Greening European Festivals: strategies and practices towards environmental sustainability

How sustainable are European festivals? In this new meeting of the Research Platform, Giada Calvano will introduce her cross-cultural, data-driven study on music festivals that earned her the 2025 ENCATC Research Award.
Giada's thesis shows to what level organisational features, including genre, workforce, internal culture, and human resources, drive the environmental transition of the music festivals in Europe. The presentation will provide specific insights into methodology and findings of the research, showcasing the relevance of Giada's work for the research community and the cultural sector at large.

After the presentation, two contributions will provide valuable insights into the practice of greening a festival from the inside. Carlos Rodero, Ecomanager of Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, will share his practical experience towards more sustainable festival operations, together with challenges and successes in reducing the environmental impact of cultural events. In addition, Laura Ballantyne Clark will offer her perspective based on her extensive work as an assessor with A Greener Future, where she supports festivals and events in developing sustainable practices and certifying their progress in environmental responsibility.