How DICE Partners Plan and Deliver Sustainable Events

It is, as Uncle Al said, an inconvenient truth: live shows are not beneficial to the environment. Our mission at DICE is to get people out more, because we believe that the experience of attending an incredible show is something everyone should have easy access to. But if you’re a fan who cares about sustainable practices (and it seems that at least 69% of you do), how can you do your bit without missing out on one of life’s great joys? In this article, we’ll explore some of the ways that fans and organisers are trying to reverse the tide.

According to A Greener Future, audience travel still accounts for nearly 41% of the carbon footprint of the average festival. In fact, travel remains the largest single contributor to event-related emissions. Just ask Radiohead.

Savvy event organizers like Alexandra Palace are now partnering with public transport providers to get fans to and from shows, and more festivals are now offering dedicated bike parking and incentives for carpooling. Festival Liftshare is an online community where ticket-holders can connect and arrange to travel together, a great way to reduce your carbon contribution and save a bunch of cash.

UK festival 2000trees have been working with low-carbon-travel pioneers Onboard Earth to provide affordable rail and coach travel to their stellar fest, as well as shuttle buses to and from local stations, all in an effort to reduce car journeys and lower that carbon footprint. 

In this blog, we shared how Newport Folk Festival had partly powered their sound system with cyclists on stationary bicycles, cos we thought it was kinda innovative and weird and cool. But there’s more. At Sónar Barcelona, all energy used during the festival comes from renewable sources, and the 135,000 m² Sónar by Night roof is covered with 25,947 photovoltaic panels, making it one of the largest rooftop solar energy installations IN THE WORLD. And in the North of Spain, Observatorio Festival has drafted a comprehensive sustainability policy to ensure their commitment to energy efficiency.

According to a survey by Meet Green, we all produce 1.89kg of waste at every live event we attend. Ugh. But there are signs of hope. Data from A Greener Future indicates that festivals with higher proportions of plant-based food options see lower overall carbon footprints. Making drinking water available at outdoor events also allows festival-goers to utilise refillable bottles rather than buy single-use plastic ones – Hope Solutions recently produced an interesting study on the impact of disposable vs reusable materials in the live event industry. 

And at DICE, we’re incredibly proud to partner with some of the event organisers who are leading the way with their sustainability commitments. Not content with the whole ‘biggest solar energy thing in the world’ flex, our Spanish friends at Sónar continue to innovate across waste management, energy, transport and a ‘circular business model’ that has cut CO emissions by 72%. Over in Portugal, Paredes de Coura was recognised in 2023 by the Sê-lo Verde Program of the Environmental Fund of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Action as the festival with the best environmental sustainability practices in the country.

In a similar vein, ArcTanGent have signed up to several sustainable pledges, including some pretty forward-thinking carbon offset schemes for travel— take a look here. 

In London, Outernet use easy-to–stack reusable cups across all three of their venues, and the wonderful people at Rough Trade are aiming to be carbon-negative (in other words, to remove more CO2 from the atmosphere than they put in) by 2030. 

Our pals over at Treefort in Boise, Idaho have been doing their bit since 2015, when they became the first festival to be B-Corp Certified. They have a slew of heart-warming green initiatives to learn about— see more here. 

There’s always more that can be done—but it’s inspiring to see so many of our partners stepping up on behalf of mother Earth.

Collaboration is key to making live events greener. Sustainable event partners can include food vendors, production companies, energy providers, and waste management services, among others.
Venues and promoters are increasingly working with environmental reporting platforms like FuturePlus and A Greener Future to track and reduce their carbon footprints. Festivals are also integrating sustainability-focused partners into their supply chains to ensure a greener overall approach.

Digital ticketing is now the industry standard, eliminating paper waste. However, there is increasing awareness of the carbon footprint of digital services, including website browsing and cloud storage.
Platforms like DICE have introduced more energy-efficient app functionality to minimize unnecessary data usage. Additionally, personalized event recommendations are reducing the number of digital transactions needed, streamlining the ticketing process and lowering overall digital carbon footprints.