Festival's Bold Shift: Profits Now Fuel Planet's Repair
The pioneering Shambala music festival, known for eliminating single-use plastics and meat, is taking its environmental commitment to the next level. Organizers are challenging traditional business models to prove that live events can actively fund environmental repair, not just reduce harm. This groundbreaking approach aims to redirect festival profits from conventional brands towards projects that restore our planet, making every purchase a step towards a healthier future. It highlights an urgent need for businesses to move beyond mere sustainability towards regenerative practices that actively heal nature.
Shambala festival has long been at the forefront of sustainable event management, having removed single-use plastics from its bars in 2013 and meat from its menus in 2016. Now, the festival aims to disrupt the typical supply chain, moving beyond just sustaining current ecosystems to actively funding their repair.
Chris Johnson, Shambala's co-founder, emphasizes that while sustainability reduces harm, it doesn't address the systemic issues driving environmental decline. He believes we need to channel more resources to organizations actively delivering solutions, embedding environmental restoration into everyday spending.
To achieve this, Shambala has partnered with Evrythng, a Welsh not-for-profit spirits company. Evrythng dedicates 100 percent of its distributable profits to projects tackling the climate and nature crises. This means that gin, rum, and vodka served at Shambala's eight bars directly contribute to environmental repair, transforming common purchases into long-term funding for nature.
James Law, Evrythng's founder, points out that millions in profits typically leave the festival ecosystem. By redirecting these funds, festivals can use their significant economic footprint to create positive change, moving beyond simply reducing their environmental impact. This year, Shambala attendees can even vote to decide how Evrythng’s profits are distributed among charities like Kettering Nature Group, Roots and Shoots, and Avon Needs Trees.
Evrythng also employs a closed-loop system, reusing all packaging. Beyond this partnership, Shambala's entire supply chain is designed around organizations committed to driving change, from staffing partnerships with Oxfam and MyCause to working with sustainable food and drink providers. Even on-site systems, like Compoost Toilets and Clean Sheet toilet paper, channel profits to environmental and social causes. This collective effort provides a powerful blueprint for a fairer, lower-impact live events industry and underscores the critical need for all sectors to prioritize environmental regeneration.