No products in the cart.
While the past year has been marked by geopolitical tensions and ongoing global instability, part of the events sector has chosen not to slow down its environmental commitments. In 2025, twenty-five festivals and events across twelve countries and four continents obtained A Greener Future certification, confirming a long-term shift rather than a simple PR exercise.
Created to support the ecological transition of the cultural sector, the AGF certification is based on a rigorous and practical evaluation framework designed specifically for events. It takes into account environmental, social and governance criteria, ranging from waste and energy management to mobility, biodiversity, equality and local community impact. Far from being a decorative label, the process involves independent audits, site visits and post-event assessments.
Among the certified festivals are long-established leaders in sustainability such as Boom Festival in Portugal and Paradise City in Belgium, often cited as benchmarks for environmentally responsible events. But the 2025 edition also marks the arrival of major cultural and musical institutions. The Montreux Jazz Festival, Ultra Music Festival in Miami, and the brand-new LIDO Festival in London have joined the list, signalling a shift in scale in the adoption of more responsible practices.
This shift is significant. It shows that sustainability is no longer confined to alternative or niche events, but is becoming a structural issue for festivals with strong international visibility. For some organisers, the certification has provided a framework to consolidate previously fragmented initiatives. For others, it acts as a credibility lever and a long-term strategic tool.
The diversity of certified events, from electronic music festivals to film, fashion and traditional music gatherings, also highlights a key reality: the ecological transition of the cultural sector does not follow a single model. It is being shaped at different scales, depending on territories, audiences and local constraints.
Certified festivals and events will be celebrated at the Green Events & Innovations Conference in London, before being automatically nominated for the International AGF Awards 2026. Additional assessments are already underway for next year, indicating that this momentum is far from slowing down.
In a context where greenwashing remains a constant temptation, these initiatives serve as an important reminder: making an event more sustainable is neither instant nor perfect, but a measurable, collective and evolving process. And increasingly, audiences, artists and local communities expect that promise to be delivered.