Live Nation-owned festival promoter Festival Republic has linked up with environmental pressure group Music Declares Emergency, to bring more renewable power to UK festival sites.
The initiative aims to drive grid connections to UK festivals and begin the transition of the outdoor live sector to grid power. This will help to reduce carbon emissions for the UK live sector in relation to temporary power generation.
Under the banner of No Music On A Dead Planet, the grant will focus on promoting a more sustainable future for live music, not only in the UK, but elsewhere.
Festival Republic is the promoter behind UK festivals such as Reading & Leeds and Latitude, and has committed to grid connected stages at three of its events during the 2023 festival season.
The promoter will run several green initiatives this summer, including a donation of £1 from every Reading parking pass to charity Trees for Cities, a priority car park for Reading car sharers with Go Car Share, a paper cup and rPET bottle deposit scheme, and a ban on the sale of virgin plastic.
Festival Republic managing director Melvin Benn said: “This project will be a game changer for outdoor live events. Generating our own temporary power is the highest contributor of on-site Greenhouse Gas emissions at a festival, and by plugging into the grid we will reduce this significantly.
“By doing this, and sharing our knowledge with others, festival goers can have an amazing time at festivals safe in the knowledge that we are doing everything we can as event organisers to create events that have positive rather than negative impacts.”
Reading & Leeds will also benefit from a newly introduced Eco Camp, and Green Teams will be supported by event campsite waste reduction crew Eco Warriorz at Reading and Everything is Possible at the Leeds site. There will also be campsite recycling rewards and a ‘Take Your Tent Home’ campaign.
For the first time, Reading & Leeds will be powered by 100% biofuel, a renewable form of fuel that has 90% less carbon equivalent emissions than traditional diesel.
Festival Republic will also work alongside the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) to better understand the climate pact of food items sold at Reading & Leeds.
Reading & Leeds will also play host to the Youth Climate Justice Coalition, which is formed of Climate Live, Fridays for Future, Teach the Future and XR Youth. Held in their campaign bus, the groups will host speeches and workshops. The Youth Climate Justice Coalition will also perform on the Alternative State.
Music Declares Emergency co-founder Lewis Jamieson said: “Festival Republic and Melvin personally have been at the forefront of action on climate and environmental issues within the music industry for years.
“In partnering with MDE to make renewable event power a reality, they are not just continuing FR’s transition towards a greener future but offering the entire live sector an invaluable pathway that will benefit the whole live music community.”
Jamieson added: “We are delighted to be working with Festival Republic on such a visible example of the difference positive music businesses can make in relation to the climate crisis.”
Image: Mark Freeman/CC BY 2.0/Edited for size
Image: Johnny Such on Unsplash