Today, 22 April is Earth Day.
The International day of focus on Terra Firma is equal parts encouraging and depressing, given that humanity needs to be forced in thinking about that which gave it life for one solitary day per year; ideally, every day would be Earth Day, but I’m getting distracted now. Anyway, in honor, we’ve highlighted 10 festivals around the world who have developed and maintained a commitment to mindfulness, sustainability and the environment, without the horrendous hand of corporate influence (almost) that oversees resource destruction the world over. If we’ve forgotten any or you know of festivals in markets not covered that also highlight eco-friendly practices, let us know in the comments.
BOOM (Portugal)
Widely considered the most environmentally friendly festival in the world, BOOM will return in 2016 to Portugal with it’s commitment to create a reality that relates positively with the environment and contributes to the education and knowledge of all. From bio-treated water and bio-construction to renewable energy, BOOM remains at the forefront of festival eco-friendly innovation.
Øya Festival (Norway)
Øya Festival aims to be among the greenest festivals in the world. This goal entails everything from waste disposal, food, transport and power supply, leaflets and toilet paper. All year around, the Norwegian festival focuses on the environment though. This includes a procurement plan with environmental criteria, organic food, a material recycling rate of around 60 percent, and the usage of fixed power instead of polluting aggregates.
Noisily (UK)
Equal parts spiritual and environmental, Noisily brings 3,000 conscious revellers to the forest of Leicestershire, UK for a feast of the senses. Noisily is a holistic environment which feeds the mind, body and soul, offering spiritualism and opportunity for reflection in equal measure; a place where hedonism and mindfulness go hand in hand.
Shambala (UK)
A family oriented affair, the UK’s Shambala festival also holds high esteems in the eco-friendly factions of festival culture. Aside from being free of corporate culture (something all environmentally conscious entities need), Shambala aims to promote and inspire participants to live their lives in a more sustainable way, exploring and demonstrating new and innovative ways of living.
DGTL (Netherlands)
Sustainability is the main focus for DGTL Revolution. It focuses itself on projects such as the reduction of carbon dioxide, energy use, waste, food, water and transport use. We want to focus ourselfs on these topics to create a more sustainable festival, with the long-term end goal being a C02 neutrality festival.
Lightning in a Bottle (USA)
LIB reduces as much energy use as possible through energy management initiatives. These include investing in LED stage lighting as much as possible, and using compact fluorescent bulbs in all other areas. Aside from a focus on energy sustainability, LIB also provides extensive educational offerings surrounding mindfulness and environmental practices, as well as zero waste, zero shipping, zero cost water that eliminates plastic packaging and toxic chemicals.
Further Future (USA)
A new kind of music and lifestyle festival filled with incredible music, visionary speakers, inspirational art and human connection. Further Future establishes a modern means of social movement and cultural change, engaging a conscious community through a unique curation of world-class musicians and art, alongside inspiring leaders in the areas of science, entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology.
Extrema Outdoor (Netherlands)
Extrema Outdoor received the ‘Greener Festival Award’ with pride in 2014 from English organisation A Greener Festival and have continued their all encompassing views on sustainability, safety, and consciousness. Free drinking water, separate trash bins, a focus on the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), local and vegetarian food options, energy efficient and accessible, Extrema Outdoor looks doesn’t skimp on the environmentality.
We Love Green (France)
With eco-friendly values at its core, We Love Green promotes responsibility and community values. Its consistently innovative lineups showcase great French acts and international names alike, with strong threads of techno and indie-rock. Local food producers and caterers also add to the feel of connection with the wider community, as businesses and music fans come alongside one another for a beautiful weekend of outdoor partying.
Welcome to the Future (Netherlands)
Welcome to the Future is the only Netherlands-based festival awarded the Greener Festival Award of Excellence by A Greener Festival. It’s commitment to the environment presents itself in a variety of ways on-site, such as a biodiesel exclusive festival power grid, free water, roving “Green Teams,” biological and organic food selections, as well as being a member of the 10,000 hour project for environmental sustainability.
