Brian Eno’s EarthPercent launches UK festival
Brian Eno’s climate foundation EarthPercent is launching a new UK festival, set to take place during the autumn equinox.
EarthPercent Presents Equinox is billed as “a three-day celebration of music, nature, and thought-provoking talks” from 20–22 September 2024.
The event will see artists including Nitin Sawhney, Shpongle, Younger Brother, Hayden Thorpe, The Egg and Sam Lee perform at Wasing Estate, near Reading.
The equinox will be marked with a ceremony at 1.45 pm on Sunday (22 September), led by multi-instrumentalist and ceremony leader Omer Gonen-Haela, while American mycologist Paul Stamets will host a ‘much-anticipated’ talk.
The Psychedelic Society, Breaking Convention, Urge Collective and Museum of Consciousness will also host talks and panels during EarthPercent Presents Equinox. Wild swimming and a woodland sauna are also available for attendees.
“It will be a deep dive into nature connection and the importance of protecting this precious planet”
Five percent of ticket sales will be donated to EarthPercent, which raises funds for environmental causes through the music industry.
Equinox is the follow-on to Wasing’s Solstice On The Mount, held in June, which has featured artists such as Nick Mulvey, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Xavier Rudd as well as the Yawanawa and Sam Lee.
“Equinox is an exciting collaboration with the folk at Wasing,” says Eno. “It will be a deep dive into nature connection and the importance of protecting this precious planet. There’ll be an eclectic array of artists, talks and workshops on climate and nature connection, as well as the chance to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the Wasing estate.”
Joel Gardner, co-executive director of EarthPercent, adds: “[This event is] a great opportunity to raise funds and awareness about our work, at the same time as fully immersing in the stunning nature around Wasing, to encourage a more meaningful relationship with the beautiful planet.”
Eno – a renowned musician, producer, visual artist and activist who first came to international prominence in the early seventies as a founding member of British band, Roxy Music – has made regular appearances at the Green Events and Innovations Conference (GEI) to discuss the work of the EarthPercent.
Registration for the 17th edition of the Green Events & Innovations Conference (GEI) opened earlier this month.
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Harvey Goldsmith unveils plans for Earth Aid Live
Live Aid promoter Harvey Goldsmith has announced the launch of a global charity concert series to combat climate change.
Earth Aid Live is slated to take place in six countries in five continents over a single weekend in August 2025. Locations will include London, UK, Los Angeles, US and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, reports the Guardian.
The series has been created by UMA Entertainment Group, which is chaired by Goldsmith.
“We are standing on the brink of a historic moment with this revolutionary global event series, heralding a new era marked by unity, sustainability, and a profound positive impact on the planet,” says the legendary promoter. “Building on what we have already achieved with Live Aid, our aspiration is to unite people from all walks of life in the shared mission of bettering our world.”
Evolving “from a traditional fundraising effort”, the Earth Aid Live shows will be designed to “provoke wider climate action in its audiences, spanning “individual action, community engagement, corporate participation and intergovernmental collaboration”.
No lineup details have yet been released, but organisers say the gigs will “strive” to achieve “net zero carbon”, with “transparent carbon reporting”. Similar “milestone stadium concerts” are also in the works for 2030 and 2035, with the idea of hosting concerts in the metaverse as well as in real life.
“We have been working with some incredible minds on this project over the past few years to develop comprehensive calls to action centred around making better choices for our future: as individuals, in business and as governments, the power and opportunity for change lies within all of us,” adds UMA Entertainment CEO Simon O’Kelly.
“We are passionate about the chance we have to leverage culture on a scale seen only a handful of times before”
“Above all else, we are passionate about the chance we have to leverage culture on a scale seen only a handful of times before, with an entertainment series that transcends borders and unites cultures and generations, creating real, lasting change, the world over.”
It was reported last month that benefit gigs to fight climate change were being planned for the UK and US in early 2025 – 40 years on from the iconic Live Aid concerts – featuring acts including Rita Ora and Robbie Williams.
The 1985 Live Aid concerts, organised by Goldsmith, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, saw acts including Queen, David Bowie, U2, the Who, Paul McCartney, Madonna, Black Sabbath and Bob Dylan perform to around 160,000 fans in London and Philadelphia on 13 July 1985.
