Exmouth Festival will be a 'planet-friendly experience'

Sustainability will be at the heart of this year’s Exmouth Festival, with eco-friendly initiatives fully incorporated into the event.

The festival, organised by Exmouth Town Council, will take place between Friday, July 19 and Sunday 21 across three sites - Manor Gardens, The Strand and Sideshore.

Festival-goers can expect a planet-friendly experience with compost toilets, well-marked bins, reusable cups (The Exmouth Cup), plant-based food options, and a dedicated 'Green Team' to promote sustainability and answer questions. There will be an ‘Earth Day’ at Sideshore on Sunday featuring a plastic-free market and ecology-focused craft, music, and walkabout performances.

The performances will include interactive beach theatre show by Four of Swords, based on the Cyclops theme but with a message about the pollution of our seas; the Bee Cart by Pif Paf Theatre, a tribute to the importance of pollinators; Chhaya Dance Company’s environmental piece band Kuki and the Bard who rehearse in off-grid studios; and the One Man Street Band who makes instruments out of shells!

Traders will use sustainable packaging options, and efforts will be made to measure and reduce their carbon footprints. There will be clearly marked bins for recycling and food waste, with cooking oil being donated for fuel use. Compost loos will be provided in Manor Gardens by Compoost Toilets, who take the waste to be broken down into fertiliser.

Visitors can also learn about reusing, repairing, reducing, and recycling at the Eco Stall in Manor Gardens.

All electricity at the festival, except the main bar, will come from a 100 per cent renewable energy tariff. Water refill points will be marked on a map, to reduce the need for packaged water.

The town council will be encouraging green travel to and from the festival by promoting cycling, walking and public transport. There will be a Cycle Hub in The Strand and a cycling-based game by the Bureau of Silly Ideas.

Surveys will be carried out to gather feedback on the sustainability efforts, with plans to provide a report and guidelines for future event organisers.

A spokesperson for Exmouth Town Council said: "As a town dependent on nature-based tourism and surrounded by sensitive ecological sites it’s important we care for nature and the town festival lowers its carbon footprint as much as possible. We’d also like to show festival-goers how to tread more lightly."

The town council's arts manager Jess Magill and climate and ecological emergency resilience officer Zoey Cooper are seeking volunteers for the 'Green Team' to assist with various eco-friendly tasks. Anyone interested in joining the team is asked to contact zoey.cooper@exmouth.gov.uk for more information.

To learn more about the Exmouth Festival and its sustainability initiatives, visit the Eco Stall in Manor Gardens during the event.