From the archive
9 Aug 2026
In July 2026 the Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, announced Turn It Up, the government's long-term plan for music, covering ten areas from grassroots venues to the creative workforce. Tucked inside is something rarer than a funding pledge: a government document pointing at tools the industry built for itself. The Green Events Code of Practice is named as the leading industry standard, and the latest Show Must Go On report - both steered by Julie's Bicycle - is cited as the route map for the sector's emissions.
The route map is worth reading for one number. Halving event emissions by 2030 breaks into two unequal pieces. Thirty-seven per cent is within the organiser's reach: renewable power instead of diesel, less waste, better choices inside the fence. The remaining 13 per cent lives outside the fence entirely - in grid connections that do not reach a field, in the cars and trains that bring the audience. Closing it, the report admits, needs government and industry working together.
Both tools came out of deep industry collaboration among music sustainability experts, event organisers, suppliers and local authorities rather than from any ministry. Richard Phillips, co-lead of Julie's Bicycle's music programme, says as much in his response to the plan. The strategy also lands alongside other industry-built machinery: the LIVE Trust, launched in January 2025, has received over six million pledges to support the grassroots sector. The pattern is consistent - the sector organises, counts and acts first, and the state follows behind, endorsing.
Split your event's footprint into two lists: what happens inside the fence and what happens outside it. Inside - generators, waste, catering, water - is yours to fix this season, and most of it is cheaper than the diesel it replaces. Outside - audience travel, grid power - needs the council and the train operators, so start those conversations a full year before the gates open.
Julie's Bicycle · Read the source