The concerts were watched by a further two billion people on television worldwide and raised more than $127 million for victims of the Ethiopian famine.
A subsequent string of benefit shows, Live 8, were held in the G8 states and South Africa in July 2005, featuring artists such as U2 and Paul McCartney, Elton John, Jay-Z, Pink Floyd, Madonna, Kanye West, Coldplay, Robbie Williams and Stevie Wonder.
Goldsmith also advised on the 2007 Live Earth global event series, which featured the likes of Metallica, Bon Jovi, Duran Duran, Roger Waters, Alicia Keys, Foo Fighters, Madonna, Kanye West, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Police.
Interested in the intersection of sustainability and live events? Don’t miss out on the 16th edition of the Green Events and Innovations conference. For more information, click here.
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Climate protests block Burning Man traffic
Traffic into Burning Man was brought to a standstill by anti-capitalist climate activists on the opening day of the event.
The New York Post reports that five protesters from the Seven Circles Alliance used a trailer to block the road in and out of the countercultural gathering, which runs from 27 August to 4 September in Nevada’s Black Rock desert in the US.
The group describes itself as a “diverse coalition that uses non-violent direct action to raise class consciousness within the climate movement”. It says the stunt was designed to highlight “capitalism’s inability to address climate’s ecological breakdown”, and as a protest against the “popularisation of Burning Man among affluent people who do not live the stated values of Burning Man, resulting in the commodification of the event”.
It adds that the festival’s goal of being carbon-negative by 2030 is “insufficient to tackle the pressing crisis.”
Often dubbed an “anti-festival”, Burning Man was founded in 1986 and has grown from a three-day, 80-person ‘zone trip’ to an nine-day event attended by around 80,000 people, including Silicon Valley CEOs and other business leaders.
The protest was shut down when a ranger drove into the blockade and arrested the campaigners
The protest, which caused traffic tailbacks spanning several miles, was shut down when a ranger from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal (PLPT) police drove into the blockade and arrested the campaigners, who have since been released. A video of the incident has been viewed millions of times on social media.
Seven Circles criticised the police’s response as “excessive”.
“The use of excessive force and the criminalisation of peaceful protesters serve to maintain the status quo for those in power,” says the organisation. “This level of force may have been in response to a civilian who called 911 and falsely reported that the Seven Circles activists had a firearm. This is just one instance in the epidemic of civilians weaponising the police through false reporting.”
In a statement to NBC, the PLPT says: “One ranger used his patrol vehicle to move the blockade debris out of the roadway to allow Burning Man traffic to proceed. The involved Ranger’s conduct is under review.”
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‘Climate change is the fight of our lives’: Arenas go to battle
Packed calendars, staffing levels, rising production costs, inflation, energy price increases, security… the list of challenges arenas are solving is as long as ever. But one of the most significant issues facing all arenas is environmental sustainability. Around the world, venue companies are rolling out initiatives to reduce waste, cut power consumption, find renewable energy sources, increase efficiency, and eliminate single-use plastics.
Among those leading the way is The O2 in London, which started in 2011 with a wormery to compost food waste and by 2015 was investing heavily in energy reduction projects. By 2019, the venue had reduced its Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions by nearly 80% compared to 2010. Last year, it organised Overheated at The O2, a climate festival with Billie Eilish. And in December, it became the first arena in England to achieve its Greener Arena certification.
In 2019, Live Nation announced its Environmental Sustainability Charter, committing the multinational to reducing the impact of its venues and festivals, setting out eight priority areas: emissions & energy; resource use & waste (including plastic), water, food, public engagement, procurement, transport, and local impacts. “As the world’s leader in live entertainment, we have a responsibility to preserve the live music experience for generations to come and a tremendous opportunity to use our platform to inspire global environmental action,” the company said.
“The two areas that we are focusing on are climate change and resource efficiency”
It took greenhouse gas emissions readings from its events and venues as a baseline, with the aim of achieving a 50% reduction in these emissions by 2030. Patricia Yagüe is Live Nation’s head of sustainability EMEA. She says: “The two areas that we are focusing on are climate change and resource efficiency. Our climate change measures tackle everything to do with emissions – mostly energy and transportation; while resource efficiency is about reducing the use of waste, plastic, water, and so on.” She works across markets in the region navigating the differing regulations, cultures, systems, suppliers and implementing action plans to reach the company’s targets.
