DGTL BECOMES FIRST CIRCULAR FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD

One of the kick-offs of this year’s dance season was the electronic music festival, DGTL. With it’s roots in Amsterdam, it is also organized in Bengaluru, Santiago, São Paulo, Barcelona, Tel Aviv, and Madrid. Focusing on a balance between the leading names in art and music, the newest discoveries, and exciting local treasures. DGTL treated us with an expansive line-up from all around the globe, a wide range of underground and well-known talents like Âme & Dixon, Paul Kalkbrenner, Laurent Garnier, Helena Hauff, Freddy K, and Octo Octa (to name a few). Numéro Netherlands had a blast joining the ride and experiencing the impressive stages with their mesmerizing installations and visuals.

This year DGTL is the first festival that has become fully circular. Already winning an award in 2018, the festival concentrates on maintaining a sustainability plan for each pillar of the event: aviation, food, waste, recycling, and energy. DGTL is making a significant impact on the global festival landscape, being mindful of the environmental and social influence, and working with enthusiastic partners to spread a message. Experts from each field have gathered their projects and studies to educate the public about consuming more responsibly.

We had the pleasure to do a tour with Mitchell van Dooijeweerd, sustainability manager at DGTL festival; responsible for making this festival sustainable for each sector of the event and is also in direct contact with all the suppliers. DGTL’s Road To Circularity, is a collective project composed by Paul Schurink from Zap Concepts, a concept that works with the energy supply for the festival. The company utilizes biodiesel products and gets energy from solar installations. Jef van Boven, program manager at Sky NRG works on the new ways for people to fly. They thrive on utilizing alternative fossil fuels by recycling Co2 that’s been previously emitted. Peter Scheer, CEO of Semilla Sanitation, a project based on space technology where they try to create tea out of pea. We were invited to try our tea during the tour, but maybe we will have more courage next time. Lastly, Bram Meijer, marketing director for Beyond Meat. The company believes in the future of plant-based protein. As the meat industry is one of the most polluting globally, Beyond Meat thrives on producing the best-tasting formula to satisfy all customers, vegan or not, and reduce energy. Learn more about the Road To Circularity, where Julia Van Boven, business and sustainability consultant at ABN AMRO, thoroughly details the various sectors (links below).

DGTL is, not only when thinking of our ecological footprint, a leader and example for many others. The festival is also advocating a safe dance floor policy, a dance floor for all, free from harassment, racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and sexism. To reach its mission, DGTL partnered with Rave Scout Cookies to promote a culture in which we can all balance being socially responsible and enjoying moments within the community (article here).

Editors: Joiah Luminosa & Magdalena Roe

Editor in Chief: Timotej Letonja