This Video Explains How Touring DJs And Festivals Harm The Environment

Stamp The Wax’s new video is an eye-opening look at some of the ecological issues surrounding dance music culture.

In recent years, club music has experienced an explosion in popularity and accessibility. It has spread to regions outside the typical playgrounds of North America and western Europe, with boutique festivals popping up in places as far-flung as Albania and Hong Kong. With budget airlines running regular routes between the biggest European cities, there seems to be more places for touring DJs to play, and with more frequency, than ever before.

While this boom has undoubtedly lead to a decentralised clubbing culture — with clubs like Georgia’s Bassiani now spoken of in the same breath as typical clubbing destinations like Berghain — there have been unintended consequences.

The most significant of these has been the environmental footprint of an industry built on constant touring. For example, did you know that the monthly flights of the most popular DJs on RA’s Readers’ Poll produce the same carbon footprint as a UK resident in a year?

This statistic is just one of many revealed in an illuminating video feature and longform story by Stamp The Wax. The short video documentary analyzes the structural impact that the DJ and festival circuit has had on the environment and explores new, pioneering solutions to the problem. So what to do? From small venues going off the energy grid, to changing booking policies for big festivals, check out the 7 minute video above for some nice tips for making a difference. It may just help improve your local club scene too.

Read more: Why collecting vinyl is actually bad for the environment