Since the beginning of Lollapalooza Berlin presented by Telekom, sustainability issues have been an integral part of the festival’s DNA alongside music, culture and art. In this charter, we set out the commitments to social justice, climate action, resource efficiency and engagement of all responsible parties.
This charter is constantly being maintained, amended and expanded. We welcome feedback and ideas on how we can improve. Contact us at: feedback@lollapaloozade.com
Since 2022, Lollapalooza Berlin presented by Telekom is the first festival in Germany to start the DIN ISO 20121 certification process for sustainable event management. By implementing a holistic management system, the festival is facing the growing challenges and taking responsibility for the future. Furthermore, Lollapalooza Berlin presented by Telekom wants to set contemporary standards and motivate other players in the festival scene to do the same. The International Organization of Standardization (ISO) certificate is internationally recognized and aims to create a standardized sustainability approach for events worldwide. The certification process includes an in-depth assessment of ecological, economic and social aspects in terms of sustainability. The ongoing process is accompanied by independent audits by an external committee.
CLIMATE ACTION
Lollapalooza Berlin presented by Telekom is part of the Green Nation. As described in the Green Nation Sustainability Charter, we have a responsibility to preserve the live music experience for future generations.
We are aware of the impact of our business on the environment and are therefore committed to taking urgent climate protection measures. Our main goals by 2030 are to purchase 100% of our electricity from Renewable Energy sources, to use a 100% electric fleet and to ensure climate-friendly travel for visitors.
All environmental impacts of the festival will be assessed in terms of their impact on and contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs.
The energy we consume is a major contributor to the festival's greenhouse gas emissions. In partnership with the Olympiastadion Berlin, our strategy is to continuously reduce our energy consumption and replace our energy sources with renewables.
A major contributor to our on-site greenhouse gas emissions is diesel consumption.
We have several methods at our disposal to reduce these emissions:
-
Lollapalooza Berlin presented by Telekom connects several large areas of the festival to the city's power grid and draws electricity from the photovoltaic system on the roof of the Olympiastadion Berlin. This reduces our need for generators.
-
We monitor energy consumption to optimize efficiency and reduce fuel consumption even further.
-
In 2025, as an interim solution, we are exclusively using HVO (hydrated vegetable oil) for all generators, where a connection to the city’s power grid is not yet possible. This will enable us to reduce our on-site CO2-Emissions.
-
Over time, we are striving to find more climate-friendly solutions that are even more effective.
Lollapalooza Berlin presented by Telekom has reduced the use of vehicles to the absolute minimum. Electric golf carts are used throughout the site and we encourage all staff and crew members to use bicycles as well as cargo bikes, which we provide whenever possible.
When selecting suppliers, we make sure that they are located as regionally as possible to avoid long transportation routes. This year, we are once again carrying out comprehensive monitoring to further reduce our logistics-related greenhouse gas emissions in particular.
We recommend and promote environmentally friendly travel options to reach the Lollapalooza Berlin presented by Telekom.
Due to the central location of the festival, we recommend that all visitors travel either by public transportation or by bicycle. All cyclists are invited to use our free bicycle parking lot.
We do not offer car parking, with the exception of a parking lot for people with disabilities who register before the event.
RESOURCE EFFICIENCY
We are committed to applying the circular economy system as far as possible and focus in particular on reuse and recycling. We integrate the principles of circular design into our site planning to minimize waste from the outset. We are also responsible for conserving natural resources used in the production of our events.
We are committed to implementing a closed-loop waste management system at Lollapalooza Berlin presented by Telekom and supporting the development of a circular economy. We strive for zero-waste management, because waste prevention is the top priority in our waste hierarchy. We carry out the reuse of recyclable materials through recycling and the correct disposal of organic waste for energy recovery with our service provider Berlin Recycling. Separate disposal options are provided for special waste such as e-waste, cigarette remains and cooking oil.
