‘Festivals can be clean and green. The future starts today’
Fueled by a sense of climate urgency years in the making, 25 years of climate activism converged in Bristol this August bank holiday weekend with Massive Attack's inspiring festival: Act 1.5.
Staying true to their roots, the band brought their 'climate action accelerator' to life, attracting a massive 35,000 people to Bristol's Clifton Downs! United by the power of music, they tackled the UN Climate Treaty's 1.5 degrees warming threshold and kicked off the fast-tracking of decarbonisation in live music.
Paving the way for a new angle of attack, this Bristol-born band is holding the industry accountable as one of the biggest climate destructors.
With a commitment to minimal carbon emissions for an event this size, even the rain-soaked festival-goers were uplifted, dancing to the beats of Killer Mike, Lankum, Sam Morton, and DJ Milo, all while anticipating the return of eco-conscious Bristol natives. Who would have thought a rainy UK enclave would lead the charge for sustainable events?
Traditionally, the music industry has been seen as decorative, focusing on sonic discovery over protecting the only place music can thrive: a healthy planet. But guess what? Act 1.5 was powered entirely by batteries, ditching those carbon-guzzling diesel generators we often see at festivals.
‘The entire site you are standing in is powered by 100% renewable energy, via dozens of batteries, saving vast amounts of carbon emissions and air pollution'
Inspired by recommendations from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Act 1.5 embraced these eco-friendly steps to keep the dance floor alive while paving the way for a greener future:
Incentivised train travel - hello VIP bar and toilet access 💃
100% plant-based food offerings
Prioritising local postcodes and encouraging alternatives to driving by intentionally omitting onsite car parking
Green volunteer team via My Cause
Planting climate-resilient woodland of 19,000 native oaks via the Royal Forestry Society and Train Hugger
Zenobe free electric bus transfer
Non-reusable serveware composted responsibly via EnVar
Harnessing phosphates in partnership with women's urinal innovator PEEQUAL
And our personal fave: NO single-use plastics on site 🥳
‘Technology and strategies to decarbonise a live music event are already available, and should be utilised’
While there’s room for improvement to compete with less eco-conscious events (enter, better toilet infrastructure and post-event transport), Massive Attack's efforts are a shining example that change is possible!
"We might find that this is looked back on as one of those great defining moments"
Alastair Shuttleworth
Ready to power up your plastic-free game?
Whether you're an event promoter gearing up for ADE or planning next summer's festival, we’re here to help!
Transform your event with a plastic-free transition and join Bye Bye Plastic in leading the charge towards #PartyWithAPurpose! 😎🚀
'We don’t need to talk. We need to act.'
Robert Del Naja (3D)
Music truly is the Connection, Collective Action is the Solution ✊ ✨
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