NorthSide will be the first large festival with 100% green electricity

Denmark’s most sustainable festival, NorthSide, will be even more climate-friendly in the future, by being the first festival of its size, 100% based on green electricity from the power supply. It is a groundbreaking milestone that will hopefully inspire globally, says Martin Thim, Sustainability & Partner Manager at NorthSide.

Over the years, NorthSide has continuously worked on optimizing its green profile with initiatives such as waste sorting, resource recycling, green transport, and reduction of plastic consumption. Now the sustainability of the festival goes above and beyond through a groundbreaking initiative, which makes it possible to use only green electricity from the electricity network during the NorthSide in the future.

“We are beyond excited to achieve this, as it is going to be a game changer for the entire industry. Apart from our Norwegian sister-festival Øya, which is about half our size, no other festival utilizes solely green electricity from the electricity network in consideration of climate and environment. We are, as far as we know, the first festival of our size to do so. We are super proud to be at the forefront of the industry and it lives up to our ambition of making the NorthSide the most sustainable festival in the world and a major inspiration for other festivals world-wide,” says Martin Thim, Sustainability & Partner Manager at NorthSide.

Industry leader

Aarhus Municipality’s Climate Fund has provided the necessary funding to establish a power supply on the event site ensuring access to the electricity required to conduct NorthSide. This also means that the power supply will be available for all other upcoming events in Eskelunden – from cultural and exercise events to large individual concerts – and of course, NorthSide.

”We are excited that the municipality agree on how important it is to be able to offer green electricity at the event site. Roughly speaking, NorthSide will be reducing CO2 consumption by a minimum of 88 tonnes of CO2 per year. That itself is an enormous sustainable victory, but it also provides a foundation to develop other new energy-efficient initiatives, an example being replacing gas used in the food stalls. We also get the opportunity to enter into new collaborations based on sustainable, innovative solutions,” says Martin Thim and continues:

”If we as a society and the world are to exist in the long run, we must all take responsibility. That is why we are proud to take the lead – and we are pleased that Aarhus Municipality also sees the sustainable running of events in Eskelunden as a relevant contribution to the municipality’s ambition of becoming CO2 neutral by 2030.”

NorthSide will take place 3. – 5. June 2021.

Facts about NorthSide’s green electricity:

• Aarhus Municipality’s Climate Fund has granted DKK 2.1 million Danish kroner for the complete establishment of electricity supply at Eskelunden
• It includes the establishment of an additional 1.725 amperes of power as well as the design and redesign of electrical panels.
  Eskelunden is developed with support from Salling Fonden and is intended to host anything from cultural and exercise events to large individual concerts – and of course, NorthSide.
• The upgrade means that the NorthSide will be 100 percent based on the green electricity in the future.
• The initiative represents a groundbreaking milestone for the entire industry and an important step in NorthSide’s green transformation, which has so far included waste sorting, resource recycling, green transport, and reduction of plastic consumption.

Photo: Markus Glavind