10 ways festivals are tackling social and environmental issues

Permaculture refers to a system of ethics and design principles which guide the conscious design of ecosystems. They are intended to imitate nature’s own “no waste, closed-loop systems” – such that humans can get their basic needs met in a sustainable way.

Sometimes that even involves composting of human waste, as is the case at the UK’s Glastonbury, which utilizes compost toilets, and Boom, which has studied human manure composting and has even used the resulting fertilizer on the native bushes and herb plants on the festival’s grounds. Some festivals, like Shambhala and Thailand’s Wonderfruit, own their land, lending the organizers a unique flexibility to institute their own sustainable practices such as building their own farms and water treatment plants.

Serbia’s EXIT Festival’s beginnings were rooted in activism. Created in 2000 as a student protest against the government and a political environment marked by corruption and oppression, the festival was held on the grounds between the University of Novi Sad and the Danube river’s left bank. Anti-Milošević in sentiment, the event started as an illegal 100-day party mobilizing youth to fight for freedom and democracy. Following the overthrow of Milošević in 2000, the festival morphed into a celebration of Serbia finally opening up again to international relations and the festival steadily grew into what is today one of Europe’s most admired music festivals.

Given the festival’s deep-seated roots in student activism, it’s only appropriate that the festival’s Foundation arm grants scholarships to local students at the University of Novi Sad where it all began. Though the event is decidedly more commercial now, the festival’s history of activism is an intriguing one which you can dive into here.

Though many festivals make significant efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, there are some that go one step further by promising to go carbon neutral. Thailand's Wonderfruit festival has gone even further by pledging to make a net positive ecological impact. The festival has invested in the Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve in Indonesia and is a founding member of the National Capital Alliance – an organization which pairs “eco heroes” with capital to help protect endangered forests.

These eco heroes include pioneers like Todd Lemons, whose deforestation accounting methodology was adapted by the UN-supported program REDD+, and who helped prevent the deforestation about the size of Singapore in the aforementioned Rimba Raya reserve.

Last year, before 1,000,000+ Facebook users checked in to Standing Rock, Symbiosis and Do Lab (organizers behind Lightning in a Bottle) teamed up to support Standing Rock’s fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. The two organizations collected surplus supplies from Symbiosis festival-goers and other critically needed donations that were dropped off at Do Lab’s Los Angeles warehouse, and then trucked the goods over to Standing Rock.

In 2014, Do Lab put out a notice that did not ban headdresses, but sent a very explicit message that wearing headdresses “means being a walking representative of 500+ years of colonialism and racism.” Festivals such as Bass Coast, Osheaga, and others have outright banned headdresses. Prohibiting headdresses and making donations won’t erase a legacy of the colonialism and racism, but by creating dedicated hubs for supporting and learning about First Nations, and partnering with organizations like the Indigenous Environmental Alliance, and including indigenous talent in their rosters, festivals are taking steps toward recognizing the culture and rights of the native peoples whose lands the festival organizers are often indebted to.

Louisville, Kentucky’s Forecastle Festival has its own non-profit dedicated to activism. The Forecastle Foundation raises money, awareness, and recruits volunteers for projects both domestic and abroad. Current projects include supporting the Guayaki Foundation’s efforts to regenerate ecosystems and empowering local indigenous communities across Latin America, as well as working with the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust to protect and restore the wildlands of Pine Mountain, a vital migratory and ecological corridor for hundreds of animal and plant species.

Festivals are also joining, supporting and forming critical trade associations and alliances – harnessing the collective power of event organizers, music industry stakeholders, journalists, researchers and more to respond to pivotal subjects such as drug policy, sustainability and sexual assault. Such organizations include the Association for Electronic Music, A Greener Festival, the Drug Policy Alliance, the Association of Independent Festivals, and Yourope.

Earlier this month, over 25 UK festivals took part in the ‘Safer Spaces’ campaign, blacking out their websites for 24 hours and sharing a short animation over social media with the hashtag #saferspacesatfestivals. The animation encouraged festival attendees to take a more active role in preventing sexual assault, pleading the following messages: Zero Tolerance to Sexual Assault, Hands Off Unless Consent, and Don’t Be a Bystander.

The campaign was complimented by over 60 UK festivals joining together in signing a Charter of Best Practices outlining measures to be taken to prevent sexual assault. The measures included a zero tolerance policy, confidential welfare services, training on issues related to sexual violence and pledging to take a “victim-led approach to sexual assault incidents.” The Association of Independent Festivals, who mobilized these campaigns, counts festivals like Secret Garden Party, Bestival, and Parklife amongst its members.

Festivals such as Electric Forest, Shambhala, ARISE, Bass Coast, Rainbow Serpent, Fusion Fest, and more are already manifesting these principles by integrating dedicated camp-sites and safe spaces for those who identify as women to take refuge when needed, while also making it plain that “consent is sexy.”

Not to be confused with Shambhala, the Canadian festival put on by an entirely different entity, the UK’s Shambala festival made a bold stand in 2016 by going 100 per cent vegetarian and removing all meat and fish products from their on-site food offerings – for both staff and the public. While there’s still much debate over what meat does to our bodies, the harmful effects of meat production on our ecosystems are much more decisive and well documented by global authorities such as the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.

In a post-event analysis, 77 per cent of Shambala attendees surveyed indicated they wanted to keep the event vegetarian and about a third of respondents reported actually reducing their intake of meat and fish since (excluding the 30 per cent who responded that they were already vegan or vegetarian.) This year they plan to keep it meat and fish free, however they haven’t ruled out possibly introducing some “uber-sustainable meat and fish options around the site in surprising and thought-provoking ways".

Paris, France’s We Love Green festival mentors emerging leaders interested in green design. Their Laboratoire D’expérimentations Scenographiques hosts a two-week residency for applicants chosen from a prestigious jury of design community members. Chosen graduate students and designers use recycled materials in their projects, which are financed and supported by dedicated production teams and stage designers. Though they receive mentorship and assistance, the young artists still maintain autonomy and ownership of their projects and enjoy the broad network of professionals and increased exposure gained as a resident of We Love Green’s Laboratoire D’experimentations Scenographiques. While the name may lead you to think the festival is solely “Green”-focused, the event attracts a first-rate set of electronic music talent such as this year’s acts, Nicolas Jaar, Moderat, DJ Koze, Motor City Drum Ensemble and more.

Festivals need to regularly review their progress and output data to inform what must be improved upon. Making some of those numbers and reports available to the public is a vital step towards empowering the festival community to keep organizers accountable to their purported economic and environmental impacts. San Francisco’s Outside Lands shares some of their numbers, as has Glastonbury. Even Coachella organizer, AEG, has shared an in-depth report on its sustainability performance.

Vi Nguyen is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. Follow her here and see her portfolio here