INDUSTRY CHARGES TOWARDS A GREENER FUTURE
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oldplay and X-Ray Touring have set a standard for sustainable touring by announcing an eco-friendly world tour. The British band previously said that they would put touring plans on hold as they investigate how to make their concerts more sustainable. Now the band has announced their return to the road, supported by a 12-point plan for cutting their carbon footprint. The Music of the Spheres World Tour will kick off in March 2022 in Costa Rica, which has one of the highest rates of renewable energy generation in the world. The 41-date stadium tour will partly be powered by a dancefloor that generates electricity when fans jump up and down, among other things. The concerts will use electricity from batteries fueled by fan power as well as solar energy, recycled cooking oil from local restaurants, and mains power from 100% renewable sources where available. For every ticket sold, the band will plant a tree. Coldplay front man Chris Martin admitted the team had not figured out how to cut the environmental impact of some parts of touring but their goal for a few years’ time is to have “slightly shifted the status quo of how a tour works.” Elsewhere, Danish promoter Down the Drain is attempting to shift the status quo in the festival world, by offering only plant-based and 100% organic food at NorthSide 2022. The festival will take place between 2-4 June next year at its new home in Eskelund park, Aarhus. Next year’s edition will mark a “sustainable quantum leap” for the festival, which has previously earned [an] A Greener Festival Award in
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2014 and 2016. “In 2014, we launched the first organic beer, in collaboration with Tuborg,” said Brian Nielsen, festival director for NorthSide. “In 2019, we removed disposable plastic mugs and the sale of bottled water, and in 2022, plantbased food will stand side by side with the transition to 100% green electricity.” Nielsen continued: “We want to continue to surprise, challenge, and take the lead, and serving plant-based food is a natural next step on our sustainability journey. It is the food of the future.” To provide all plant-based food, the festival collaborated with The Vegetarian Society of Denmark and Organic Denmark, who are behind The Plant-based Knowledge Centre. The festival says it has opted out of meat and fish in the meals and will use a maximum of 15% cheese, eggs or mayonnaise per portion. Meanwhile, as the world’s leaders gather in Glasgow for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (aka COP26), UMA Entertainment, chaired by Harvey Goldsmith, and leading Scottish promoter DF Concerts have organised a number of events to support the campaign to set more ambitious sustainability goals. Part of the programme will involve a 6 No-
vember event that will mix a day of live performances with panels from climate experts and thought leaders across NGOs, youth activism, music and the entertainment industry, including several LIVE Green working group members. “In the wake of Live Green unveiling a suitability charter for the live music industry, it’s encouraging to see so many artists, their representatives and other influential personalities taking a clear stand against climate change at COP 26,” states LIVE Green chair John Langford. Elsewhere, ASM Global launched a new corporate social responsibility platform called ASM Global Acts, which it says is aligned with many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. According to the live entertainment giant, the platform is centred on three commitments: protect the environment, invest in people, and strengthen communities around the globe. The company will establish annual targets that measure impact and progress to achieving the commitments. Details for the next edition of the Green Events & Innovations conference will be announced shortly.
“We want to continue to surprise, challenge, and take the lead, and serving plant-based food is a natural next step on our sustainability journey. It is the food of the future” Brian Nielsen | NorthSide Festival director
