Our thinking

Massive Attack (on carbon)

30 August, 2024

Many climate-conscious readers will recall a moment of self-reflection that led to a feeling of guilt or even panic. Rapper and singer Robert Del Naja experienced a similar moment of crisis while touring with the band Massive Attack in 2019, questioning if he could justify flying from show to show. However, while most of us respond to eco-anxiety by remembering to turn off lights or reducing meat consumption, Del Naja had the opportunity to set an example and tackle carbon emissions at scale, working with climate scientists to develop a touring model that makes as little climate impact as possible.

On Sunday, Massive Attack hosted a 35,000-person festival in Bristol to showcase how gigs can be made more sustainable. Del Naja made clear that if efforts were not in line with a 1.5 °C reduction in global warming, they were irrelevant (we suspect he’s looking at eye-catching stunts such as Coldplay’s electricity-generating bikes).

The Bristol festival, powered entirely by wind and solar-charged batteries, featured electric vehicles for equipment transport, compost toilets and vegan catering. The band also encouraged sustainable travel for fans including local ticketing incentives, increased train services and electric coaches.

While the event wasn’t perfect – some food stalls relied on gas canisters and some fans did travel from further afield, including one individual who flew in from Miami – the Tyndall Centre will publish a report detailing the climate impact, and lessons learned will be incorporated in future .

With recent headlines of huge emissions from tours of artists such as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé the need for the music industry to act is becoming more urgent, and bands such as Massive Attack could be key in paving the way.

By Nia Vines