Among the challenges facing all arenas when it comes to environmental sustainability are emissions, both the energy usage at venues and for events, and the transportation of fans, supplies, and staff travel. “This can be a particularly tricky challenge because we don’t have 100% control over it, we just have a big influence,” says Yagüe.
“That’s why we’re working really hard on promoting public transportation and making deals with public transport authorities, running studies with universities to understand how we can influence the travel of the fans.” She says public transport firms are generally very receptive to Live Nation’s overtures to work together to help more people ditch the cars. For example, since 2008, the company’s Belgian venues have seen the number of people arriving by car fall from 65% to 45%.
“We’re also working out how we can power our buildings with renewable energy”
“We’re also working out how we can power our buildings with renewable energy. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s not, because in some countries green energy is more expensive.” She says the company has two very ambitious resource eficiency targets: eliminating single-use plastic at venues and festivals and working towards sending zero waste to landfill by 2030. “That’s a big challenge because it’s a systemic problem – waste is a big issue for the whole planet.
“Eliminating single-use plastic from our venues and festivals can present issues because when some of these venues were built, people weren’t thinking about things such as storing reusable cups or security issues around letting fans bring their own water bottles into a venue.” She says in trying to prevent the sale of water in single-use plastic bottles, the company can come up against local legislation – for example, in the USA, you can sell water in aluminium cans, but in some European countries, that’s not allowed.
The company is making strong progress towards its targets. Currently 75% of Live Nation venues in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa run on green energy, and the firm is aiming to have the final 25% on green energy by the end of 2023. As an example of the results of measures already implemented, the company estimates it’s reduced 500 tonnes of CO2 between 2018-2022 in its Italian venues Parcolimpico in Turin (Pala Alpitour – 15,450-cap and Palavela – 12,200-cap), thanks to the installation of a geothermal heat-pump, energy efficiency investments, and retrofits. Meanwhile, the installation of solar panels at the Trixxo Arena and Antwerp Hospitality Centre in Belgium has seen the production of 100% and 50% of daily energy use respectively (excluding events).
The “world’s first carbon-neutral venue” doesn’t use any fossil fuels in the arena for daily use
The Parcolimpico venues also saw a 10% reduction in total waste between 2021 and 2022, thanks to a variety of initiatives, even more impressive when taking into account two major events they hosted – the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 and the Nitto ATP Finals. A reusable cup programme introduced at the Royal Arena in the Danish capital Copenhagen in February 2023 meant 380,000 single-use plastic cups were avoided by June.
Setting a GOAL
Proudly trumpeting its flagship environmentally sustainable venue – the Climate Pledge Arena (17,200) in Seattle – venues giant Oak View Group puts sustainability at the heart of its business.
The “world’s first carbon-neutral venue” doesn’t use any fossil fuels in the arena for daily use – mechanical systems, gas combustion engines, heating, dehumidification, and cooking have all been converted to electric; solar panels combined with off-site renewable energy means it uses 100% renewable energy power; and it offsets all carbon emission activities it can’t control – like transportation. It aims to be single-use-plastic free by 2024, and rainwater collected using the roof is turned into ice for the resident ice hockey team’s rink.
Manchester’s forthcoming Co-op Live features 10,500 sqm (1.5 x a football pitch) of rooftop solar panels
OVG EVP facilities development and management Brian Kabatznick says the sustainability initiatives implemented at the Climate Pledge Arena are being rolled out across its other new builds and renovations where possible. Among them, Manchester’s forthcoming Co-op Live features 10,500 sqm (1.5 x a football pitch) of rooftop solar panels, air source heat pumps, high-spec insulation, and a façade designed to reduce cooling and heating requirements. The venue’s architecture is paired with renewable energy, low carbon technologies, and intelligent building controls such as LED lighting design and smart building systems to minimise energy use.
But OVG knows that action without measurement and accountability is meaningless, so earlier this year it launched GOAL (Green Operations and Advanced Leadership) – a data platform that enables subscribers to measure their performance against a broad set of sustainability standards specifically designed for venues. It includes a tactical roadmap for achieving the standards, a customised tracking tool for long-term accountability, a library of resources, and access to like-minded operators, vendors, and sponsors who are committed to operating more sustainably.
