If you’re a regular reader, you know I’m a music lover. Sometimes it’s hard to reconcile my love of live music with my desire to be sustainable. A recent concert experience prompted me to do some research on sustainable concert tours, and I learned there are artists and tour companies who are doing this successfully.
As I continue my journey to declutter and simplify my life, I always favour experiences over things. However, as I shared in 6 ways to reduce the environmental cost of experiences, sporting events, concerts and other experiences also come with an environmental cost.
Refillable water bottles not welcome
This was brought home to me late last year when my daughter and I attended a Jonas Brothers concert at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Before leaving for the concert, I checked the arena website which clearly said empty clear plastic refillable water bottles were permitted at the arena for regular sporting events. When I passed through security, I was told I couldn’t take my empty clear plastic water bottle in. My argument that the website said otherwise got me nowhere, so I begrudgingly left my water bottle behind.
This annoyed me! Clearly this is a policy of the Jonas Brothers and their tour company, and not the venue.
This made me stop and think about the impact of live music on the environment. Today’s concert tours are big productions, transporting dozens of tractor-trailers full of equipment and hundreds of people from city to city, and country to country. Private jets. Crew catering. Stage lighting. Fan travel. It all adds up to a big impact.
It made me wonder if any artist has found a way to reduce the impact of their tours.
Kudos to Coldplay for getting it right!
My daughter told me about the Coldplay concert she had attended in Vancouver a few weeks earlier. Coldplay is clearly setting the standard for sustainable concert tours.
In 2019, the band announced they would not tour again until they could do so in an environmentally beneficial way. Then they got to work and made it happen.
Coldplay’s website reveals they pledged to cut CO2 emissions by at least 50% on their current Music of the Spheres World Tour, compared to their previous tour. And they’re delivering on that pledge! Their sustainability policy is based on three key principles of Reduce, Reinvent and Restore. Some examples of things they’re doing include:
- Cutting transportation impact by mostly taking commercial flights and supporting Sustainable Aviation Fuel. For ground transportation, they use electric vehicles or vehicles powered by biofuel where possible.
- Using renewable, low emission energy to power their stage set.
- Collecting, cleaning and reusing 86% of the LED wristbands fans wear during their shows.
- Using biodegradable confetti.
- Working with venues to offer free water refill stations and encouraging fans to bring their own refillable water bottles. Take note Jonas Brothers!
- Sourcing local food for crew catering—and donating excess food and toiletries to local food banks. In the first year of the tour, this initiative provided close to 4,000 meals to those in need.
- Selling tour merchandise that’s sustainable and ethically sourced.
- Last but not least, planting one tree for every ticket sold. That added up to 5 million trees over the first year of their tour.
Full details of the positive impact from the first year of the tour are available on the Sustainability page on Coldplay’s website. Check out out. It’s inspiring!
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Other artists are also doing their part
Dave Matthews Band is another artist with a track record of sustainability going back 20 years. The band’s website boasts a climate positive tour.
And through a partnership with REVERB, artists Pink, Paramore, Billie Eilish, and others are taking steps to green their tours. REVERB works with musicians, festivals and events to reduce their footprint. They also engage fans face-to-face at events to encourage them to take environmental action.
What about the Eras tour?
It’s clear that some artists are successfully greening their concert tours. But what about the biggest tour on the planet right now? Yes, I’m talking about Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
A quick look at the tour website turned up information on tour dates and merchandise sales, but nothing on sustainability. One can only assume from the silence that sustainability isn’t on Taylor Swift’s agenda. That’s unfortunate for someone with the potential to set an example for other artists and her fans.
As consumers, let’s do our homework and hold artists accountable for their impact by supporting those with positive sustainability track records.
And let’s not stop at concerts. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if sporting events, theatre performances, and all public events could be climate neutral or even climate positive? Artists like Coldplay have proven it can be done. There’s really no excuse!
How awesome is this! Definitely a step in the right direction and something I hope more celebrities take up.
Agreed! Celebrities have the opportunity to influence by example. We need more Coldplays!
Cold Play we salute you! This is something I would never think of but I am glad someone has thought about it 👍☺️
It’s true. We often think of experiences as being better for the environment than stuff. But it isn’t always true.
Yes, we have a lifetime of stuff! That’s why we have garage sales!!
Great article on an important but difficult problem. Way to go Coldplay! In the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles have a Go Green initiative in which they’re constantly attempting to increase sustainability in everything they do. The stadium has solar panels covering the south side and a chunk of the parking lot is under solar panels too. The team claims to generate a third of their stadium energy from the panels.
Supposedly Taylor Swift buys carbon offsets, but that’s weak in comparison to running your operation better.
I read last week that Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas is fully powered by solar energy which reduced the impact of this year’s Superbowl. But the number of private jets that landed in Vegas for the weekend more than cancelled that out. 🙁
Buying carbon offsets is better than nothing, and I have bought them to offset my guilt from flying to see my daughter and sister, but they can be a bit of a copout when people don’t even attempt to change their behaviour.
Good points- I didn’t realize allegiant stadium was fully solar powered- that’s cool!!
It is cool. Lots of sunshine in the desert so no excuse! LOL
I heard that Coldplay in Brussels they had a floor producing energy while people were dancing. The inventor is a genius! Generally speaking in Europe bands don’t use as many trailers as they did in the past to carry their stuff but they rent it on the spot, generating also additional incomes where they play.
That is amazing, Cristiana. They also have people pedalling bikes at their concerts to generate energy. And I heard they rent local equipment as much as possible for their North American tour, too. It’s proof that a little creativity can make a big difference.
Indeed, but first you need to change your mindset and think out of the box. Apparently Coldplay are very good at that!
That is pretty cool that Coldplay is aware and does what it can! I especially like the part about feeding those in need with their unsold food and that is something that all artists should do!
I know. My daughter saw Coldplay in Vancouver in September and she told me to check out their website. It’s pretty inspiring. I love that they said they wouldn’t tour again until they could do it more sustainably…and then delivered.
Wow! Go Coldplay — planting a tree for every ticket sold?!? I like it. 😉
I know. There’s so much about their tour to love. I wish all artists would get on board.
🥰😎❤️ agree!