Leeds Festival is part of a new environmental campaign which will have a major impact on the 2023 event.
Festival Republic, who oversee Leeds Festival and its sister event in Reading, will support the project. Music Declares Emergency aims to drive grid connections to UK festivals and begin the transition of the UK outdoor live sector to grid power. The transition hopes to reduce carbon emissions for the sector in relation to temporary power generation.
This hopes to transform the UK outdoor live music portfolio with Festival Republic wanting to play a major role in creating a greener and more sustainable future for live music events. Festival Republic has been a supporter of Music Declares Emergency since its launch in 2019.
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Music Declares Emergency (MDE) will be onsite throughout the summer at Festival Republic events to continue to engage audiences and the music industry in the climate conversation. Melvin Benn, Festival Republic managing director, said: “This project will be a game changer for outdoor live events. Generating our own temporary power is the highest contributor of on-site greenhouse gas emissions at a festival, and by plugging into the grid we will reduce this significantly.
“By doing this, and sharing our knowledge with others, festival goers can have an amazing time at festivals safe in the knowledge that we are doing everything we can as event organisers to create events that have positive rather than negative impacts.”
Youth Climate Justice Coalition, made up of Climate Live, Fridays for Future, Teach the Future and XR Youth, will also bring their campaign bus to Reading and Leeds this summer. There will be speeches and workshops held at the bus, and the Youth Climate Justice Coalition will also be performing on the Alternative Stage as well as other continued sustainability initiatives.
Lewis Jamieson, Music Declares Emergency co-founder, said: “Festival Republic and Melvin personally have been at the forefront of action on climate and environmental issues within the music industry for years. In partnering with MDE to make renewable event power a reality, they are not just continuing Festival Republic’s transition towards a greener future but offering the entire live sector an invaluable pathway that will benefit the whole live music community. We are delighted to be working with Festival Republic on such a visible example of the difference positive music businesses can make in relation to the climate crisis.”
We'll bring you more on the campaign as it continues to grow. As ever, we'll keep you posted about all the big news about Leeds Festival 2022 ahead of this summer's big party. You can also join our Leeds Festival Facebook group to find out more about the 2022 event or sign up our Leeds Festival newsletter.
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