DGTL Amsterdam
BY Vivian Yeung
DGTL Amsterdam has been crowned as the most sustainable electronic music festival in the world, and is a leading example for event organisers to follow.
Chosen for: Innovation and Sustainability.
There’s a plethora of festivals in the Netherlands and DGTL Amsterdam is our key highlight from the Dutch capital. First making its debut in spring 2013, DGTL has carved out a reputation for hosting sprawling programmes of in-demand electronic artists across the NDSM Docklands, hosting them across dark warehouse spaces or idyllic greenhouses.
Furthermore, DGTL Amsterdam isn’t one to follow conventional norms in running its event; rather, it’s a pioneer of sustainable methods within the events industry. A sustainability policy must be in place for events to be greenlighted by the Dutch government, but where DGTL shines is the ways in which it goes that extra mile – even to becoming the world’s most sustainable electronic music festival.
As event teams are beginning to wake up to the severity of the climate crisis, and some are on their way to implementing circular systems, DGTL is ahead of the curve. The festival embarked on its road to circularity back in 2014, a time when the crisis was called 'climate change' and the environmental revolution was yet to be spearheaded by Greta Thunberg. Back then, DGTL’s stage designers recycled old construction materials to build the event. By 2019, it was named the most sustainable festival in the world, and in 2022 DGTL achieved full circularity.
What’s impressive is the team’s attention to detail, with even the staff training implemented in such a way as to reduce waste on the grounds. On site, the use of freshwater is kept to a minimum, with the festival using a system to extract nutrients from wastewater which is cycled back to the earth. This certainly isn’t your average sustainability policy, and the team look for advancements in technology each year to reduce its carbon footprint even further. DGTL Amsterdam has succeeded in finding creative solutions to the wasteful impact of events, and is a leading example in its field.
DGTL Amsterdam takes place at NDSM Docklands on 7-9 April 2023.
