How can we make music festivals greener and more environmentally sustainable?

With an ever increasing population, humanity is now faced with significant global challenges that threaten the life of further generations. Environmental factors are at the forefront of this issue. Widespread effects and longer timescales of cause and effect are creating alarming uncertainty scientifically (Holmberg and Robert 2000; Diamond 2005; Lovelock 2006). Music festivals can be used as one example of a microcosm of society that offers both positive and negative challenges for environmental sustainability. This study explores the effects of a music festival on the environment whilst using the relationship between environmental sustainability and personal and organisational responsibility, to evaluate how influential changes in society can be made. Through the use of specific initiatives and strategies, the research identifies opportunities for change in the behaviour and attitude of critical stakeholders in events management towards the growing trend of environmental sustainability. This study was first developed after an evaluation of the literature highlighted the knowledge and understanding of this area to be scarce. Furthermore, it was identified that there was in fact a disconnection between the rhetoric on environmental sustainability and the field of event studies. Thus, this research project aims to add to the small but growing body of knowledge on this subject matter. Through the use of various primary and secondary research sources, this study set out to answer the question: 'How do we make music festivals greener and more environmentally sustainable?' In doing so, six sub-questions were also identified for a more thorough analysis process. In addition, the Scottish T in the Park festival was used as a case example to which initiatives and strategies could be related and addressed. Through the use of semistructured one-to-one interviews, semi-structured telephone interviews, and email facilitated qualitative interviews, a critical qualitative data analysis process emerged from an in-depth secondary review of the literature and an underpinning of the theoretical framework. Using a varied sample of festival industry professionals, insights from both the primary and secondary data analysis were uncovered. Thus, this study was successful in identifying a number of best practice initiatives and strategies for success in relation to UK music festivals and their environmental sustainability. This study also may be used to offer useful insights and guidance to practitioners of festival management dealing with the day-to-day realities of environmental sustainability.ba_eveunpub1399_ethesesunpu