Can concerts, festivals and other live events contribute to a more sustainable society? Researchers at Karlstad University will investigate this question in the project ”Beyond the spotlight: navigating sustainable development and empowering change agents in the event industry”.
The project will explore how live events can contribute to sustainable development, not only by reducing their environmental impact but also by influencing how people think about and act on sustainability.
“We are particularly interested in how artists, organisers and other stakeholders can act as agents of change, and how audiences respond to and engage with different sustainability initiatives,” says Jenny Karlsson, senior lecturer in Business Administration at the Service Research Center (CTF) at Karlstad University.
Sustainability Initiatives tested in practice
The researchers will develop, test and evaluate various initiatives in real event settings in close collaboration with industry partners.
“Our project partners, LiveGreen, Bröderna Olssons and Karlstad CCC, provide different arenas where we can jointly explore and test ideas in practice based on their needs,” says Jenny Karlsson.
Live events have a direct sustainability impact through, for example, travel, food and beverages, energy use, waste and material consumption. At the same time, they reach and engage large numbers of people, making them particularly interesting to study. A key question is how different stakeholders can help make sustainable choices easier and more attractive.
“People attend events to share experiences and to feel a strong connection with an artist, festival or event. Artists therefore have an important role in the transition. Through their visibility, their relationship with fans and their ability to engage and inspire, they can help put sustainability issues on the agenda and make new behaviours and choices relevant to audiences,” says Jenny Karlsson.
The project will generate knowledge about how the event industry can transition towards more sustainable practices while also acting as a driver of broader societal change.
“The ambition is not only to make individual events more sustainable. Our goal is also for the knowledge and solutions developed through the project to be shared and contribute to a long-term transition within the event industry and society as a whole,” says Jenny Karlsson.
The project runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2029 and is funded by the Knowledge Foundation (KK Foundation). The other researchers involved in the project are Carolina Camén, Helén Williams, Linda Ryan Bengtsson and Jessica Edlom, all of whom are affiliated with Karlstad University.
