American Express Presents BST Hyde Park has become a staple in the summer festival calendar, featuring legendary global performers in the capital’s celebrated Royal Park. Operator, AEG Europe, has announced that this season’s series will be the company’s most sustainable festival yet, with several new initiatives set to minimise environmental impacts.
Sustainability is a key driver behind the company’s business decisions and with several new environmentally responsible initiatives in place, the company has heralded the 2024 season as their most sustainable run of festivals to date. From removing carbon emissions to partnerships with Lowr and Keep Britain Tidy, the company’s efforts illustrate their commitment to catalysing the influence of live entertainment to preserve the planet and safeguard it for future generations.
Speaking to sustainability measures at BST Hyde Park, AEG Europe’s Director of Sustainability, Sam Booth says: “Over the course of 10 shows across three weekends, we will have the opportunity to engage with hundreds of thousands of fans. We are acutely aware of our position and believe we have a responsibility to influence fan behaviour and drive sustainable change and in doing so, we’re helping to not only preserve the planet but also the future of live entertainment.”
AEG Europe’s sustainability measures in place at BST Hyde Park 2024 include:
- Eliminating Scope 1 & 2 Emissions | Carbon Removals & Carbon Labelling
Achieving net zero emissions is critical for the environment and AEG Europe is already working toward a verifiable net zero strategy. In February 2024, the company made history by hosting the world’s first carbon-removed arena events at The O2 in London, which saw the extraction and removal of 545.9 tonnes across the four shows – the equivalent yearly electricity usage of 395 average homes.
Acting on key learnings from the pilot events, the festival is continuing to reduce emissions while pursuing accurate measurement for the remaining unavoidable ones. Using Biochar for carbon capture, BST Hyde Park will then fund the removal of all Scope 1 and 2 emissions, making this AEG Europe’s most carbon-friendly festival series to date.
The AEG team has also worked with A Greener Future to measure the environmental impact of each meal served across the festival and ensure this information is across all menus, with a traffic light system to highlight the most environmentally friendly offerings. Not only does this help to educate fans in their food choices, but it also acts as a reminder to traders of the impact their ingredient choices can have on the world around them, helping to encourage traders to think green for all future events.
- Effective Waste Management
AEG Europe is committed to sending zero waste to landfill and is looking to build on the principles of the circular economy to all venues and festivals. BST Hyde Park will see the use of 100% compostable serveware across the site, with a limited reusable cup system being trialled in controlled areas. Waste handling has also been improved, with clearer signage, an on-site waste baler and on-site crews to help fans separate their waste correctly.
Working in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy, BST Hyde Park will also see a new waste reduction initiative for 2024. In a move to change fan behaviour around the disposal of cigarette butts, portable ashtrays will be handed out to combat the UK’s largest source of litter. An e-cigarette collect-and-recycle scheme will also be implemented across the site for the safe disposal of soft plastics and batteries.
- Data Capture | Partnering with Sustainable Fan Travel Platform Lowr
AEG Europe’s customer engagement teams have formed a partnership with a sustainability platform Lowr. Lowr have created a bespoke platform for ticket holders to log their journey to the event and help the festival to understand and quantify the full carbon impact of their travel. This information can then be used in subsequent years to help inform policies and strategies for tackling this large chunk of the festival’s impact.
- Sustainable Energy & Power Supply
BST Hyde Park will benefit from an enhanced power supply from both biodiesel generators and batteries this summer. After successfully trialling a new battery system at the event in 2023, the team has made significant energy efficiencies in a more economical power supply. These enhancements ensure the entire workflow operates at optimum efficiency to drive down overall fuel usage across the site.
BST Hyde Park 2024 is also one of the festival’s most musically diverse years yet, featuring hundreds of global acts, and iconic headliners including Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, pop legends Robbie Williams and Kylie, alongside country music royalty Shania Twain and Morgan Wallen.
