Greening European Festivals: strategies and practices towards environmental sustainability

Giada Calvano (University of Barcelona);
Carlos Rodero, Ecomanager (Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia);
Laura Ballantyne Clark, Sustainable Events Producer and Assessor (A Greener Future)

On 9 October 2025, the ENCATC Research Platform held its third online gathering, asking how sustainable European festivals really are. The meeting celebrated Giada Calvano, winner of the 2025 ENCATC Research Award, who shared the methodology and findings of her cross-cultural, data-driven study of European music festivals, examining how organisational features such as genre, workforce, internal culture and human resources shape their environmental transition. Two practitioners then shared their experience: Carlos Rodero discussed the challenges and successes of running a more sustainable festival, while Laura Ballantyne Clark shared her experience of helping festivals develop sustainable practices and certify their progress. A Q&A and open discussion with participants closed the session.