Member venues can track their performance against scientifically backed standards on aspects such as energy and water use, greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, indoor air quality, and health and wellbeing. “We have 25 venue clients on board so far, including Fenway Sports Group (owners of Liverpool Football Club and the Boston Red Sox among others), State Farm Arena (15,590) in Atlanta, and many of our stadium and arena partners,” says Kabatznick. “We are launching in Europe as well, with some venues that we have a close relationship with.
“Everybody’s got a sustainability platform, but this is all about measurement”
“Everybody’s got a sustainability platform, but this is all about measurement. It means people can look at consistent information show-by-show and by venue. We’re really excited about that, because it’s one thing to say you’re sustainable, it’s another thing to say, ‘we’re comparing ourselves to events in our building and can compare ourselves to other venues, in other cities, regions, countries, and continents.’ It means everyone is challenged and working from consistent metrics that allow everyone to think about exactly how to make our businesses more sustainable and better.”
As one of the largest venue companies in the world, Oak View Group’s portfolio includes the Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California, CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, and UBS Arena in New York.
Green Europe
The European Arenas Association, which represents 37 arenas in 20 European countries, has partnered with A Greener Future (formerly A Greener Festival) to roll out Arena Sustainability Guidelines. Based on foundational requirements of Greener Arena Certification, the guidelines are intended to help venues with the green transition.
“We are delighted to be partnering with AGF on this important initiative,” said EAA president Olivier Toth. “Our members are committed to reducing their environmental impact and promoting sustainability across our industry. This collaboration is an opportunity for us to share our expertise and work together to create sustainable business practices that will benefit not only our members but the entire industry.”
“Anything less [than a green business] will not survive the next decade”
AGF CEO Claire O’Neill said: “Being a green business is not only essential for creating a better future for life and communities, it’s the only way to do any kind of sustainable business. Anything less will not survive the next decade. Through this collaboration with the EAA, we have created guidelines to get arenas started that are relevant, practical, and effective, helping arenas transition to long-term, sustainable operations.”
Developed from the latest research and best practices in sustainable venue management, the guidelines act as a set of recommended practices to help EAA member arenas in their decision-making, planning, and implementation. The guidelines are also available to non-EAA members who want to adopt greener business practices.
With more than 40 certified green venues already, ASM Global is working with sustainability consultancy firm Honeycomb Strategies to offer innovative approaches and sustainable solutions to its portfolio of more than 350 venues around the world.
In March, the company pledged a number of environmental goals, including reducing energy consumption by 25% by 2030; ensuring 20% of all energy consumed is from renewable energy sources by 2025; and being carbon neutral by 2050 (milestones: 25% carbon reduction by 2030, 50% carbon reduction by 2040). It has also committed to diverting 50% of overall waste by 2025, eliminating front-of-house plastic by 2027, and reducing water consumption by 25% by 2030.
“We get involved in arena projects really early… so, we have a real influence over sustainability from the design stage”
In addition, ASM Global’s entire portfolio of UK-operated venues – including AO Arena Manchester, OVO Arena Wembley, OVO Hydro in Glasgow, P&J Live in Aberdeen, and others, is undergoing certification via A Greener Arena. “The independent certification process provides external verification that carbon reduction and transition strategies are at the heart of all venue operations, from catering to materials used and circularity,” the company says in a statement.
In the Middle East, ASM Global recently opened Exhibition World Bahrain, adding to its portfolio, which includes the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai and is set to see the Jeddah Arena Airport City open in Saudi Arabia. “We get involved in arena projects really early, often before the architects do,” says Iain Campbell, ASM Global EVP of the MENA region. “So, we have a real influence over sustainability from the design stage.”
As an example, he cites measures installed at the Coca- Cola Arena: “We installed a huge air curtain in between the loading dock and the main floor, in order to prevent loss of cool air from the building during load-in and load-out. You wouldn’t do that in in London or in North America, but it’s so hot here that we’re very focused on ensuring efficiency of our air conditioning systems and monitoring the temperature of the building. In fact, we’ve got one guy that pretty much all he does is check the stairwells are airtight to make sure we’re not losing cool air.
