As one can expect, organising an event of such scale is no easy task. There are bands to find and hire, people to feed and please, and they experience show after show from their favourite artists. But, perhaps most importantly, there is a natural world to look after, wildlife to enhance and a planet to keep safe. And with such a global focus on climate change and environmental damage in today’s world, now more than ever it is imperative to consider all of the non-human life around us. Boomtown is an incredible example of how this is possible, even with such high demand from the public; looking after the surrounding flora and fauna lies at the event’s core. Not only are there tabs on their official website for attendees to check out that discuss their wildlife pledges and eco-centric values, but they also outline their application and plans for the space utilised- how can we contribute positively to the natural world and ‘keep our city green’?
This informative platform reveals their plans to host Boomtown from the same venue until 2030, Matterly Estate, and therefore build on the surrounding ecology long-term. They plan to create a wildflower meadow spanning 1.77 hectares and purchase at least 89.61 habitat units, both plans that will undoubtedly contribute to the increase and maintenance of biodiversity in the area. Already, the festival oversees ‘23 barn owl, bat and bird boxes’ with three more included in this additional plan for 2026-2030, the use of 52 hectares purely for ‘woodland enhancement, native planting and habitat creation’ increasing to 59.52, strategise their lighting and litter picking campaigns for positive environmental impact amongst much else to ensure a greener festival. With these additions, their aim to be ‘Circular and Net Zero Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2026’, meaning they eliminate direct use of greenhouse gases and energy emissions whilst designing a regenerative natural energy system, is looking positive.
Alongside actively enhancing their climate-aware execution of the event, they also encourage ticket holders to think green when travelling to and from the event and purchasing anything they may need for the duration of the festival. They promote sustainable travel, largely through their ticketing system, where an option to travel by coach from designated stops throughout the UK can be added on for a small fee. This not only guarantees arrival times and group travel, but also means any transport fees one must pay can be seen upfront. It promotes a carpool culture that we all know and love (plus it seems pretty fun to travel there and back with all of your mates in one vehicle). They encourage a Leave No Trace regime whereby attendees steer clear of littering and leaving tents or trolleys, etc. at the venue. Instead, they benefit from correct waste disposal by redeeming the Eco Bond. It's included with each entry ticket and is priced at £20, money that can be claimed back as attendees return a bag of mixed dry waste to an Eco Bond Hub, a great way to implement a greener initiative, and a win-win situation.
Although, as with all of life’s events, there is good and there is bad, there are people both for and against the idea of the festival itself from a sustainable point of view, Boomtown unquestionably has the environment at the forefront of its mind. On their website, they say they are ‘committed to being responsible custodians of this ancient land, protecting and enhancing the site through rigorous ecological planning’, and we can see this coming into effect in previous years.
All over social media, stories of the festival are raved about and told with joyous memories, all of which include their concern for the environment. Without the planet, as Rhys - a Boomtown Green Guardian in 2024- puts it, “In a world that dies and we don’t have anything here and available to us, then there’s no music, there’s no festivals”. There are endless TikTok and Instagram videos of attendees taking their followers with them digitally to collect and dispose of rubbish around them, all talking about just how important this part of the whole week is to them. Doing one’s part for the planet makes such a huge impact and truly shows the love for nature we have inherently inside of us as humans.
Abby Tapping