How to “look out for the planet” at Reading & Leeds 2024
With Reading & Leeds 2024 just around the corner, festival-goers are being reminded of how to look after the planet and take part in climate activism while at the Bank Holiday bash.
Returning to Bramham Park in Leeds and Richfield Avenue in Reading, R&L this year will see headline sets from Liam Gallagher, Lana Del Rey, Fred Again.., Blink-182, Catfish & The Bottlemen and Gerry Cinammon, alongside performances from the likes of Fontaines D.C., RAYE, Kneecap, Pendulum, Nia Archives, Neck Deep and many more.
Now, with music fans planning their timetables for what bands to see and what to pack and take with them, R&L are reminding festival-goers of the best ways to “look out for the planet” while attending.
The key takeaway pieces of advice provided by the festival are:
- Take your tent home: “Abandoned tents mostly end up incinerated, which is not great for the planet. Will you take the no tent left behind pledge?”
- Separate your waste: “Let’s keep the festival grounds clean and green! Separate your food and compostable serveware away from everything else (this will be sorted for you).”
- Get Recycling Rewards: “Get rewarded for recycling! Use the recycling points in the campsites for a chance to win either a side of stage experience, two tickets for 2025 or a merch bundle.”
- Use Deposit Return Scheme: “Turn in your empty cups, bottles, and cans for 10p per item at the cup return points to help us increase recycling.”
Look Out for the Planet
This year we are asking you to 'Look out for the planet'! Swipe through to discover how you can get involved and make a difference:
Take your tent home: Abandoned tents mostly end up incinerated, which is not great for the planet. Will you… pic.twitter.com/VTvmKhG9De— Reading & Leeds Fest (@OfficialRandL) August 14, 2024
Music Declares Emergency describe themselves as “a group of artists, music industry professionals and organisations that stand together to declare a climate and ecological emergency and call for an immediate governmental response to protect all life on Earth.”
Since it was launched in 2019, hundreds bands and musicians have now signed up to Music Declares Emergency’s pledge to revitalise how the music industry tackles climate disaster, from The 1975 and Radiohead, to Robyn, The xx, Massive Attack and many more.
The No Music On A Dead Planet campaign has been backed by the likes of Billie Eilish and Foals as well as having shirts designed by Thom Yorke, Joy Division artist Peter Saville and others.
Regularly working with R&L, MDE co-founder and former Savages drummer Fay Milton encouraged festival-goers to get involved in the battle to save the planet this year.
“This year at Reading and Leeds you can find the No Music On A Dead Planet stall where you can get yourself a free temporary tattoo and sign up to join the No Music On A Dead Planet Movement – a community of artists and music fans coming together to take action for the planet,” she told NME.
“Through the NMOADP Movement, we offer monthly climate action challenges, prize giveaways and ways to get involved in volunteering – we already have thousands of music fans taking action with us each month and have given away loads of festival tickets, music tech equipment, vinyl and more. If this sounds like something you’d like, you can sign up now here.”
Milton added: “There’s a big feeling of positivity in the air, half way through 2024, when over half of the world’s population goes to the polls, there have been lots of wins for the environment, and hopefully more to come!”
You can download No Music On A Dead Planet’s guide to being a sustainable festival goer here.
Reading & Leeds will return for the August Bank Holiday weekend. Tickets are on sale now here for Reading and here for Leeds.
Check out the full line-up with stage times here and the latest weather forecast here.
The post How to “look out for the planet” at Reading & Leeds 2024 appeared first on NME.
Andrew Trendell
NME