NETHERLANDS: The international non-profit organisation A Greener Festival has announced the 34 winners of its 11th ‘Greener Festival Awards‘, plus its first ‘Greener Event Awards’.
Festivals and events from 12 countries participated in the award in 2017. Applicants undergo a rigorous assessment, site visit and post event analysis of their event’s sustainability actions. Events are assessed on 11 main areas including transportation, waste, power, water and local area impacts.
Roskilde Festival’s spokeswoman, Christina Bilde, said: “Our ambition is to create a festival without negative environmental impact, and we already have many years of experience in creating sustainable initiatives. With the report and the Highly Commended Award from A Greener Festival we now have a collection of very useful data that can help us take our efforts to a new level. At the same time, it is a great compliment to the many volunteers who are involved in reducing Roskilde Festival’s environmental impact.”
An Awards ceremony for the winners was held at Eurosonic Noorderslag in the Netherlands on 18 January 18. The trophies themselves are made entirely of reused materials, including salvaged tents by I Dress Myself and reclaimed wood turned by Steve O’Neill. AGF directors Teresa Moore and Claire O’Neill presented the awards to winners including Das Fest (DE), Roskilde Festival (DK), Ilosaarirock (FI), Metal Days (SI) and Welcome to the Village (NL).
Robin Bennett, organiser of Wood Festival, said: “Ever since we started, we’ve wanted Wood Festival to be an inspiring example of sustainability in action. Working with A Greener Festival gives us an objective, a fair assessment of how we’re doing, and with their help and support we keep trying to improve. We are thrilled to be judged Outstanding just in time for our 10th anniversary!”
Due to the launch of The Greener Event Award, the AGF team are busy assessing events throughout the Northern Hemisphere’s winter, as well as festivals in the Southern Hemisphere’s summer. Winners for these assessments will be announced at the annual Green Event & Innovations Conference in London on March 6, alongside the International Live Music Conference (ILMC).
Claire O’Neill, A Greener Festival Co-Founder, commented: “We are extremely proud of the winners of the AGF and TGEA awards. They have to meet very strict criteria to be awarded, and their actions and passion for sustainability set them aside as the future of festivals and events in the industry. There’s always further to go, and these winners are paving the way for the benefit of us all.”
Applications are now open for the Greener Festival Award 2018. Events should email directly to apply.
And the winners are:
OUTSTANDING
Green Gathering (UK)
ØYA Festival (NO)
We Love Green (FR)
Wood Festival (UK)
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Cambridge Folk Festival (UK)
DGTL festival (NL)
Extrema Outdoor (NL)
Greenbelt Festival (UK)
HebCelt (UK)
Ilosaarirock Festival (FI)
Paradise City (BE)
Roskilde Festival (DK)
COMMENDED
Das Fest (DE)
Doolin Folk Festival (IE) (The Greener Event Award)
Dubcamp Festival (FR)
Glastonbury Festival of Performing Arts (UK)
Hadra Trance Festival (FR)
Kew The Music (UK)
Liberation Festival Utrecht (NL)
Primavera Sound (ES)
Spring Festival Utrecht (NL) (The Greener Event Award)
Welcome to the Village (NL)
IMPROVERS
Arla Food Festival (DK)
Bayou Boogaloo (US)
Body and Soul (IE)
Just So Festival (UK)
Mandala Festival (NL)
Meadows Festival (UK)
Metaldays (SI)
Mysteryland (NL)
No Logo Festival (FR)
Nozstock: The Hidden Valley (UK)
Oude Muziek (NL) (The Greener Event Award)
Uitfeest (NL) (The Greener Event Award)
