 countries, and found that the typical festival emits 500 tonnes of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of three single-story homes’ worth of carbon dioxide. According to the report, each festival-goer produced 5 kilogramme of CO2 per day.
So the latest joinees to the GDCF is a win for the planet. With this, the number of parties has more than doubled to 43 festivals from 14 different nations.
Existing members of GDCF are Amsterdam Open Air (NL), Best Kept Secret Festival (NL), Boardmasters (UK), Body & Soul (IE), Boomtown (UK), DGTL Amsterdam (NL), Down The Rabbit Hole (NL), Eurosonic Noorderslag (NL), Into The Great Wide Open (NL), Lowlands (NL), Mañana Mañana (NL), Milkshake Festival (NL), North Sea Jazz (NL), Pukkelpop (NL), Roskilde Festival (DK), Shambala (UK), Superbloom (DE), Vierdaagsefeesten (NL), We Love Green (FR) and Zwarte Cross (NL).
The new members are : Mysteryland (NL), NorthSide (DK), Amsterdam Dance Event (NL), EXIT Festival (RS), Awakenings Festival (NL), Awakenings Summer Festival (NL) and Paradise City Festival (BE), join Sziget (HU), Pohoda (SK) and Øya (DK), Boom Festival (PT), Castle Fest (NL), Department Festival (SE, DK), Georgie’s (NL), Komm schon Alter (NL), Lago Lago (NL), Le Guess Who? (NL), Meadows in the Mountains (BG), Orange Blossom (DE), Welcome to the Village (NL), Wild Paths Festival (UK) and Wonderfeel (NL).