“More regulation is coming in, especially in Europe, which is pushing governments to fix the systemic challenges we encounter”
“There are also water fountains, in order to reduce single-use plastics; all of the food packaging is sustainable; we monitor energy and water demand, air quality and air movement. We only have 1,500 car parking spots in order to encourage people to come by public transport or a ride-sharing service. At a recent 50 Cent show, we had just 700 cars here, which is great.”
Campbell says that educating audiences about sorting their waste into recyclable, compostable, and other waste has been very successful, and everyone adheres to it.
So, what does the future hold? Live Nation’s Yagüe says she’s feeling very positive. “In the last couple of years, more regulation is coming in, especially in Europe, which is pushing governments to fix the systemic challenges we encounter. Plus, suppliers are providing new products that we can use, such as reusable cups and batteries charged with renewable energy. Everyone is fully on board, and I feel very hopeful for the future.”
As OVG CEO Tim Leiweke told IQ: “Climate change is without a doubt the fight of this generation’s lives.” And arenas around the world are signing up in droves to join the battle.
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OVO Hydro teams on climate change initiative
Glasgow’s OVO Hydro has teamed up with climate change charity Music Declares Emergency to help launch its new Fan Club for Climate Change initiative ahead of Earth Day this weekend.
Launched last night at Paramore’s sold-out show, the scheme is appealing for music fans to sign-up and join a call for action for governments and business leaders. The club will allow members to create their own spaces and communities across music venues, towns, and universities and in online spaces internationally.
A team of local Fan Club for Climate Change volunteers were on-hand at the 14,300-cap Scottish venue to encourage gig goers to sign-up to the initiative, which will give them access to weekly prizes and offers including free festival tickets and early bird access, messages from their favourite musicians, opportunities to get involved with community events and tips on ways they can be part of the climate movement to create systemic change.
“With the fight against climate change top of our agenda, we are always looking for ways we can support initiatives and organisations who share the same goal”
“With the fight against climate change top of our agenda, we are always looking for ways we can support initiatives and organisations who share the same goal,” says Debbie McWilliams, director of live entertainment at OVO Hydro. “As an industry, we have the power and influence to make real change and we are proud to be a venue pushing the agenda forward in the global entertainment space.”
Founded by Savages drummer Fay Milton, folk artist Sam Lee and a group of music industry professionals including Ninja Tune’s Peter Quicke, Fan Club for Climate Change is the latest initiative from Music Declares Emergency, which was launched in 2019.
The charity is calling on people within the industry to declare a climate emergency and work towards making the cultural and operations changes necessary towards a carbon neutral future.
The launch of the initiative lands as OVO Hydro gears up to celebrate a year since being awarded the world’s first A Greener Arena (AGA) certification. Awarded by A Greener Festival, AGA takes a holistic approach to sustainability, not only looking at emissions and environmental impacts but also people, inclusion and wellbeing.
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Mini Global Climate Concert Series announced
AEG Presents is to produce the inaugural date of the newly announced Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series.
The show is the first activation of the Right Here, Right Now Music initiative, launched by the Recording Academy and the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (Right Here, Right Now) in a bid to combat the human rights crisis resulting from climate change.
The series will present arena acts at small concert venues around the globe, while shining a light on alarming climate issues. It will launch on Thursday 13 April at the Boulder Theater in Colorado, headlined by Wesley Schultz, lead singer of the Lumineers. The show, which will also feature special guests including Yola, will be filmed by Citizen Pictures for a later broadcast.
“We are honoured to be working with several United Nations-supported global music initiatives to bring together artists and create unique music events to promote social justice around the world,” says Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. “Music has no boundaries so we are excited to partner with the artist community and work with the United Nations to further their human rights goals and ultimately, better the world.”
“Music provides a platform for the biggest megaphone in the world”
Further concerts are being planned in cities on multiple continents, with discussions underway for potential events in New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, London, Johannesburg, Bogotá and Dubai. Proceeds will go to United Nations Human Rights climate justice initiatives and music charity MusiCares.
“It is a privilege and honour to be partnering with the Recording Academy in the development of multiple global music initiatives supported by United Nations Human Rights, including Right Here, Right Now Music, which will elevate global awareness to help reframe climate change as the human rights crisis that it is,” adds David Clark, founder and CEO of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance.
