This month:

• Vision News: Government Music Plan endorses Industry Climate Action
• Guest case study: How Latitude Festival worked with Terasort on automated waste sorting for the first time at a festival with Phoebe Close, Sustainability Manager at Festival Republic
• Festival Republic announced as Headline Sponsor at The Sustainable Event Summit 2026
• Guest Blog: Charlotte Jackson at Team Love takes the slow road to Croatia for Love International and shares plans for tackling audience travel in 2027
• onboard:earth launches Canopy & Coast: new programme to support events to tackle travel impacts & fund nature locally and internationally 
• Next monthly sustainability Q&A for Vision 2030 pledge event organisers: Wed. 2 September, 12:30-1:15pm  
• Register for the Sustainable Event Summit 2026:  Wed 21 October at The Showman's Show
• Call for Speakers: Let us know who should join the 'Best of the Summer' Panel at the Sustainable Event Summit
• Ticket Tailor Pledge £40,000 to The Association of Independent Festival’s Sustainability Step Change Fund
• Resource Spotlight: Isle of Wight Events Compass - a sustainability guide for public arts organisers
• Resource Spotlight: The 'First Festival' Podcast Series by the Association of Independent Festivals
• Resource Spotlight: Eco-operation: Pioneering Sustainable International Touring
• Events and news from across the industry.

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Show Must Go On Report and Green Event Code of Practice, published by Vision for Sustainable Events, have been acknowledged as cornerstones of sustainable sector growth in the Government's New Music Plan.

Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, has officially announced the Government's bold new music plan, July 13th 2026. This landmark policy sets out a long-term vision to unleash the potential of the UK's music ecosystem, fuelling a new era of creativity, driving sustainable growth, and ensuring the UK continues to inspire the world as a global music powerhouse.

Read the full press release which shares how Vision for Sustainable Events and leading initiatives across the cultural sectors have shaped the report HERE>>

Photo credit: Shambala Festival

At Klarna Presents Latitude Festival 2026, Festival Republic partnered with Terasort to trial automated waste sorting for the very first time at a festival.

In this guest case study, Phoebe Close, Sustainability Manager at Festival Republic, shares how this festival-first is pushing the boundaries of event sustainability in 2026. The activation used front-of-house, pre-programmed robotic arms deployed along a conveyor belt to segregate waste streams, boosting recycling rates and driving material circularity.

Read the full case study and learn more about Terasort’s automated waste-sorting technology HERE>>

Addressing audience travel remains the single largest environmental challenge for international events, and finding viable low-carbon alternatives starts with leading by example. In this guest piece, Charlotte Jackson, Sustainability Lead at Team Love, shares her slow-travel journey from Bristol to Tisno, Croatia, for Love International.

Read about Charlotte's journey and Team Love's long-term strategy for tackling travel impacts, including introducing a mandatory £5 climate levy on tickets to fund nature restoration with onboard:earth in 2027-HERE>>

Leading advocates for sustainable travel in live events, onboard:earth, unveil Canopy & Coast, a high-impact environmental programme, designed for event organisers who want to fund local and UK-wide nature restoration and support climate justice internationally, without the administrative headache of carbon auditing.

Early adopters include From the Fields for their Northern Lights events: by adding a small mandatory car park levy, donated to Canopy & Coast, they aim to fund 500 trees planted locally, 1,500 trees planted by communities in the Global South, protect 500 acres of threatened rainforest, and restore seagrass marine ecosystems on the UK coast. Find out more HERE>> 

Creative Island has launched the 'Events Compass', a practical framework and checklist designed to help event planners protect nature, support wellbeing, and celebrate local identity.

Inspired by the Isle of Wight’s unique UNESCO Biosphere status and Europe's site-specific arts festival, Oerol, the project was developed alongside local ecology and design experts. Moving beyond simply avoiding environmental harm, this resource aims to empower organisers, from large-scale festivals to community carnivals, to leave the places and communities they work in better than they found them. Download your free copy today on the Creative Island website HERE>>

The Vision team is on the lookout for guest speakers to join our 'Best of the Summer' panel, taking place at the Sustainable Event Summit on 21st October at The Showman's Show.

