Festival Republic | Green

Every year the carbon footprint of each show is measured and audited across all key impact areas in scope 1&2, including energy use, water, and waste.

Energy is our biggest emissions challenge and a top priority. Here’s how we’re tackling it:

• 100% renewable power for all show generators using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) biodiesel from recycled cooking oil.

• Smart fuel monitoring to right-size generators and cut consumption.

• LED lighting and efficient power planning for every site.

• Active exploration of potential grid connections to reduce reliance on generators.

• Using battery storage and solar hybrids generators where possible, and testing innovations like hydrogen power.

• Through our membership of Powerful Thinking we are constantly working to reduce power consumption at our festivals.

• We encourage everyone to travel via public transport, including Big Green Coach and provision of shuttle buses from local towns and train stations, and encourage carsharing.

• We track staff and contractor travel to understand and reduce impact.

• We work closely with our contractors to find efficiencies when moving equipment between shows, significantly reducing trucking miles.

We apply the waste hierarchy, prioritising waste reduction, followed by reuse and then recycling, energy recovery and disposal. All our festivals are zero waste to landfill, and we aim to achieve a 50% (or higher) material recovery rate by 2030.

• We use compostable serveware only, and plastic cutlery and straws have been banned since 2009.

• Everyone is actively encouraged to bring their own reusable bottle to the festival.

• All water and soft drinks are served in cans. Other drinks are served in paper cups or recycled plastic bottles with a minimum of 30% rPET content.

• In Ireland recycled plastic cups have replaced regular plastic cups.

• Separate waste streams across our sites encourage everyone to sort their waste and recycle.

• Our Recycle to Win scheme gives customers the opportunity to win prizes for recycling in the campsite, incentivising positive environmental practices.

• The deposit return scheme has a 10p return on paper cups, cans, and bottles, encouraging recycling in the arena.

• Recycling bags are distributed to campers, and we have plenty of recycling points in all campsites.

We’re committed to promoting sustainable food and water practices, from sourcing and catering to waste reduction and redistribution.

• We encourage that vendors should be local to the festival and track the vegetarian and vegan options available to festivalgoers.

• We track the environmental credentials of vendors including use of free range, MSC Good Fish Guide, Red Tractor Assured, Fairtrade, and Organic produce.

• Crew catering does not serve high-carbon food such as beef, and we encourage at least one meat-free day per week in crew catering.

• We measure the amount of water consumed at our festivals, and self-stopping taps are in operation to minimise water wastage.

• We are committed to collecting and redistributing any surplus food from the festival, and work with local foodbanks and organisations to help us do this.

We engage with fans, artists, and local partners to make sustainability a key part of the festival experience. Our recent projects include:

• Giving a platform to groups such as Climate Live, Every Can Counts, Greenpeace, Oxfam, and Music Declares Emergency.

• We have a green team at Latitude, Reading, and Leeds, engaging with festival goers in the campsites about the sustainability initiatives.

• We take into account ecologically sensitive areas or artefacts of heritage or cultural significance on our sites and work within any local conditions and carry out environmental impact assessments if required to protect local flora and fauna.