Sustainability & Environment · Indicator 1
Festivals with sustainability commitments
What this indicator asks
How many of the largest nighttime culture events in the New York area publish a specific environmental commitment, and do they ask their audience to take part?
30.0/ 100 · New York
We looked at three elements: the share of events that publish a commitment, how many environmental areas they cover, and whether they ask the audience to act.
Two of the ten largest events publish a specific environmental commitment in full: Governors Ball and Global Citizen Festival. Global Citizen powered its main stage with a battery system, and all its food was vegetarian, served in compostable packaging.
Governors Ball is the only event that asks the audience to act. It runs free water stations, a reusable cup programme, composting, and Rock & Recycle, a programme that rewards fans for recycling on site.
Six of the ten events publish nothing of their own, among them the Pride March and the West Indian American Day Carnival. No event cites the city’s voluntary sustainable event guidelines, launched in September 2025.