The panel showcases the events, suppliers, and partnerships leading the way in reducing environmental impacts across the industry. Hosted by John Rostron (CEO of the Association of Independent Festivals), the session invites guests to share their honest wins, challenges, and key takeaways from pioneering new sustainability initiatives this season. Panelists will also be invited to join our exclusive Industry Leader Roundtable & Lunch.

Got a breakthrough project, campaign, or initiative to share? Email bethan@visionsustainableevents.org to put your event or organisation forward.

Global ticketing platform Ticket Tailor has pledged £40,000 via its EarthInvest fund to help launch the Association of Independent Festivals’ (AIF) Sustainability Step Change Fund to help independent festivals reduce their climate impact.

The partnership between Ticket Tailor and the AIF highlights a shared commitment to ensuring a thriving independent festival scene goes hand in hand with protecting the planet.
Read the full article HERE>> 

We are delighted to share a brilliant podcast created by our friends at the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) with funding from the LIVE Trust.

First Festival is an 8-part podcast series created for anyone running, planning, or working alongside small and micro-festivals. Hosted by AIF CEO John Rostron alongside small-festival promoters and industry experts, the series dives into the real-world mechanics of event delivery; from community building to operations. Episode 7 is a must-listen for the Vision community as it focuses directly on Sustainability & Accessibility. Listen HERE>> 

Recognising the urgent climate crisis and mounting sector funding challenges, a coalition of European outdoor arts festivals has launched Eco-operation. This new platform enables festivals and artists to coordinate touring routes globally—drastically reducing travel, freight, and production emissions while cutting shared costs. The initiative also features an artist directory and an ‘Artbnb’ service to provide cost-effective accommodation between tour dates, avoiding unnecessary return travel.

Festivals and artists worldwide are invited to join the network to build a greener, more financially resilient sector, with free entry for members of partner organisations. Find out more and sign up HERE>> 

The next monthly Q&A online for event organisers to discuss sustainability challenges with experts and explore solutions as a knowledge-sharing community. Wednesday, 2 September 12:30–1:15 pm. 

This event is open to all festivals that have taken the Vision Climate 2030 Pledge. Sign up to receive your invitation: Take the Vision 2030 Climate Pledge + Download the Climate Actions Checklist>>

Registration is open for The Sustainable Event Summit (SES26), hosted at the Showman's Show on Wednesday 21st October 2026. 

Supported by Ticket Tailor, Festival Republic, LS Events, 4Wall and Instagrid, with RÖDER UK & Cover Marque as venue sponsor, SES 26 presents the latest research, tools, and knowledge to bring outdoor event organisers, suppliers, local authorities, and experts together. The summit drives collaboration, resource development, industry standards, best practice, and innovation REGISTER HERE>> 

Companies interested in becoming a partner can download the sponsorship pack | Contact Sponsorship Lead, Graham Brown.

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Our curated selection of news from across the live events industry and beyond, including jobs, blogs, and what the Vision team has been reading this month: 

• From power pilots to smart power guides and fuel monitoring, this article in Standout Magazine features what's new in event energy HERE>>
• From the Fields' Northern Lights events commits to sustainability measures HERE>>
• Ecotricity x The Live Events Energy Scheme: a pioneering initiative that makes it easier for the UK’s live music scene to procure green energy HERE>>
• How LatAm’s live industry is treating sustainability as infrastructure in IQ Magazine HERE>>
• Sustainability is now a revenue driver, how the wedding narrative has shifted HERE>>
• IQ Green Guardians 2026 applications are open: spotlight the organisations leading the way HERE>>
• event:decision and micebook open entries for third annual Power 30 Most Sustainable Event Agencies UK HERE>>

Our newsletter reaches over 5,000 UK event professionals interested in sustainability. Send jobs, events, resources and articles to feature here to: info@visionsustainableevents.org