Lowest carbon emissions for a music festival

Held on 25 August 2024, the Act 1.5 festival on Clifton Downs in Bristol, UK, reduced power-related emissions by 98% compared to similar events, according to a report by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. A homecoming gig for the group Massive Attack that attracted around 32,000 visitors, the show drastically reduced emissions through strategies such as offering only vegan food and being completely battery powered. The use of electric vehicles helped to reduce emission associated with catering and haulage by 89% and 70% respectively.

To reduce the event’s carbon footprint, participating musicians avoided flying or using air freight to carry their equipment. Transport to the event included electric shuttle buses, while later-running rail services and incentives for train travel further limited harmful emissions.

The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research reached its conclusions by comparing the show to a hypothetical standard outdoor live music festival. Professor Carly McLachlan, associate director at the institution, observed of the event: “It demonstrated that there are real opportunities for promoters, providers, local authorities and central government to create the conditions for the UK to lead the world in super-low carbon events.”

The name Act 1.5 is a reference to the 1.5°C set as a limit for the average rise in global temperatures above those of the pre-industrial era. The figure was agreed at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015, and the resulting Paris Agreement came into force on 4 November 2016. Its aim was to avert the worst effects of climate change. The limit of 1.5°C was breached for the first time in 2024, however.