The festival season is in full swing! The Netherlands (Chordify’s homebase) is nicknamed festival country, because it has almost 900 music festivals every year. It’s not just these mass music gatherings that are popping up like mushrooms though, but also the innovative ideas to make them more sustainable. The days of waddling knee deep through an ocean of plastic cups to get from stage to stage are pretty much over.
The most innovative festival
As a music tech startup, we’re all about the combination of music and innovation. That’s why Welcome to The Village in Leeuwarden (the new cultural capital of Europe) is one of our favorite festivals. With big headliners like Franz Ferdinand, it’s beautifully located in a natural reserve and also voted most innovative festival in the Netherlands.
Because we want future generations to not only live on a habitable planet, but also have them enjoy some good tunes and great festivals, here are 5 pro tips to make your festival stay as eco friendly as possible.
1 Pick the festivals whose mission is sustainability.
Picking a festival is already difficult with so many to choose from. To make that choice a little easier, think about the environmental effect of the festivals you’re thinking of going to. During the UN convention in 2015, 193 world leaders came up with the Sustainable Development Goals. These goals were the inspiration behind Welcome to The Village, so by going there, you’re not just enjoying the music, you’re also actively endorsing these goals.
2 Sleep in a KarTent
Remember the post apocalyptic wasteland of abandoned tents right after a festival? KartTent has a solution for that; totally sustainable, cardboard tents that can be easily discarded. And no, this is not your average hobo highway underpass dwelling, this is in fact a very comfy and surprisingly waterproof tent. How we know? We actually tried it, during their pilot in 2015. KarTent is now slowly but surely conquering the rest of Europe and even won the prestigious RedDot Design Award this year.
3 Go off the beaten path: try hemp!
No, we’re not actively endorsing that kind of hemp. The combination of heavy rainfall and big crowds of people can quickly turn any terrain into one giant mud pool. It’s hog heaven, but pretty much hell for local plant life, because it takes at least two months to grow back. Welcome to The Village uses hemp tiles to protect the terrain this year. It’s an industrial type of hemp, so no, you can’t smoke it.
4 Do the Innofest test
Innofest turns festivals into a living lab, with all kinds of experimental technologies. Participating festivals are testing grounds for young entrepreneurs, experimenting with innovative solutions and tackling challenges. Become a guinea pig and feel welcome to share your own sustainable ideas.
5 Be critical
Festivals are responsible for visitors, but the opposite is just as true. Support your local festival and help them by giving your opinion and feedback. Welcome to The Village has some clear opinions when it comes to controversial subjects like the food industry, food waste and male calves.
Play along with the headliners
Chordify will also be present this year at the Netherland’s most innovative festival. During Welcome to The Village, we’ll also be recording intimate live artist sessions, together with IDK Sessions. And furthermore, you can also play along with the headliners, using our Chordify embedded player on welcometothevillage.nl. Check out our special channel for more songs. Everyone is a musician. Start playing.
Have a great summer!