Ahead of this month’s hugely anticipated sell-out Kendal Calling, the festival reveals the latest additions to its robust sustainability programme. ‘Leave Nothing But Memories’ celebrated spectacular results in 2022 with year one of the campaign seeing a whopping 98.02% of tents taken home. This summer, Kendal wants to do even more and is calling on its festivalgoers to join forces to minimise their environmental impact at its beloved home, Lowther Deer Park.
Gamers assemble! Kendal Calling launches Flappy Tent, the (highly addictive) new game designed to raise awareness of the impact of leaving behind tents and litter at festivals. Play the game now here.
So what is Flappy Tent?! Picture this – it’s the day after the festival and 284 festival fans have sadly left their tents behind! Grrr, now the tents have come loose and are flying across Cumbria and the North West! Help Kes the Kestrel take to the skies and carry the tents to landfill where they will take up to 500 years to decompose. Well, what else did you think happens to abandoned tents? To drive home this important message, Kendal is giving the first person to get to 50,000 on score a £200 bar tab to spend at the festival.
In 2022, Kendal Calling witnessed a remarkable/incredible reduction in tent wastage with only 284 tents left behind, a staggering 91.4% decrease compared to 2019. This achievement can be attributed to the festival’s environmental efforts and the ‘Leave Nothing But Memories’ campaign which led to receiving a prestigious Live Green Award nomination with The Live Awards 2022. This year, Kendal Calling wants to see even more of an improvement on this already incredible statistic. Set in Lowther Deer Park in the Lake District, one of the most beautiful parts of the UK, Kendal Calling is encouraging all attendees – that’s fans, staff and artists, to do their bit to leave the site as spotless as when they arrived, and to leave nothing but memories.
Andy Smith, Co-Founder of Kendal Calling said, “Last year our fantastic audience really took to heart our appeal to leave Lowther Deer Park like we found it. A staggering 91.4% reduction in abandoned tents was quite something to behold, but we don’t want to rest on our laurels. Together with our friends in Japan Takekiyo and Hiroaki San (who manage the band Taffy) we’ve developed Flappy Tent. Foremost it’s a reminder of what happens to rubbish once it’s out of your eyesight, but it’s also an opportunity to win a weekend’s free beer at the festival – what’s not to love? My highest score is 31,000 – best of luck!”
Going above and beyond other UK festivals, Kendal Calling proudly dedicates huge efforts in directly tackling the environmental impact events of this scale have on the wider climate. With Kendal Calling now boasting one of the most robust,industry-leading sustainability programmes, these efforts evolve and grow year-on-year. With support and consultation of industry experts, these measures are implemented to protect the picturesque location of Kendal Calling whilst encouraging changes in behaviour and calling festival goers to action. Not only at Kendal Calling, but driving positive change to improve sustainability in music festivals across the globe. To support this, Kendal Calling has a simple pledge for everyone setting foot on site to follow:
- LEAVE NOTHING BUT MEMORIES: Leave your camp tidy and take your tent home!
- PROTECT THE WILDLIFE: Throw your rubbish in the bin
- CONSIDER YOUR TRAVEL: Use public transport where possible!
- ONLY BRING WHAT YOU NEED: Use resources consciously
- MAKE ECO CONSCIOUS CHOICES: Keep your green impact in mind when at the festival
Festivalgoers can sign the pledge here!
Ahead of Kendal Calling, coming this month, here are just some of the wide ranging sustainability initiatives which will be rolled out across the site –
- To keep campsites clean throughout the festival, Kendal is encouraging festivalgoers to tidy their camps before heading into the arena and there’ll be a new Campsite Crew on hand to help festivalgoers keep the Campsites as clean as possible.
- Waste and recycling points have increased by 200% to make it even easier to recycle and reduce the amount of waste taken to landfill this year.
- The decor team will be focused on reusing and recycling prior festival materials rather than using brand new products. When new materials are required, the emphasis is on renting goods as close to the festival site as possible, and on using sustainable materials, and incorporating local artisans wherever possible.
- This year, the festival has an overall goal of reducing fuel usage from 2022 by 15-20%. To achieve this, a Power Manager has been employed to actively work with stakeholders in advance and onsite to ensure they are being as efficient as possible with energy use.
- The festival is increasing use of solar, battery and load on demand solutions, especially during longer build and break periods, and is using efficient LED lighting solutions wherever possible across the site.
- Single use plastic is banned on site so all drinks will be served in recycled or compostable cups. This saves up to a tonne of carbon emissions every 10,000 cups saved!
- All food traders have committed to serving at least one vegetarian/vegan meal. They have also been encouraged to use local produce where possible! Vegetarian meals contribute 2.5x less carbon emissions than those with meat.
- 10% of global greenhouse gases comes from food that is produced, but not eaten! To further reduce food waste, Kendal is working with organisations like Open Kitchen MCR who can put it to good use and avoid it going to landfill.
- What’s more, Kendal is involved in supporting industry schemes to improve sustainability across the festival sector. This includes ecolibrium+ pioneers focused on travel carbon reduction and Vision2025 Citizen-Science Festival Waste Data Project. Backstage organisers are working with Earth Percent which was founded by Brian Eno, Raising money from the music industry for the most impactful environmental charities.
- With the Lowther Re-wilding Project, Kendal will be planting a tree for every ticket sold.
These steps will be supported by the largest sustainability department seen at a UK festival this summer. With over 20 members of staff focused on studying and supporting the behavioural change in audience, sponsors and traders across the weekend – and helping to quantify real stats and results to help improve for years to come.
These are but a snapshot of a wider shift not seen in the festival world before, taking active steps not only to tackle the impact of environmental issues, but wider campaigns designed to make Kendal Calling a festival that not only succeeds in welcoming thousands back year after year for an unforgettable weekend of entertainment and togetherness – but also one that beyond that sets a path for a better future to come for other festivals to follow.
With Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Kasabian, Royal Blood and Blossoms leading the charge as 2023’s mega headliners, Kendal’s line-up is not to be missed. With a wealth of other unmissable acts including Kaiser Chiefs, Scouting For Girls, Rick Astley, The Lathums, Example, Confidence Man, Circa Waves, Melanie C, Natalie Imbruglia and more, unrivalled entertainment and fun for all ages, it’s set to be another unforgettable, must-attend summer in the fields. Sprawling across one of the UK’s most beautiful festival sites, every corner of Kendal Calling is waiting to be discovered – jam packed with eclectic entertainment designed to intrigue, surprise and entertain all ages. During every moment over one very special weekend in July, there’s something new to dive into – such is the wonderful world of Kendal Calling.
Kendal Calling will take place from 27 – 30 July 2023.
Image credits:
Tom Martin
George Harrison
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