Australian music festivals are increasingly affected by climate change. But is the industry doing enough to mitigate its impact?
The live music and festival industry is currently struggling with significant challenges, including expensive insurance premiums and the cost of living crisis impacting ticket sales.
- The live music and festival industry is currently struggling with significant challenges, including expensive insurance premiums and the cost of living crisis impacting ticket sales.
- In particular are the challenges associated with climate change, as extreme weather events becoming more frequent, severe and unpredictable.
- Severe weather impacts on music festivals and concerts have ranged from delays and cancellations, to the evacuation of venues and areas mid-festival or mid-performance.
Death, injury and cancellations
- In my research, I also looked at where and why events were being cancelled in the United States, finding at least 21 cancellations in 2022–23.
- I also found similar cases in New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands.
- In November, we saw the tragic death of a fan due to extreme heat at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Brazil.
The environmental impact of festivals
- The UK’s live music industry produces 405,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
- The primary sources of these emissions are audience travel, accounting for 43%, and the operations of live music venues, contributing another 23%.
Music festivals can make a change
- The live music industry can reduce its environmental impact by adopting more renewable energy, and using sustainable transport options for artists and audiences.
- Read more:
The environmental cost of abandoning your tent at a music festivalTree planting has emerged as a popular strategy for music festivals and bands to offset their carbon footprint and contribute positively to the environment.
- Challenges such as rising supply chain costs and the cost of living are testing the viability of festivals.
- It is important the event industry and festival-goers acknowledge their contributions to these escalating challenges, and take proactive steps towards greening music festivals.
Milad Haghani receives funding from the Australian Research Council (Grant No. DE210100440).