How Ecotricity helped stage the world鈥檚 greenest gig
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Live gigs and outdoor events are some of the most energy-intensive events in the world, burning through millions of litres of diesel and producing vast amounts of waste. But what if there was another way?
In summer 2024, Massive Attack鈥檚 outdoor show in Bristol became a turning point. It followed ACT 1.5 - a bold blueprint for decarbonising live events - and in doing so, it set a for the lowest carbon emissions ever recorded at a live music event of its scale.
By addressing three of the biggest sources of emissions - energy, transport, and food - this gig proved that large-scale live events can be truly sustainable, without compromising on experience.
鈥淲hen we incepted and commissioned the ACT 1.5 project in 2019, we did so with one core objective: to help decarbonise live music at a rate compatible with the critical Paris 1.5 agreement commitments.鈥� 鈥�
100% Battery-Powered: Ditching diesel for good
Most UK live events still rely heavily on diesel generators, which are not only high in carbon emissions but also a source of noise and air pollution.
This gig changed that. It was entirely powered by batteries, with no diesel backup at all. The main stage ran on battery system, which stores clean electricity from wind and solar power.
This single shift resulted in a 98% reduction in electricity-related emissions compared to a traditional outdoor event and saved 4,000 litres of diesel - a powerful precedent for clean-powered gigs to come.
Sustainable Transport: Rethinking how we move
Travel is often the biggest source of emissions for live events, from artist flights, freight and car-dependent audiences. But this event, under the ACT 1.5 blueprint, tackled it head-on:
No artist flights 鈥� All performers travelled via train, ferry or coach, reducing artist travel emissions by 72%.
Low-carbon logistics 鈥� The number of tour trucks were halved from four to two and ran on biofuels and CNG.
Public transport focus 鈥� Organisers partnered with rail providers to add five extra trains after the show.
Electric shuttle buses 鈥� Over 2,000 fans were transported to Bristol train stations within 45 minutes, reducing the need for car travel.
Together, these changes proved that sustainable travel for gigs is both possible and scalable.
Fuelled by plants
All the food at the event was , a major shift in an industry where meat-heavy food is still the norm. It was a huge success with:
Lower impact 鈥� 89% lower food emissions than a typical event.
High demand 鈥� showing that plant-based catering can succeed at scale.
A viable model 鈥� proving that we can reduce one of the most overlooked sources of carbon at live events.
A blueprint for the future of live music
This wasn鈥檛 just a one-off. Massive Attack鈥檚 gig in Bristol was the first large-scale event to adopt the ACT 1.5 - eliminating diesel, rethinking travel and cutting food emissions to set a new standard for sustainability.
At Ecotricity, we鈥檙e proud to have powered the main stage with our Grid Faeries batteries. This wasn鈥檛 their first outing 鈥� last summer, they powered the Arcadia stage at Glastonbury Festival and a stage at WOMAD.
The ACT 1.5 blueprint didn鈥檛 end in Bristol. In November 2024, it featured at three gigs in Liverpool as part of the Liverpool Accelerator City Programme.
What鈥檚 next?
Next up, ACT 1.5 will play a role at LIDO Festival in London on Friday 6th June, where Massive Attack and more will take to the stage - powered once again by our Grid Faeries batteries.
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Want to help move the live events industry away from diesel, wasteful catering and high-carbon travel? Share this blog and tag a gig, venue or festival that needs to go green!
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