Joe GallopA Greener Future (AGF) has revealed the festivals and events that achieved AGF certification in 2023 through their commitment to sustainability.
AGF said 36 festivals and events from 14 countries achieved the certification in 2023.
The 14 UK festivals to be AGF certified include: Green Gathering (pictured), Cambridge Folk Festival, Green Man, BST Hyde Park, Greenbelt, Forwards, Love Saves the Day, All Points East, Boomtown Fair, Brockwell Live, Godiva, Lambeth Country Show, Valley Fest and We Out Here.
Other international events to receive the certification include Boom (Portugal), Øyafestivalen (Norway), Paradise City Festival (Belgium) and We Love Green (France).
The certification includes four categories, ‘Outstanding’, ‘Highly Commended’, ‘Commended’ and ‘Improvers’. To be certified, events complete a detailed assessment based upon the AGF framework, including self-assessment, site visits and post-event evidence and data to the AGF assessors for an independent auditors report.
The AGF Framework includes 11 key themes including local ecosystems and community, travel, food and drinks, energy, waste, EDI and governance.
AGF said the diversity of the certified events is “truly inspiring”, ranging from the Barcelona Film Festival and Buenas Noches Producciones Argentina to, Sziget Festival, OyaFestivalen, Northside and We Love Green.
AEG Presents CEO of European Festivals Jim King said, “We’re committed to our green targets at all AEG Presents European Festivals. The best events in the world can also be the most sustainable. To again achieve the Greener Festival Certification at both BST Hyde Park and All Points East is a testament to the hard work of the festival teams to realising this ambition”
AGF CEO Claire O’Neill said, “The AGF Framework for sustainable events has become extremely comprehensive over the last 15 years. Hats off to all festivals and events that are achieving this certification, which is no small feat. We not only need to prevent further pollution, waste, emissions and biodiversity loss, but we now also need to adapt to the changes already happening around us, as a result of climate change. These festivals and events are ahead of the curve and give many people hope, showing how we can all do things differently whilst having a tonne of fun at the same time.”
The full list of festivals and events achieving AGF certification in 2023:
Outstanding
Boom (Portugal)
Cambridge Folk Festival (UK)
Green Gathering (UK)
Øyafestivalen (Norway)
Paradise City Festival (Belgium)
We Love Green (France)
Highly Commended
American Express presents BST Hyde Park (UK)
Cabaret Vert (France)
Dockyard (Netherlands)
Greenbelt (UK)
I Land Sound (Estonia)
Northside (Denmark)
Robin Hood Annual Benefit (US)
Sonidos Liquidos (Spain)
Commended
Barcelona Film Festival (Spain)
Buenas Noches Producciones (Argentina)
Festival de la Luz (Spain)
Forwards Festival (UK)
Green Man (UK)
Love Saves the Day (UK)
Luno presents All Points East (UK)
Mystic Garden Festival (Netherlands)
Primavera Sound Barcelona (Spain)
Tremor Festival (Portugal)
Rosendal Garden Party (Sweden)
Improvers
Boomtown Fair (UK)
Brockwell Live (UK)
Camp Quirky (UK)
Das Fest (DE)
Godiva Festival (UK)
Jardin de las Delicias (Spain)
Lambeth Country Show (UK)
MadBlue (Spain)
Sziget Festival (Hungary)
Valley Fest (UK)
We Out Here (UK)
Ceremonies will take place at the Green Events & Innovations (GEI16) conference, in partnership with the ILMC, on 27 February in London. GEI will host the International AGF Awards where the best certified events across a range of green categories will be crowned.
More festivals and events are completing their assessments soon. Applications for 2024 assessments are now open.