International AGF Award 2024
Greetings, fellow champions of sustainability!
What a dazzling night it was at the 2024 International AGF Awards! Held amid the prestigious ambiance of the Royal Lancaster London on 27th February, our 17th edition of the awards ceremony was a radiant celebration of innovation, dedication and, of course, sustainability.
Supported by our generous sponsor, Skydiamond, this year's event was nothing short of extraordinary. We gathered to applaud the most innovative festivals, events, venues, organizations, and individuals who have been leading the charge towards a greener future over the past 12 months.
Picture this: an alchemical blend of earth and sky as each winner was bestowed not only with a trophy handcrafted from reclaimed wood by the skilled hands of our organizer’s father, Steve O’Neill but also a dazzling 0.7 carat “mined from the sky” diamond, certified by the International Gemological Institute. Our sincere thanks to Skydiamond for their unwavering support and the stunning gifts that adorned our winners with brilliance!
Let’s talk about the stars of the night!
Finalists of the 2024 International AGF Awards included 27 events, venues, and innovators from 12 countries with awards being presented across nine important sustainability categories, including power, water, food and travel.
The top accolade - the International Greener Festival Award 2024 - went to Belgium’s Paradise City, which also scooped the Greener Catering Award. Not only a shining example of festival sustainability, Paradise City has made it hip to be green. The festival prides itself on caring for the future in every communication, encouraging guests to travel mindfully with initiatives such as specially arranged night trains, campsites with equipment lending and repurposing, and waste policies and deposits.
Upon receiving the award, the event’s sustainability manager, Esther Koshari, said:
“I am a bit overwhelmed and I’m super happy we got this award. We have worked really hard to achieve this award and not it’s only me as the sustainability manager but the whole team. Sustainability is in the DNA of everything we do at the festival.”
Estonia won an award for the first time, with I Land Sound receiving the Circular Event Award. Not only has the event implemented amazing initiatives surrounding materials reuse, waste management, and sustainable procurement, but they have also embraced collaborations to use art and decor to educate and change behaviours.
The night was also a win for the Nordics, with Norway's ØyaFestivalen and Rosendal Garden Party from Sweden both taking home awards. Rosendal tackled travel to and from their festival in 2023, reducing artist travel by increasing local talent and having just one stage featuring headliners travelling from other countries, as well as reducing the air miles from all artists travelling to the event.
ØyaFestivalen says that taking measures to raise awareness of sustainability and EDI measures beyond the festival is in their DNA. They certainly showed that to be true. Whether it’s their development of The Green Standard for Events with NKA/Norwegian live, their work with Oslo Pride, their events and seminars throughout the year, or their work with Nature and Youth, Øya goes above and beyond to inspire change both within and outside of the festival.
For the second year running, Boom in Portugal won the award for Water & Sanitation. The event has further improved on the great measures already in place and deserves recognition for their impassioned efforts to manage water responsibly in an area of water scarcity.
Across the border, Spain’s Sonidos Líquidos continued its steadfast commitment to sustainability, building upon the successful practices developed in previous years. The festival reinforced the connection with the local territory, fostered social impacts within the community, and aimed to generate a broader impact on society.
The UK’s Green Gathering continues to be a pioneer of the 100% renewable-energy-powered festival, proving that even during a rather damp year, you can still be solar-powered. Power is a key focus for the festival and is at the core of what sets it apart from other events. The impact this has on the public enjoying a festival powered by renewable energy has the potential to impact attendees after they leave.
The Greener Innovations Award went to 6 Degrees by Team Love & re:right design, who have harnessed the interconnected power of mushroom roots and demonstrated how we can move away from environment-impacting materials to a more sustainable fungi future!
As AGF's CEO, Claire O’Neill, aptly puts it:
“Massive congrats to all of the winners and to the nominees of the International AGF Awards 2024. The work of using culture for a positive transition to a greener way of living has never been more important.”
Indeed, the journey towards sustainability is a collective effort, and we couldn’t be prouder to have such trailblazers leading the way.
In addition to our blog, be sure to keep an eye on our social media channels for regular updates and highlights from both the International AGF Awards 2024 and the 16th Green Events & Innovations Conference (GEI16). We're committed to sharing more insights, inspirations, and behind-the-scenes moments, so stay tuned for all the latest news and happenings. Together, let's continue to celebrate and amplify the journey towards a more sustainable future!
