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Does Iceland have the world's greenest festival? Is this the world's greenest festival?
(about 1 hour later)
Nightclubs happen in the dark for a reason. They offer a chance to let your hair down, dance and get sweaty without worrying about what you look like.Nightclubs happen in the dark for a reason. They offer a chance to let your hair down, dance and get sweaty without worrying about what you look like.
At Iceland’s Secret Solstice that’s not an option. The sun never sets over the three-day music festival, which is held in mid June outside the capital Reykjavik. Because of its close proximity to the Arctic Circle the sun only bounces off the horizon at 3.30am and it never gets dark.At Iceland’s Secret Solstice that’s not an option. The sun never sets over the three-day music festival, which is held in mid June outside the capital Reykjavik. Because of its close proximity to the Arctic Circle the sun only bounces off the horizon at 3.30am and it never gets dark.
“It’s a bit shocking seeing the state of everyone,” admits Fred Olafsson, Secret Solstice’s operations director and founder.“It’s a bit shocking seeing the state of everyone,” admits Fred Olafsson, Secret Solstice’s operations director and founder.
But he also reckons that the 24-hour sunlight helps to make Secret Solstice one of the greenest music festivals in the world because it has minimal lighting needs. Any power it does use comes from Iceland’s vast geothermal energy and hydropower reserves.But he also reckons that the 24-hour sunlight helps to make Secret Solstice one of the greenest music festivals in the world because it has minimal lighting needs. Any power it does use comes from Iceland’s vast geothermal energy and hydropower reserves.
“It’s in a beautiful part of town; we have lots of trees on site, but the main thing is we don’t have any diesel generators,” he says. “When you go to festivals around the world they have generators fenced off making loud noises and producing greenhouse gas emissions, which is not the case for us.”“It’s in a beautiful part of town; we have lots of trees on site, but the main thing is we don’t have any diesel generators,” he says. “When you go to festivals around the world they have generators fenced off making loud noises and producing greenhouse gas emissions, which is not the case for us.”
Secret Solstice launched last year at Laugardalur and has a licence to run for five years. The city has even installed power cables to the site, which last year supplied 8,500 kilowatt hours of renewable energy to the festival. This year the festival is expected to be even bigger but Iceland has so much renewable energy that Secret Solstice could continue growing without worrying about running out of power.Secret Solstice launched last year at Laugardalur and has a licence to run for five years. The city has even installed power cables to the site, which last year supplied 8,500 kilowatt hours of renewable energy to the festival. This year the festival is expected to be even bigger but Iceland has so much renewable energy that Secret Solstice could continue growing without worrying about running out of power.
Giles Bristow, Secret Solstice’s 2014 production manager and owner of Acute Audio Productions, reckons the festival is in a league of its own in environmental terms. “This was the first-ever outdoor event I had produced where not one drop of diesel was used in producing the event’s on-site energy needs,” he says.Giles Bristow, Secret Solstice’s 2014 production manager and owner of Acute Audio Productions, reckons the festival is in a league of its own in environmental terms. “This was the first-ever outdoor event I had produced where not one drop of diesel was used in producing the event’s on-site energy needs,” he says.
But can Secret Solstice truly claim to be green when more than half of the visitors last year travelled from overseas, including approximately 1,000 miles from the UK?But can Secret Solstice truly claim to be green when more than half of the visitors last year travelled from overseas, including approximately 1,000 miles from the UK?
It is possible to get a boat from Scotland to Reykjavik, via Denmark, but it costs hundreds of pounds and takes days to arrive, so most people take the cheaper and quicker option of flying.It is possible to get a boat from Scotland to Reykjavik, via Denmark, but it costs hundreds of pounds and takes days to arrive, so most people take the cheaper and quicker option of flying.
Olafsson admits this is not ideal. Visitors and bands are encouraged to share vehicles once they arrive to reduce transport emissions but he refuses to be drawn on whether headliners Kelis and Wu-Tang Clan will be sharing a car this year.Olafsson admits this is not ideal. Visitors and bands are encouraged to share vehicles once they arrive to reduce transport emissions but he refuses to be drawn on whether headliners Kelis and Wu-Tang Clan will be sharing a car this year.
There is also the question of waste. Secret Solstice says it already has dedicated on-site clean-up teams, and an intensive on-site recycling plan implemented months before the first event.There is also the question of waste. Secret Solstice says it already has dedicated on-site clean-up teams, and an intensive on-site recycling plan implemented months before the first event.
Claire O’Neill, co-founder of the consultancy A Greener Festival, says waste and resource use remains one of the biggest headaches for event organisers trying to reduce their environmental impact – particularly when hundreds of tents are left strewn around the campsite when everyone has gone home.Claire O’Neill, co-founder of the consultancy A Greener Festival, says waste and resource use remains one of the biggest headaches for event organisers trying to reduce their environmental impact – particularly when hundreds of tents are left strewn around the campsite when everyone has gone home.
“If you look at some festivals that happen around Europe you would think people had no eyeballs,” she says. “The norm nowadays is just to buy a lot of cheap camping crap and then dump it at the festival for people to deal with afterwards.”“If you look at some festivals that happen around Europe you would think people had no eyeballs,” she says. “The norm nowadays is just to buy a lot of cheap camping crap and then dump it at the festival for people to deal with afterwards.”
Even with the best festivals you end up with a large amount going to waste or landfill and it’s a myth that they all get given to Africa or recycled. Some does but it’s just a drop in the ocean.”Even with the best festivals you end up with a large amount going to waste or landfill and it’s a myth that they all get given to Africa or recycled. Some does but it’s just a drop in the ocean.”
O’Neill is urging more festivals to follow the lead of Shambala Festival in Northamptonshire, which asks festival goers to pay a deposit for a rubbish bag at the start of the weekend. They only get the money back if they return a full bag at the end.O’Neill is urging more festivals to follow the lead of Shambala Festival in Northamptonshire, which asks festival goers to pay a deposit for a rubbish bag at the start of the weekend. They only get the money back if they return a full bag at the end.
She is also keen to see how Glastonbury’s new waste policy works out this year. Worthy Farm plans to swap all plastic glasses and cutlery for reusable items, and festival-goers will be urged to use stainless steel water bottles rather than plastic ones - an estimated 1m of which are used during the weekend.She is also keen to see how Glastonbury’s new waste policy works out this year. Worthy Farm plans to swap all plastic glasses and cutlery for reusable items, and festival-goers will be urged to use stainless steel water bottles rather than plastic ones - an estimated 1m of which are used during the weekend.
The dance marathon weekend of Secret Solstice may not quite be at the stage of handing out reusable cups, but Olafsson and his team hope that Iceland’s pure energy supply gives them a real chance to hold the title of the world’s greenest festival.The dance marathon weekend of Secret Solstice may not quite be at the stage of handing out reusable cups, but Olafsson and his team hope that Iceland’s pure energy supply gives them a real chance to hold the title of the world’s greenest festival.