Concert Travel's Big Carbon Problem: Solutions for a Greener Journey

Some artists are well-known for frequently flying around the globe in their personal jets. However, recent studies indicate that the total environmental impact from fans traveling to attend these concerts actually surpasses that of the performers themselves. Notably, Billie Eilish is an artist attempting to influence how her audience travels to her performances in order to address this issue.

Prior to each stop on her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour, she sends out an email to attendees detailing various eco-friendly ways to reach her concerts via public transportation, cycling, or walking. For her gigs in Phoenix and Los Angeles, her crew arranged shuttle buses departing from specific locations, enabling fans to minimize their environmental impact through collective travel. She also worked with Google Maps To assist supporters in discovering more eco-friendly methods of reaching her performances.

Eilish is a supportive collaborator in a recent project. study From the nonprofit REVERB, which discovered that an overwhelming majority of fans—94 percent—believe it is crucial for fans, venues, event organizers, and performers to undertake substantial measures to reduce their environmental impact and minimize their carbon footprint.

Eilish states that artists, venues, and fans must collaborate to enhance our surroundings. Rolling Stone In a statement, he said, “Whether through sun-fueled performances or greener tours, my crew constantly seeks methods to support our environment. My supporters are the best globally, and I trust this research will serve as a valuable guide for individuals aiming to discover less polluting travel choices that contribute to a brighter tomorrow for concerts.”

"We aim to utilize [this study] as a means for taking action," says Adam Gardner, lead singer of the band Guster and co-founder/co-executive director of REVERB. Rolling Stone .

"We have consistently been an organization driven by action. Simply acquiring knowledge isn’t sufficient for us. It’s crucial to apply that knowledge and make alterations where possible to address the problems highlighted in this study," he remarks.

Founded in 2004, REVERB collaborates with various musicians like Dave Matthews Band, Dead & Company, Tyler Childers, My Morning Jacket, Odesza, the Lumineers, Paramore, and Fleetwood Mac, among others, aiming to enhance sustainability at live events. Their efforts involve motivating attendees to participate actively and reduce waste. This includes donating surplus food to nearby food banks and striving for composting or recycling whenever feasible. Additionally, they set up hydration stations and have successfully phased out over 4 million disposable plastic water bottles.

In 2023, Eilish collaborated with REVERB's Music Decarbonization Project to ensure her performance at Lollapalooza was partly eco-friendly. solar powered .

Gardner states that compared to other sectors, the music industry isn’t a major pollutant. However, due to its visibility and connections with various fields such as transport, hospitality, and cuisine, it holds significant potential to drive environmental transformation.

The REVERB study polled over 35,000 concertgoers across more than 400 events. The research revealed that the carbon footprint from audience transportation to a typical performance equates to the annual energy consumption of about 110 houses, totaling approximately 527 metric tons of CO2 emissions. Travel-related emissions caused by attendees surpassed those generated by performers, support staff, accommodations, and equipment transit by a factor of 38. However, encouragingly, nearly 90% of respondents indicated they might consider greener travel alternatives provided there was improved infrastructure, rewards programs, and educational resources in place.

Gardner states, “This issue isn’t simply one where everyone shrugs and accepts it because they believe nothing can be done.” He adds that their research indicates otherwise; most individuals would embrace solutions provided these options are communicated effectively and supported with incentives.

Potential modifications could involve carpooling, using public transit, cycling, and walking. In the survey, eighty percent of participants drove to shows with their own cars, yet only sixty-five percent favored this method. Fifty percent expressed support for preferential carpool parking as an enticement. Approximately half advocated for improved public transport options. Additional suggestions included better bike facilities, special parking spots for electric vehicles, and increased availability of EV chargers.

This is one of those situations where everyone has generally understood that fan travel contributes significantly to emissions, either because it’s highly emission-intensive or offers substantial opportunities for reducing them,” explains Madeline Weir, REVERB's director of impact. “However, until now, we lacked concrete data to support this notion. This study marks the first instance where our sector can back up such claims with actual evidence. Rolling Stone So I believe the response has been quite favorable; they are enthusiastic about collaborating with us and eager to explore and determine which solutions will be effective.

According to Gardner, the key issues involve educating fans, providing motivation, and improving infrastructure. REVERB aims to highlight various transportation choices available to attendees, ensure coordination between venues and local transit agencies, and encourage behavioral shifts. He referred to initiatives such as designated parking spots for carpools as simple yet effective motivators.

He suggests that having fewer cars and being encouraged through carpools could lead to quicker entry and exit times. This efficiency is due to the parking lot infrastructure prioritizing carpool vehicles.

REVERB is collaborating with artists to distribute the findings from the study via email newsletters prior to concerts. The aim is to convey that altering behaviors has genuine significance—not solely due to environmental concerns, but also because the artist is enthusiastic about it or because it will enhance the overall fan experience, as per Weir’s statement.

Odesza, the electronic music producer and collaborator for the research, worked with hotels to have shuttle services operating to concert locations.

"The fan experience can be so much better," Gardner says, "because all of a sudden the concert experience can start on the bus, and you can have the music cranking, and… community is being built around some of these efforts."

“A significant aspect of everything discussed is the unity among fans, artists, and even those from within the industry regarding these matters,” he continues. “Having toured for 34 years as a musician, requesting fans to participate in such initiatives, my initial thought was, 'Well, perhaps this will merely serve as a distraction or possibly dampen the mood.' However, when presented correctly—by explaining our aim to reduce our environmental impact and inviting them to join us—it actually enriches their overall concert experience.”

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