Christopher BarrettAEG Europe has shared details of its upgraded sustainability programme for its BST Hyde Park concert series, taking into account learnings from its carbon-removed shows by The 1975 at The O2 arena.
The 10-show BST Hyde Park series is set to commence tomorrow, 28 June, with a day of classical music. The promoter’s enhanced set of green initiatives for the event includes carbon removals and menu labelling, together with partnerships with Keep Britain Tidy and Lowr aimed at strengthening efforts to minimise the event’s environmental impact.
AEG Europe has heralded the 2024 BST Hyde Park season as its most sustainable run of festivals to date. Its director of sustainability Sam Booth said, “Over the course of 10 shows across three weekends, we will have the opportunity to engage with hundreds of thousands of fans. We are acutely aware of our position and believe we have a responsibility to influence fan behaviour and drive sustainable change and in doing so, we’re helping to not only preserve the planet but also the future of live entertainment.”
In February, AEG Europe hosted the world’s first carbon-removed arena events at The O2, which saw the extraction and removal of 545.9 tonnes of carbon across the four shows by The 1975.
AEG said, “Acting on key learnings from the pilot events, [BST Hyde Park] is continuing to reduce emissions while pursuing accurate measurement for the remaining unavoidable ones. Using Biochar for carbon capture, BST Hyde Park will then fund the removal of all Scope 1 and 2 emissions, making this AEG Europe’s most carbon-friendly festival series to date.”
The AEG team has also worked with A Greener Future to measure the environmental impact of each meal served across the festival and ensure this information is across all menus, with a traffic light system to highlight the most environmentally friendly offerings.
“Not only does this help to educate fans in their food choices, but it also acts as a reminder to traders of the impact their ingredient choices can have on the world around them, helping to encourage traders to think green for all future events,” it said.
AEG Europe said it is committed to sending zero waste to landfill and is looking to build on the principles of the circular economy to all venues and festivals. BST Hyde Park will see the use of 100% compostable serveware across the site, with a limited reusable cup system being trialled in controlled areas. It said waste handling has also been improved, with clearer signage, an on-site waste baler and on-site crews to help fans separate their waste correctly.
Working in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy, BST Hyde Park will also see a new waste reduction initiative this year. In a move to change fan behaviour around the disposal of cigarette butts, portable ashtrays will be handed out to combat the source of litter. An e-cigarette collect-and-recycle scheme will also be implemented across the site for the safe disposal of soft plastics and batteries.
AEG Europe said its customer engagement teams have formed a partnership with sustainability platform Lowr. Lowr has created a bespoke platform for ticket holders to log their journey to the event and help the festival’s promoters to understand and quantify the full carbon impact of their travel. The promoter said the information will be used in subsequent years to help inform policies and strategies for tackling this significant element of the festival’s environmental impact.
BST Hyde Park 2024 will also see an increased amount of its power supply created by biodiesel generators and batteries. The promoter said that having successfully trialled a new battery system at the event last year, its team has made significant energy efficiencies in a more economical power supply: “These enhancements ensure the entire workflow operates at optimum efficiency to drive down overall fuel usage across the site.”
BST Hyde Park will run over three weekends and close on July 14 with a performance by Stray Kids. Acts to headline the series include Robbie Williams, Shania Twain, Andrea Bocelli, Stevie Nicks, Kylie, Kings of Leon, SZA, and Morgan Wallen.