a sustainable walden festival

More than 150 years after writing ‘Walden’, Henry David Thoreau continues to encourage people around the world to live the sustainable life. We also believe that informed choices can have a positive impact. Which is why we take sustainability measures, in order to minimise Walden Festival’s ecological footprint and motivate audiences, musicians and partners. These seven principles show us the way. 

Eat well, aware of what you’re eating

We work with local caterers and serve local drinks. By choosing a veggie and vegan menu, we minimise our ecological footprint. We work as much as possible with reusable food and drink utensils or recyclable alternatives. Any food left over? We donate it to local operators who can do local people a favour with it.   

Enjoy your surroundings respectfully 

Respect for the urban and natural environment is our first priority. We make as much use of existing infrastructure as we can and work together with local partners to ensure Walden Festival is sustainably anchored in the area. We choose reusable or recyclable festival furnishings. On the sites, we provide plenty of bins for sorting and later recycling your waste. Our EcoTeam always keeps a sharp eye on things.

Reduce the impact of your movements

Our programmed events mainly consist of local ensembles and artists. Musicians coming from further afield are encouraged to take the train. Where possible, we try to programme foreign artists for the same weekend they perform at the Nederlandse Wonderfeel, so as to make transfers as efficient as possible. Our own team uses electric vehicles and cargo bikes for transport. Walden Festival takes place in the heart of Brussels and is therefore very easy to get to on public transport. Thanks to our secure bicycle parking, you can come by bike easily and without any worries.   

Communicate clearly and sustainably

Our communications take place digitally whenever possible and via our partner Klara. Printed matter is limited to flyers and posters, both of these printed using sustainable inks on recyclable paper. Ticketing is also mainly digital. Durable signposts, to be reused at the following festival, direct you to the various festival locations. The flags and banners we cannot reuse are recycled into notebooks and other useful accessories.

Join forces

What we do together, we do better. We form alliances with local and international organisations and with enthusiastic partners. We are inspired by their knowledge and pass on our own expertise. Thus we work closely with Dutch festival Wonderfeel, notably in the field of sustainability. We’re also mindful of our social responsibility. For example, we collaborate with Minor-Ndako, which assists young people in problematic contexts, and with Refu Interim, who helps newcomers acquire work experience through voluntary work.  

Inspire and motivate

By making sustainable choices, we hope to inspire our audiences, musicians and partners. Which is why, together with BOS+, we offer you the chance to invest in an inclusion project from three Brussels-based youth centres. This way, you contribute in a greener Brussels, and in connecting young people in Brussels with nature. Our partner Klara broadcasts slow radio about Walden Festival for two days in a row. Thus ideas about sustainability are also heard outside the festival sites.

Keep on dreaming, trying and doing

We’re still learning every day. Last year, we invited A Greener Festival, an organisation that reviewed our sustainability ambitions and made recommendations on how to do even better. This year, we are working on an analysis of our energy consumption. This way, we continue to take steps to become more sustainable and make Walden an even greener festival.