“Music provides a platform for the biggest megaphone in the world, and working with the Recording Academy, the most renowned music organisation in the world, will help ensure the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series gives voice to those who all too often have none.”
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Dansk Live launches climate calculator
Danish trade body Danish Live is launching a climate calculator to help event organisers reduce their environmental footprint.
The innovation allows users to make calculations in the areas of waste, water, transport and energy, measuring consumption and optimising potential solutions from year-to-year.
“There are now many different climate calculators out there, but they are often very complicated or based on international emission factors,” says Søren Stochholm of developer World Perfect. “Dansk Live’s climate calculator is made very simple, and it is based on the Danish emission factors. This means that it is much easier for the smaller players to start measuring, and that the results are more accurate.
“Over time, the climate calculator can of course be developed so that it will give an even more accurate picture, but for now it is a bid for a common and simple way to learn more about the industry’s total CO2 footprint.”
“This calculator, which can be used freely by members of Dansk Live, makes it easy to get started with the absolutely necessary work”
Stochholm ran a webinar for Dansk Live members last week, giving an introduction on how to use the climate calculator.
“Several larger organisers in the membership have developed their own monitoring methods, but not everyone has the opportunity to have their own made or has the resources to acquire one,” says Esben Marcher, head of secretariat at Dansk Live. “This calculator, which can be used freely by members of Dansk Live, makes it easy to get started with the absolutely necessary work. The calculator is targeted at all types of organisers and can also be used by the venues.
“Now the organisers have to start using the calculator, but it could be exciting if we could create an overview of the industry’s overall climate impact in the various areas and the potential for improvements across the industry.”
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German festival to be powered by green hydrogen
Germany’s Futur 2 Festival will become the first festival in the world that is powered by green hydrogen, according to organisers.
The Hamburg-based festival (cap. 5,000) has so far obtained its energy from solar energy and muscle power but the third annual edition will be run on hydrogen obtained from wind energy in North Friesland.
This supplies the festival with green energy without any harmful CO2 emissions and the only residual products are water and pure oxygen, which are added to the atmosphere to better air quality in the city.
“We want to show what is possible,” says Björn Hansen, organiser of the Futur 2 Festival. “Green hydrogen is now the next logical step for us. With this energy source, we have reached a new level and can provide completely different amounts of energy than before.
“As a result, there will soon be no excuse for large festivals to work with generators that use heating oil or burn diesel. Because in addition to the small hydrogen cell used at our festival with an output of five kilowatts per hour, we are already scaling this concept up to 500 kVA if required. This also makes large open-air shows possible.”
“There will soon be no excuse for large festivals to work with generators that use heating oil or burn diesel”
This year, the hydrogen cell together with the solar system feeds the existing battery storage, which supplies a stage and the entire festival area with electricity. The bicycle stage remains self-sufficient.
The backup generator, which is ethanol-based, will be completely dispensed with this year. For additional energy requirements, the festival will continue to rely on solar energy and muscle power.
Jens Kerstan, senator at the Hamburg Environmental Authority, which funds the event, says: “Especially in the current crisis situation, it is becoming even clearer how important renewable energies are. This applies to all areas of our society. The Futur 2 Festival is a pilot project in the event industry that shows how large events can become independent of fossil energy sources. I am pleased that the festival can now take place again after a two-year pandemic break. And with many new ideas and innovations.”
Using their experiences with the festival, Hamburg Environmental Authority and Futur 2 Festival have developed a blueprint for sustainable events, which will be launched at the third edition and published on the city’s climate education platform.
Futur 2 Festival, promoted by Morgenwelt and Hejmo, takes place tomorrow (27 August) with artists including Kat Frankie, Sofia Portanet, I See Rivers, Beatfoot and Queenwho.
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Billie Eilish hosts Overheated Climate Session
Over 250 music professionals and sustainability specialists came together at The O2 in London for a series of debates and performances today (16 June).
The event, which took place alongside Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever tour, was hosted by the BBC’s Abbie McCarthy (BBC), with representatives from REVERB, The Big Climate Thing, Live Nation, Julie’s Bicycle and The O2.
