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Sustainability in the music industry: I will try to fix you

Writer's picture: Kat HounsellKat Hounsell

Updated: Jan 28

When you attend a concert as a fan, you enjoy the spectacle for an evening, but of course, a tour encompasses much more than that one night. There are months of preparation and organisation, as well as a logistical headache to overcome, to enable the crowd to bask in the glory of their favourite band.


Unfortunately, there is a cost and not just the price of tickets. In the US alone, concerts emit 400,000 tons of carbon and produce 116,843,033 pounds of waste each year.


Concerts often involve international travel for the band and crew. Then there is the set-up, lights, equipment, special effects and food and drink to keep everyone going. Plus, the fans need to get to the venue, and there’s an endless supply of single-use plastic water bottles. It’s easy to see how the emissions and waste can spiral out of control. The environmental impact can be huge, all in the name of entertainment.


However, one band wanted to make a change. Coldplay decided enough was enough. When their album, ‘Everyday Life’, was released in 2019, the band announced that it would not be touring until it could make its concerts more environmentally friendly. The plan was two years in the making as they sought advice from sustainability experts and sought partners to turn their ideas into reality.


Fast forward to 2021, and the band announced the ‘Music of Spheres’ tour to promote their brand new album. And a journey towards more sustainable touring began.


Clear goals with guiding principles



Coldplay turned their ambition of being more environmentally friendly into a clear, measurable goal - The Music of Spheres tour aimed to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% compared to their 2016-17 tour, A Head Full of Dreams.


Three key principles guide them:


Reduce

Not only is there a CO2 emissions target, but there is also an emphasis on reducing waste across every aspect of the tour and to recycle as much as possible.


Reinvent

Where some may have stopped at ‘reduce’, Coldplay are committed to changing some of the fundamentals of touring to see a real difference. They actively seek out and support new green technologies and constantly explore low-carbon opportunities.


Restore

As well as reducing consumption as much as possible, giving back is also high on the agenda. This principle focuses on funding relevant projects and offsetting any unavoidable emissions. The initiatives include planting at least one tree for every ticket sold. And when you’re Coldplay, that adds up to a lot of trees (7 million as of June 2024)


Innovations so far have included:


  • The first mobile rechargeable show battery in partnership with BMW. In 2023, 18 shows were powered entirely by the batteries

  • Additional power was provided through renewable energy sources

  • 72% of all waste was diverted from landfill

  • To reduce waste further, nearly 10,000 meals and 90kg of toiletries were donated

  • 10% of profits are donated to charity. In addition, Coldplay has teamed up with Global Citizen and the Love Button Global Movement to promote and support local non-profit institutions at each location

  • The traditional rider, which includes the artists' favourite drinks and snacks, has been replaced with a sustainability rider sent to all the venues in advance

  • Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is purchased for flights when flying is unavoidable


Delivering an awesome experience


Concerts just wouldn’t be the same without all the sights and sounds that go along with them. Loud music, light shows and special effects all add to the experience.


Coldplay has aimed to tackle all aspects of the show by seeking sustainable alternatives that are better for the environment but still provide the memorable experience the audience craves.


One unique aspect of the show that has become synonymous with the band’s live performances is the LED wristbands, which they first used in 2012. Over time, production of the legendary LED wristbands has reduced by a whopping 80%. Fans are asked to return the bands, which are then sterilised and recharged, ready for the next show. The average return rate is a healthy 86%.


Other initiatives are also in place to maintain a high energy experience with a lower environmental cost.


  • New LED stage products.

  • The confetti used is 100% biodegradable and requires less compressed gas to achieve the same impressive effect

  • A new generation of sustainable pyrotechnics is used to reduce or eliminate any harmful chemicals

  • The sound systems use less energy and also reduce noise pollution outside of the venue


Getting the fans involved



Did you know that concerts often register as seismic activity due to the vast number of people dancing in time to the music? The most recent concert to hit the headlines was Taylor Swift’s concert in Edinburgh, where the song being played could be identified based on the seismic recordings captured.


Coldplay put this energy to use and install kinetic floors at venues to convert fans’ dancing into energy to power their concerts. In addition, fans can opt to hop on a stationary bike to help generate power.

Coldplay also recognised that part of the impact of any show is the fan's travel to and from the venue. Although most venues in large cities will have public transport links, the band went a step further to encourage its use and promote walking and bikes where possible.


A mobile app for the tour helps fans make more environmentally friendly travel choices by understanding the options available and being rewarded with discounts on merchandise for opting for the more eco-friendly routes. 23 partnerships with green travel providers in different countries have been set up to make super-low carbon transport the obvious and easy choice. In some cases, firms have offered discounts to entice fans further.


A continuing journey


With each concert and subsequent tour, Coldplay are looking to improve and find innovative ways to produce a more sustainable tour approach. By monitoring and measuring progress, they can show how far things have come, but they recognise that it’s a journey and they are not perfect.


And, it’s not always been an easy path. The band has been accused of greenwashing, and people have questioned their association with brands such as BMW, which helped develop the tour battery.


In response, Coldplay published a statement reiterating that their plan was a work in progress and they "genuinely welcome suggestions as to how to do it better". There’s even an option to enquire and provide suggestions on their sustainability site - Sustainability.coldplay.com

The band’s continued commitment has drawn praise from others, especially in light of the impact the initiatives may have on the broader industry.


“With each subsequent year of their tour they demonstrate an evolving vision and expanded commitment to move the entire music industry toward true and humane sustainability and planetary resilience. From collecting unprecedented amounts of data to taking specific actions today based on rigorous analysis, Coldplay is modelling a trajectory toward a low carbon, biodiverse and equitable future.”

Prof. John E. Fernandez, MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative


Inspiring industry change


One of the most exciting aspects of the band’s efforts is that their popularity has helped to highlight the environmental impact of concerts and tours. Many of the practical initiatives that have been implemented can be replicated across other tours and used more broadly by venues.


Coldplay is working closely with Hope Solutions, MIY, Live Nation and Warner Music Group to bring further understanding and learning to the wider industry.


“We’re committed to the ongoing measurement of our environmental impacts – both positive and negative – so that we can make further improvements as we go along. We are working with Green Nation, Live Nation’s sustainability platform, as a special artist advisor. This will ensure sustainable practices developed on this tour are shared, adopted and scaled throughout the rest of the industry.”

In August 2024, Massive Attack held what was said to be the lowest-carbon concert of its scale. In addition to swapping diesel generators for battery power and encouraging fans to walk or take public transport, all the food was plant-based, and compostable toilets were used. Hopefully, other artists and their fans will be inspired to follow suit.


Do you have an inspiring story about continuous improvement in the arts to share? We would love to recognise and celebrate your success or failures and learnings.


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