The Cali Vibes music festival took place this past weekend in Long Beach’s Marina Green Park. The event featured artists such as Snoop Dogg, Jack Johnson, and Cypress Hill, among others. The festival’s organizer, Goldenvoice, is spearheading several sustainability initiatives aimed at reducing waste and lowering the event’s carbon footprint. The challenge, according to AEG’s VP of Sustainability, Erik Distler, is that most festivals are not eco-friendly. This is in part due to their energy consumption, waste generated on-site, and attendees’ travel.
Sustainability
To address this challenge, Goldenvoice adopted a strategy that centers on trackable operational improvements and educating attendees. This approach includes partnering with vendors such as r.Cup. r.Cup aims to will replace single-use beer cups with reusable plastic ones that are collected, washed, and reused. Origin will also provide canned water instead of single-use plastic bottles, while fans will have access to refillable water stations.
To fund these initiatives, Goldenvoice introduced a $5 sustainability fee per ticket. The fee will pay for purchasing equipment that promotes solar energy use, reduces diesel generator usage, and recycling materials. The recycled materials will include items such as signage, printed materials, and leftover merchandise from the previous year’s festival. All sustainability initiatives will be monitored and tracked by Santa Monica firm Three Squares Inc.. Three Squares Inc. will also assess Goldenvoice’s environmental impact and suggest improvements.
According to Nic Adler, Goldenvoice Festival’s VP, sustainability has always been an undertone of the Cali Vibes festival, given its proximity to the ocean and the event’s overall spirit. Goldenvoice’s aim is to inspire and educate fans on the importance of sustainability while bringing them together to enjoy the festival. Adler believes that the festival’s sustainability initiatives, including labeling waste-to-energy bins and using reusable cups, could set a precedent for future festivals.