During the discussion titled Taking Charge – Efforts to Decarbonise Events, The O2’s VP and general manager Steve Sayer described the changes that hosting the Eilish tour had seen at the venue, including going fully vegan for the duration.
“We had Morrissey here five years ago and the question about whether we sold burgers was a huge topic, but on this tour, it wasn’t,” he said. “Going fully vegan was the right option for this tour and we’ll be entirely open with other venues about the results from that.”
The O2 recently committed to removing meat burgers from its menu, but other moves include installing water filling stations, and recyclable wristbands for floor-standing guests.
“We’re planning forward in partnership with our caterers, Levy, who are committed to being net zero by 2027,” he said. “As a flagship site for them, we’re aiming for 2025.”
“The solutions are there, and amazing simple, but you have to get people to move past where they are right now”
Sayer also outlined that all National Arena Association member venues will be banning non- biodegradable confetti over the coming months.
With much of the day detailing myriad practical steps now available to tour and events on their sustainability journey, Chiara Badialli, music lead of Julie’s Bicycle, listed carbon offsetting as one of the most exciting.
“If these costs are factored into tour planning – and an example is that Pearl Jam has recently committed to paying $200 per tonne of carbon emissions – it gives artists a budget at the start of their tour to actively reduce emissions,” she said.
A focus of the discussion was collaboration across the business to bring change. And while Sayer insisted that senior management at each company must be engaged in the conversation, it was bottom-up pressure that instigated it.
“The most powerful agent of change was when our employees started coming to The O2 and AEG management team to ask what we were doing,” he said. “That employee push was incredibly powerful.”
And Jamal Chalabi of Backlash Productions reported that there are open ears across the supply chain now as well.
“It’s the culture change, particularly within crew and production houses. The solutions are there, and amazingly simple, but you have to get people to move past where they are right now,” he said.
“It’s a system change,” added Badialli. “You have to ask how we can do things differently.”
The event included performances from Sigrid, Nick Mulvey and Love Ssega, while Billie Eilish took the stage to thank the room for attending.
“I want to thank you all for informing people like me, and for everything you’re doing,” she said. “It doesn’t go unnoticed. It might sometimes fell like what you’re doing is pointless, but it’s not. There is a point and it’s really important.”
The conversation came just weeks after the 14th Green Events & Innovations Conference (GEI), the leading gathering for sustainability at live events.
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Billie Eilish announces climate-focused event
Billie Eilish has announced multi-day climate-focused event Overheated in collaboration with Support + Feed and environmental nonprofit Reverb.
The event set to take place across six days – 10-12, 16 and 25-26 June – at The O2 in London during Eilish’s Happier Than Ever, The World Tour dates at the venue.
Fresh after last week’s Green Events & Innovations Conference (GEI), Overheated will bring together climate activists, musicians and designers to discuss the climate crisis, and their efforts to make a difference. Topics will range from greening practices in the music industry to the benefits of a plant-based diet, and sustainable fashion.
“We are thrilled to be in London and to have this opportunity to connect and discuss different ways we can take action to mitigate the climate crisis,” says Maggie Baird, founder of Support+Feed.
“We’re excited to empower even more people to take significant climate action and engage the music industry to do more”
Each day will feature unique programming including panel discussions, live performances, a documentary viewing, and opportunities for the public to take climate action. The cross-campus event will kick off on Friday, 10 June with Overheated Live – a panel event at Indigo at The O2, featuring introductions by Billie Eilish and Finneas and a special keynote speaker to be announced.
A Music Climate Session on 16 June, meanwhile, will feature representatives from Reverb, The Big Climate Thing, A Greener Festival, Julie’s Bicycle, Beggars Group, Live Nation, Earth/Percent, Tour Production Group and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. It will also see performances by Sigrid and Love Ssega, with others to be confirmed.
“Building upon our sustainability work on Billie’s world tour, and engaging fans at her shows to take climate action, we’re excited to empower even more people to take significant climate action and engage the music industry to do more through Overheated,” adds Reverb co-founder Adam Gardner.
The takeover will also include special screenings of the new Overheated short documentary at Cineworld at The O2 throughout the full six-day period, while all visitors to The O2 will have the opportunity to experience the free Citizen-TPlayground, which will feature a free clothes swap as well as talks from fashion sustainability experts, at the All Bar One Space from 10-12 June.
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