Miniøya festival goes balloon-free for 2018

Miniøya, a Norwegian music festival for families and children, is taking precautionary steps to lessen its impact on the environment. Along with the banning of balloons to reduce the amount of waste left in the surrounding forests and land, the festival is also incorporating the use of festival bracelets made from recycled plastic bottles.

This announcement follows on from many other festivals promoting their new environmental programmes, including the Boardmasters and Download festivals, as well as an almost total ban on single-use plastic straws in the UK.

The festival hopes that by teaching children to make more environmentally focused choices in their life, the festival will change the behaviour of their whole families, reports Aftenposten.

“Miniøya does not have a balloon-free past, but we promise now to do better”

Miniøya’s artistic director Henriette Larsen says: “For us, this was an absolutely necessary decision – and one made at the right time. We have many animals in the forest surrounding the festival. Miniøya does not have a balloon-free past, but now we promise to do better.”

In a similar move, the Oslo city government – which governs Tøyenparken, where Miniøya (‘Mini Island’) is held – has followed the lead of several other local governments around Norway in banning the sale of balloons during the 17 May festivities, in order to cut down on the waste generated by the celebrations.

Miniøya 2018 takes place on 9 and 10 June 2018. Performers include Datarock, Sondre Lerche and US singer Lissie.

 

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