We provide water refill stations throughout the site and encourage visitors, employees and artists to use reusable bottles. We encourage you to bring your own foldable bottle max. 0.5 l (see here) to the festival.
In addition, all caterers and partners of the festival are obliged to comply with the sustainability guidelines set by the festival. This includes, for example, the ban on single-use plastic on the entire site.
Lollapalooza Berlin presented by Telekom is committed to ensuring good access to high-quality drinking water, reusing gray water wherever possible and reducing water waste.
The festival sources all of its water from on-site hydrants. This means that there are no emissions normally caused by the transportation of water by vehicle.
Collected rainwater is used to irrigate the lawns for the Olympic Stadium. In addition, low-flow toilets and taps with automatic shut-off are used to ensure that water is used sparingly.
We require our food suppliers and catering companies to comply with sustainability standards when procuring food.
We are committed to raising awareness of the carbon footprint of food. That's why we use a food carbon footprint assessment system to ensure transparency and help the public make informed climate-friendly choices.
We work closely with our food suppliers to offer a wide range of healthy and high-quality food.
Vegetarian and vegan food is also an essential part of the food selection at Lollapalooza Berlin presented by Telekom and will be available throughout the festival site. In addition to purely vegan food trucks, every food stand is obliged to offer at least one vegan or vegetarian option.
We also provide information about the origin of the food used in our crew catering and focus on seasonality, regionality and sustainability in our catering.
ENGAGEMENT AND LOCAL IMPACT
We are committed to standing up for social and environmental issues and working with local initiatives and organizations. We provide a platform for campaign groups throughout the festival grounds. At Grüner Kiez, you will not only find various campaigns on environmental and climate protection, but also initiatives that stand up for social justice in our society. This is also a very special concern for us on the other stages, such as at Fashionpalooza.
All current collaborations will be announced on our website before the festival.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
As a festival and as a team, we actively promote a culture of diversity, inclusion and solidarity. We strive to offer a diverse and inclusive entertainment program, ranging from music to acrobats and exhibitors from all walks of life. We offer the opportunity to raise awareness of social issues relating to diversity and inclusion in our different experience areas.
We do not tolerate any form of racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, ageism, antisemitism or intersectional discrimination. Discriminatory words or actions have no place at the festival and will result in a ban from the festival site if reported.
We celebrate differences and firmly believe that there is strength in diversity. We welcome all people equally - on, behind and in front of the stage. All employees at Lollapalooza Berlin presented by Telekom are sensitized to diversity issues.
The festival grounds should be a safe place for all BIPoCs and people with intersectional and neurodivergent characteristics. In order to guarantee our guests comprehensive protection during the festival, you can ask for help and give us feedback at the clearly visible info points at any time.
We continuously review the gender balance within our team and are committed to actively finding and hiring female-identifying and non-binary staff to counteract any imbalance.
Festivals bring together music fans from different backgrounds and from all walks of life. We are committed to doing everything in our power to promote a culture of inclusion. Our goal is to provide accessible infrastructure and services and to continuously improve them in a way that respects the needs of all and excludes no one.
Together with social initiatives that promote the removal of barriers in public spaces, we want to enable cultural participation. This includes a special entrance for people with disabilities and barrier-free facilities on the site to ensure a safe, respectful and accessible festival experience for all. We employ a dedicated team on site to support visitors with limited mobility, hearing and/or sight on request.
Please get in touch with our responsible team in advance so that we can ensure that all individual needs can be incorporated into the planning in the best possible way. A contact address will be announced before the festival.
We work with trained awareness staff to ensure everyone's safety. Our primary focus is on the welfare and rights of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As a festival, it is our duty to protect visitors and staff from abuse, harassment, neglect and discrimination of any kind. Regardless of age, disability, gender, skin color, domestic situation, religion, ideology or sexual orientation.
As a team, we strive to provide a comprehensive protection and awareness service around the clock so that any support or treatment needed can be offered as quickly as possible on the festival site. Our awareness team is on duty around the clock during the festival and can be contacted by all visitors at any time.