The AGF Annual Festival Sustainability Insights report is the culmination of a year of information gathering, data analysis, and number crunching for the 40 festivals from 16 countries that were assessed by AGF in 2024, covering topics such as food & drink, water & sanitation, power & fuel use, waste & recycling, travel, and carbon emissions.
AGF has been assessing festival impacts worldwide for 19 years, and each year publishes a report outlining progress, innovation and areas for improvement within the sector.
This year’s report demonstrated some encouraging statistics, with 70% of assessed events implementing a complete ban on single-use plastics and the average recycling rate increasing from 38% in 2022 to 49% in 2024.
20% of festivals assessed were either fully vegetarian or vegan, compared to just 8% in 2023. This is a promising sign as industrial animal agriculture and food production are among the biggest drivers of climate change and nature decline and form a major part of an event’s environmental impact.
The average amount of waste per person per day was 0.8kg across all festivals, ranging from 0.5kg for non-camping events to 1.4kg for camping events, the latter of which is equal to the EU daily average.
26% of festivals were run entirely on mains electricity. Diesel was still the most popular source of generator fuel for small to medium festivals, whilst larger events have mostly transitioned to HVO fuel. Although several events set a precedent, the use of battery storage and onsite renewables remained marginal in 2024.
Audience travel emissions represented between 35% and 94% of festival carbon footprints, depending on the location, nature, and scale of the event. 2024 also saw an increase in the number of attendees reporting electric car usage, however more could be done to increase public and collective transport with 62% of rural festival attendees using private vehicles.
2024 was also the year of the Guinness World Record-breaking low-carbon concert – Massive Attack’s Act 1.5 Climate Action Accelerator – for which AGF provided sustainability consultancy. The event was fully plant-based and ran entirely on batteries charged from the wind and sun. The main stage was powered by Grid Faeries x Ecotricity 1MW battery, with no generator backup or diesel used site wide.
Claire O’Neill, CEO, A Greener Future: “Festivals that work with AGF or apply for certification are generally environmentally aware and active. Nevertheless, these results are promising, showing a trend towards decarbonisation and waste reduction. In particular, we are happy to see more festivals going plant based as this is one of the single most important changes events can make to protect nature and tackle climate change, and costs nothing. There is room for improvement with regards to getting fossil fuels out of festivals and low-carbon travel, but we know how to do this and expect to see a rapid decline in diesel use in the coming years.”
Key Findings by Category:
Travel & Transport
- A third of festivals recorded over 70% local audiences.
- 62% of audiences reported travelling to rural-based festivals by private vehicle for the longest part of their journey, compared to 36% for urban festivals.
- 2024 saw an increase in the number of attendees reporting electric vehicle use.
- The average share of domestic artists across all festival lineups was 68%. This was largely driven by 12 festivals, who booked over 80% of domestic artists.
Food & Beverage
- Power & Fuel Use
- 26% of festivals ran entirely on mains electricity.
- 20% ran entirely on HVO biofuel.
- 72% used generators for some or all of their power.
- Diesel was still the major source of generator fuel for small to medium festivals, while larger festivals using generators have mostly transitioned to HVO.
Waste & Recycling
- The average site recycling rate across all festivals assessed has increased from 38% in 2022 to 49% in 2024.
- The average waste per person per day across all festival types was 0.8kg, with camping festivals averaging 1.4kg, compared to 0.5kg for non-camping festivals. As a reference, the average waste generated per person per day in the EU in 2023 was 1.4 kg.
Water & Sanitation
- Average water consumption across all festival types was 15 litres per person per day, with significant variations between camping and non-camping events. By comparison, the average daily water consumption per person in the EU is around 140 litres.
- Over 70% of festivals used portable chemical toilets on-site, and 15% used compost toilets
- Data on water use at urban events is improving, but accurate water metering remains a challenge.
Carbon Emissions
- Audience travel emissions represented between 35% and 94% of festival carbon footprints, depending on the location, nature, and scale of the event.
- When excluding audience travel, food-related emissions ranged from less than 10% (for 100% meat-free events), to up to 40% of a festival’s carbon footprint.
- Data relating to new materials, decor, and equipment purchased is improving but remains under-reported.
You can read the full report here.
