ISSUE NO. 31
The music festival season is opening. Organizers worldwide can no longer ignore the environmental impact these events have on their locations and have accelerated their adoption of sustainable practices. Among the most polluting factors in the organization and execution of a music festival (and beyond) are CO2 emissions, massive energy consumption, the production and distribution of merchandise, and the creation of new plastic waste. According to A Greener Festival, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of festivals and events, the average CO2 emitted during such an event is five hundred tons, translating to about five kilograms of CO2 emitted per day per attendee.
Even more concerning is the amount of waste produced: the report highlights that one person generates 0.7 kilograms of waste during the average festival stay, which increases to 1.92 kilograms if camping is involved.
What measures must a festival adopt to be considered a sustainable event? In 2019, Amsterdam’s DGTL became the first circular festival in the world. Two years earlier, DGTL introduced a material flow analysis system created by the agency Metabolic, which can track the exact moments resources enter and exit. To “close the loop” of different material flows, it is essential to determine when and how they enter the consumption chain and trace their movement. The three most studied areas in the music festival context are plastic, human waste, and water. Based on this work, Metabolic produced a manual outlining the data collection protocol to map incoming and outgoing materials, allowing festival organizers to understand and leverage opportunities to repurpose them in a circular economy model.
In practical terms, the method created by Metabolic, called Material Flow Analysis (MFA), is represented as a Sankey diagram read from left (inputs) to right (outputs). Scaled lines are used to depict the total mass of resource flows consumed, reused, or disposed of at DGTL. Each resource flow is linked to ecological impacts, which can be both positive and negative. On one side are areas of high environmental impact, while on the other are opportunities to repurpose products associated with different flows. Thus, waste becomes inputs for other flows or to create new products. This system abandons the idea of having hidden waste collection areas that typically resemble small landfills in favour of a “Resource Street”, installed in a central area visible to all visitors, featuring a recycling center and a pyrolysis machine that transforms bottle caps into crude oil for producing recycled plastic, fully reflecting the circular economy system.
The Boom Festival, located in the lagoon of Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal, was among the first to develop paradigms of environmental conservation and enhancement and water resource protection alongside festival organization. To support the local population and the over 10,000 festival visitors, Boom has built two biological water treatment plants. The first, operational since 2010, can treat up to 7 million liters of water, which are reintroduced for irrigation using a circular approach. To prevent public water networks from polluting the lake, the festival constructed a site-specific 40-kilometer network of underground pipes leading to the water treatment stations. These networks do not include toilets because, since 2006, Boom has introduced waterless or composting toilets, an approach studied and approved by the Portuguese University of Castelo Branco, which repurposes waste materials to fertilize Boomland’s bioagriculture and especially its forests.
Gray water, or water from showers or restaurants, is a primary resource, particularly in summer. To reduce consumption, Boom Festival has implemented several measures, including reducing water pressure in showers and food areas and restricting access to these areas to specific times. Additionally, all plant species planted in the untreated rough ground are native and drought-resistant.
The Green Gathering in Chepstow, Monmouthshire uses energy from renewable sources only. The system, which started slowly in 2014 due to a lack of suppliers, excludes the use of diesel, gasoline, gas, or biofuel generators. Their method relies on an LED lighting system and solar generation, which in their case meets all electrical requirements, including all venues, merchants, workshops, lighting, offices, water pumps, and finally, vehicle charging for mobility. A small part of the locally produced electricity can be generated by wind, pedal power, or stored in batteries charged during the journey to the event.
The Green Gathering in Chepstow, Monmouthshire is non-profit and includes workshops and conferences on permaculture, politics, ecology, and crafts, as well as art and live music performances and talks. These activities serve as campaigns on environmental protection and preservation and on solutions to mitigate climate change.
The boutique festival concept encompasses multiple areas and goes beyond the mere music-centered experience that generates mass tourism. To amplify the concept of land preservation, festival organization must consider supporting the local economy. Bucolika’s main goal is to connect people with nature. To learn more, Lampoon interviewed Martina Augelli, Bucolika’s organizer. “Our food and beverage supply comes from local and organic farms to reduce environmental impact. We serve zero kilometer food, with vegetarian and vegan options, sourced from some representatives of Susa Valley. Even the beer is local, which not only supports regional producers but also reduces CO2 emissions related to transport. Our wine partner is Quartin, one of the first canned wines in Italy, a brand distinguished by a controlled supply chain”.
Bucolika and the location manager in Susa Valley, Star, also collaborate to reduce food waste by donating excess produce to charities. Lake Camosci is a natural park located in a protected area of the Province of Turin. Choosing to organize the festival in this location reflects the desire to provide a more intimate experience for participants who will be given the opportunity to camp for free. “The choice of free camping is aimed at raising people’s awareness regarding nature. We want participants to connect with the environment, understanding the importance of respecting and preserving the nature around us. Adopting these practices not only benefits the location but reinforces the message of environmental conservation and protection we want to communicate.”
Although music is central to organizing a festival, Bucolika does not make it its main theme. “Being young in this work context made us draw inspiration from larger festivals as a starting point to then support lesser-known artists,” explains Augelli. “Through parallel activities we can amplify awareness of sustainable practices and strengthen the connection with nature.”
There is also a link between the festival and the fashion world. “We are in contact with the Raffles University in Milan, the International Institute of Fashion and Design, to work on an open-air art installation created by students with unsold or unused scrap materials from fashion companies for the 2025 edition.”
Other immersive experiences include art and creative writing workshops and yoga with Marco Migliavacca. “We included an in-depth focus on yoga practice: with asana, pranayama, and meditation, yoga promotes self-awareness, helping participants connect with their bodies and breath. This makes it easier to understand the importance of respecting the environment and incorporating these activities into daily life.”
ISSUE NO. 31
Lampoon is a cultural magazine.
Culture today means sustainability – in its honest meaning.
Culture has always been about human respect, tolerance. It’s not only about accepting human diversity but it’s about searching for the beauty of every human peculiarity.
Inclusion is the first value that defines art. Culture today means one thing only: to be part of a community, to think as a community.
Reading Lampoon, you see that these themes are smoothly aligned. A good part of the articles’ content discusses practices to restore our environment and stories about understanding the others.
Reading Lampoon, you find a dialogue between science and creativity. From sharp and edgy photo sessions to fashion, architecture, technology – the commitment is dedicated to a future that is all about us – together.
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