Festivals
An investigation into the impacts of festivals on the Northern Rivers
Festival Culture
Every year, millions of people travel to experience the intoxicating energy that is a music festival (Fig). Music and art festivals have been recorded to have existed since as early as the sixth century in Greece but really took off during the 1970’s and have been a staple event ever since. Music festivals have had the ability to generate mass globalisation and socialisation movements over the years and have contributed to a large emergence of festival culture amongst Australian and global societies. Festivals have the ability to recognise outstanding artists of all types from all over the world through art exhibitions, music performances and retail stores, connecting individuals over shared interests and developing strong relationships and connections all over the world. Festivals have the capacity to create positive and important social cohesion through the opportunity of presenting art and talents. In contrast with this, the consistent flood of tourists in local communities can create social unrest among locals, less welcoming of tourists as individuals visiting may not have the same emotional attachment and care for the land and environment.
The earliest festival recorded in the Northern Rivers was the Aquarius Festival (Fig 2.) located in Nimbin. The festival was developed by a group of young students in Sydney who aimed to recreate an Australian version of Woodstock. The Woodstock festival promoted harmony, freedom, sustainability and art and the students concluded that Nimbin fit that description perfectly. The first Aquarius festival hosted around 5,000 people from the Northern Rivers in 1973 and from then on the culture grew. The Northern Rivers currently hosts festivals such as Splendour in the Grass and Bluesfest, both of which see up to 50,000 people attending. This is a 45,000 person difference in just 47 years. The expansion in numbers has seen a massive increase in economic revenue for small businesses surrounding the grounds. The festivals have promoted both international and national travel boosting the economic value of the entire northern rivers and Australia.
Northern Rivers
Situated at the most easterly point of New South Wales, Australia. The coastal culture of the area promotes the target market of ‘alternate’ festival attendees. The physical structure of the environment being separated from major cities and nestled between hills, valleys and rainforests creates the perfect space for an event of such size. By being relatively secluded, it is less of an inconvenience to others as the late night energy and noise doesn’t disturb as many people as it would if it were to be hosted in a major city. In contrast, the grounds are surrounded by river systems and very close to the coast meaning the threats of pollution are impending.
Aim Questions and Hypotheses
Aims:
- Identify the reasons why the Northern Rivers is a popular festival location.
- Investigate the impacts of a festival on the environment, economy and social aspects of the community.
- Evaluate the management plans in place to ensure the sustainable use and restoration of the environment for festivals.
Hypotheses:
- Due to the Northern Rivers physical location being situated between major cities such as Sydney and Brisbane and in close proximity to airports such as Gold Coast, Byron Bay and Ballina the location is of easy access to a large number of people.
- If the size of music festivals continues to grow then the unsustainable consumption of the earth's resources will result in irreversible effects on the environment. The rising culture can be expected to result in community unrest and depletion of social cohesion as small businesses thrive and other locals feel invaded.
- If successful management plans are implemented then the sustenance of the environment's restoration after a festival can be ensured and therefore allow for predicted festival growth.
Nature of Site
Below is a walk-through of the surrounding communities to the North Byron Parklands. This provides and idea of the proximity to which these neighbouring towns are situated to the primary study site.
Research Methodologies
Primary
Being a local to the North Byron Parklands and a festival attendee I’ve attended festivals at the grounds in the past. The property is private and therefore unable to be accessed for me to take my own images. Instead I used photos found on the internet to compare. The images gave me insight into the layout of the grounds and the impacts it undergoes during a festival. I utilised a number of interviews and questionnaires with a range of individuals who have had varying degrees of interaction with festivals. Being able to interview an artist, manager and attendee allowed me to grasp the different aspects that make up a festival from experts in all fields. A survey placed in the main street of Byron Bay (Fig 3.) and Lennox Head (Fig 3.) and also sent to a range of students and teachers in class allowed me an even broader understanding of the impacts a festival has on the community. This gave me an indication of social cohesion and who experiences conflicts and when. This was integral to answering my aim questions. My qualitative survey results were used to develop a variety of graphs to display my data statistically. There were some open-ended questions included in my survey which gave me some, short response, qualitative data which I used to grasp a large number of opinions. My interview conducted with Emily Lubitz provided me with first hand information from an artist's perspective on the implications of a festival. As an artist who has travelled internationally this was important in comparing how festivals are impacting on the Northern Rivers compared to other places within Australia but also other countries. My questionnaires conducted with Sophie George and Sue Crompton were vital in understanding the social importance of festivals. As attendees of some of the first and last festivals hosted by the Northern Rivers I was able to compare and make connections from both of them to identify what it is about festivals that Australia loves. A questionnaire conducted with Falls marketer Claire Kehoe provided me with in depth explanation of the management plans in place by the Falls Festival organisers. Her responses opened me up to more research pathways including links.
