Words by Abi Scaife
At Smiley News we love a good festival - the vibes, the music, what more could you want?
Having said that, you know we’re all about those UN Sustainable Development Goals, and there’s one festival we know of that manages to support the SDGs and bring those good vibes.
The Roskilde Festival in Denmark is a 100% not-for-profit festival, with proceeds going to support charities across the country.
This year they feature incredible acts like 21 Savage, Doja Cat, Foo Fighters and more, but what is really at the heart of the festival is giving back.
We sent some of our team down to the Roskilde Festival this year to learn more about how they are enacting positive change, and here are four of the most positive things we saw on the first day.
Getting your period is rarely fun, especially when you’re camping. Not to mention, even the best prepared of us can get caught out, or run out of supplies.
At Roskilde, they wanted to take away that stress - that’s why, around the festival, you will find free period products available for anyone to take. No questions asked, no money exchanged - just free period products for anyone in need.
Roskilde Festival food is good food - and when we say that, we don’t just mean that it’s delicious, nutritious, and more than just burgers and chips. Inside the Food Court, plant-based is priority in an attempt to reduce the festival’s environmental impact; and with delicious food from all over the world, you’re never lost for choice.
Not only that, but each stall showcases the carbon footprint created by each meal so that you can choose the best food for you, and the planet. The whole festival, not just the foodie teams, have been pushing to make the event more carbon-friendly for a long time, and this is just one of the ways they are making it a reality.
Roskilde has doubled down on the return-a-cup scheme - every time you purchase a cold drink at bars across the festival, you are given a durable plastic cup (or pitcher, depending on your persuasion). You can hang on to this cup for as long as you like and, when you’re done you can either reuse it or hand it in for money towards more food and drinks.
While the scheme is restricted to these cups for now, Sanne Stephansen, Head of Sustainability at Roskilde Festival said they are trying to implement it with more typically single use items like cutlery, too.
It’s a great way of making sure the festival ground isn’t littered with plastic at the end of the week, as well as rewarding people for being more eco-friendly!
Volunteering is huge in Denmark; it’s a big part of the culture here, which means it’s no surprise that the Roskilde Festival has a huge base of volunteer supporters.
With almost 30,000 people volunteering year-round, and even more joining in the run-up to the festival, it’s a whole community event. People will come on their own, with friends, even with families and children and spend the week supporting the festival.
What’s more, some charities and organisations like Scouts will come and work the festival, serving food and drinks as a group, to raise funds for their own work throughout the year.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Their World. This charity aims to help every child have a fulfilling education. Learn more here.
The Fore. This charity is transforming lives and society by turbo-charging exceptional small charities and social enterprises. Support them here.
Family Action. Family Action is an award-winning national charity working from the heart of local communities across England and Wales. Learn more here.
