Sustainability was not an afterthought for SXSW London 2025; it was a foundational pillar. As the first-ever European edition of the globally renowned festival, SXSW London reimagined what a large-scale, citywide event could look like when environmental impact is prioritized from day one.
A comprehensive environmental strategy was developed and implemented across three key phases – Foundations, Operational Integration, and Carbon Management – with deliverables spanning policy development, staff training, carbon tracking, stakeholder alignment, and material reuse.
This framework was rolled out across all 34 venues and coordinated with over 150 suppliers, embedding sustainability into every layer of planning and delivery.
Using TRACE (by isla), the team completed a full carbon footprint for the festival, capturing crew travel emissions at induction and modelling audience travel through onboard:earth. This data now serves as a baseline for future improvement and informs the development of travel policies and carbon offsetting strategies.
Meanwhile, the festival’s food and beverage programme eliminated red meat across all menus and replaced single-use plastics with refillable systems and aluminum cans. A zero-to-landfill approach was achieved in partnership with Hackney Council, underpinned by vendor-submitted recycling plans and enhanced waste stream management across every site.
Circularity was woven into the festival’s design language. Reusable florals were used instead of disposable displays, date-free Foamex supported evergreen signage, and paperboard print materials were prioritized to enable future re-use. Scenic and graphic elements were redistributed through Event Cycle, extending their life by serving community groups, schools, and farms.
Stage drapes and herras scrim were reused at Stepney City Farm for chicken runs, donated to schools for sensory environments, and integrated into Shoreditch’s adventure playground redevelopment. Printed graphics – including pedestrian barriers and stage fabrics – were creatively repurposed by local designers into fashion and furnishings. Surplus crew meals were donated to four local food shelters, ensuring that zero-waste ambitions extended to catering.
These outcomes directly support the aims of UN SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production and UN SDG 13: Climate Action, offering a tangible, replicable model for reducing waste, tracking emissions, and embedding circularity in live event production.
SXSW London 2025 proved that sustainability can scale with complexity. From data-led planning to community redistribution, every decision was made with long-term environmental and social impact in mind. With a ten-year commitment now confirmed, the operational, community, and sustainability model piloted at SXSW London 2025 stands as the blueprint for future editions, and demonstrated how creative festivals can actively respond to the climate crisis with innovation, accountability, and care.
Partners
- Robyn Henry - VP Project Delivery - TAIT
- Sarah Peters - Executive Producer - TAIT
- Joey Fletcher - Production Director - TAIT
- Harriet Clark - Senior Production Manager - TAIT
- Rebecca Brower - Lead Designer - TAIT
- Emma Child - Senior Associate Designer - TAIT
- Kate Kiernan, Sustainability Manager - TAIT
- John Badcock, Operations director - TAIT
- Chrissie Gilbert, Deputy Operations Director - TAIT
- Margo Hermans, Co-Executive Producer - TAIT
- Alex Woodfield - Head of Production - SXSW London
- Max Alexander, CEO - SXSW London
- Will Hutchinson, Business Affairs Director - SXSW London
- Mike Philippides, Commercial Director - SXSW London
- Katy Arnander, Director of Programming - SXSW London
- Ella Byrne - CFO - SXSW London
- Clare Morris - Marketing Director - SXSW London
