“ Fans, artists and vendors are all very much involved,” Sam says.“ They all have a part to play and are excited by what we’ re doing.”
“ The buzz is real”.
Hunny, opening performer at LIDO
Festival 2025
The future of sustainable festivals Interest in LIDO’ s innovations is growing.“ I’ ve had conversations with counterparts from other companies who want to know how we do it,” Sam explains.“ Sustainability is not a competition, it’ s meant to be a collaboration.
“ Bringing all these players together and proving something like this can work – and still be a commercial success – is probably the biggest output from this festival.”
Results and findings from LIDO are shared openly, with the underlying aim that these approaches should be replicated elsewhere.“ If we can crack it here, and other people can start deploying it, that’ s where the real impact is,” Sam says.
“ Not only can festivals be sustainable in themselves, but they can help towns and all of life beyond the festival change,” Claire adds.“ So not only can they be sustainable, they can be real drivers for change.”
The challenges remain, but the festival’ s measures offer hope for what the sector can deliver.
“ Festivals change people’ s perception of life and of what’ s possible,” Dale says.“ When people come to LIDO and see batteries, plant-based food and electric buses, they see a different picture of the future – they see the alternative.”
sustainabilitymag. com 117