Secondary
The secondary research methodologies I utilised included an environmental impact statement by Pje. The document outlines in detail all impacts of the festival, environmentally, socially and economically. Website articles by Triple J, Independent Australia and Coastal Waste contributed to my understanding of festivals, in particular the waste produced by them. The articles contained a number of photos and statistics that supported their arguments that I was able to utilise for my own research. A case study by Sound Emissions from the surrounding community that give insight into the economic, social and environmental impacts of a festival. These sources provided me with statistical information and an analysis of management strategies in use. These articles provided me with information on all impacts of festivals. The Environmental Impact Statement provided me with unbiased, statistical evidence for the impacts of Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival on the North Byron Parklands. Website articles gave me potentially biased information on the topic however it was personalised and a reflection of the individuals experience. It was important to my study to include biased, opinionated information as it linked to my aim questions with regards to social conflict, cohesion and benefits. The Splendour in the Grass case study by Sound Emissions allowed me to gain a better understanding of early Splendour and the first locations being Belongil Fields and Woodfordia. This study also outlines the beginnings of the carbon offset ticket in 2009 which indicates that environmental awareness has been in the minds of Splendour in the Grass organisers for some time. These articles were used as statistical and visual evidence to support the arguments made. The opinions and tone of the articles adde to my understanding as they were sometimes of differing opinions. This in conjunction with my mass survey results and other primary sources allowed me to make my own evaluations and judgements.
Aim Question One
I hypothesized that due to the Northern Rivers physical location being situated between major cities such as Sydney and Brisbane and in close proximity to airports such as Gold Coast, Byron Bay and Ballina the location is of easy access to a large number of people. I believe I didn’t include enough detail in this hypothesis as I hadn’t considered the natural environment of the area as a popular attraction. Despite this my hypothesis was still proven and I gained much more insight into the reasons the Northern Rivers is a desirable festival destination.
A question included in my survey, “What factors do you believe make the Northern Rivers attractive as a festival location?” (Fig4.), highlighted the three most popular aspects being the coastal environment, the climate and the general natural environment. The accessibility of surrounding airports option received the least activity. This may be due to the fact that the respondents were all local and didn’t require airport access or travel from majoring towns. To further my research I may have chosen to aim for this survey to reach individuals all throughout the Northern Rivers and wider cities.
My interview conducted with artist Emily Lubitz, also a local resident, provided insight into the importance of festivals for people. She says, “Often festivals are outdoors and they do use natural amphitheatres and you see the night sky, you aren’t in a club, you aren’t in a dark room, you are out in nature.” (Fig5. ), highlighting the significant role the natural environment plays on the functionality of a festival. A questionnaire conducted with Sophie George, an attendee of local festivals reinforces the same themes evident in many responses being the climate of the area deemed desirable. She says, “The Northern Rivers has stunning beaches which are appealing, as well as a relatively warm climate all year round.”. These two features in particular were the two most popular options selected in my survey proving that this is a major attraction and reason for the popularity of festivals. Despite the climate being one of the most prominent reasons for the popularity of the location it is important to note that it is accessible to many people as a central destination to major cities and many local communities. The Environmental Impact Statement outlines the proximity of a range of neighbouring towns. This is important as it highlights the accessibility of the location to a significant number of neighbouring towns and domestic airports such as Ballina and Gold Coast Airport.
Aim Question Two
I hypothesized that if the size of music festivals continues to grow then the unsustainable consumption of the earth's resources will result in irreversible effects on the environment. The rising culture can be expected to result in community unrest and depletion of social cohesion as small businesses thrive and other locals feel invaded. Upon evaluating my research I can conclude that this hypothesis has been disproved.
From my Survey results I was able to determine that generally people do not experience too much social unrest during festival periods with the majority of respondents choosing ‘Agree’ when posed the question, ‘Festivals provide a strong sense of social cohesion among the community?’ (Fig 6.) When pushed further and asked if they had any examples of social conflict they had experienced on the Northern Rivers during festival periods some common answers included; Congestion on the roads, conflict between tourists and locals and drug and alcohol consumption related violence. These responses highlight the social concern aspects of my second aim question, however disproved my prediction that festivals lead to large amounts of social unrest.
This links directly to my interview with artist Emily Lubitz who believes festivals are a great source of social cohesion. My interview conducted with Emily Lubitz highlights the importance of festivals and their many benefits. In particular she touches on the nature of festivals and what it means for surrounding communities. She says, “I think festivals are a pretty amazing way to share time with people like your mates and your loved ones, go to a festival, be immersed in music and art and expression. I think that is healthy for any society.”. The idea that festivals are important and healthy for society is further reinforced by my survey results where the majority of respondents answered ‘Agree’ when posed the question, ‘Do festivals provide a strong sense of social cohesion among the community?’ (Fig 2.) It has been highlighted that festivals are a way to celebrate our local area and its talent but it is important we don’t damage the environment in the process. The evaluation of the value festivals bring to the local communities is displayed in the Environmental Impact Statement that outlines an important aspect of economic value. Not only do festivals generate value for the Northern Rivers through travel and tourism but the festival itself provides jobs to 246 individuals in the Byron Shire, this is 2.25% of the total Byron workforce. These jobs are important to the community and add value to the festival. Further reinforced by my survey results (Fig 7. ), the majority of attendees choose accommodation within close proximity to the event and eating/shopping both locally and from home during this time, this generates immense economic value to the entire Northern Rivers.
Considering the economic value festivals bring, it generally means people are travelling to be at the festivals. These people not being locals may not hold the same level of care for the environment. However it is both locals and tourists that contribute to the waste problem of festivals. “Harsh, unflattering sunlight beats down on a pit of grime, broken camp chairs, used condom wrappers, upside down tents, and stray gumboots.”, (Fig 8.) the pit of grime referred to in this quote from an article by Triple J is the aftermath of the pre festival beautiful natural amphitheatre. A massive 50% of waste produced by festivals comes from the campground. This indicates a lack of initiative from campers rather than the festival organisers. The article features Green Music Australia CEO Berish Bilander who comments on this issue, he says, “The fact that we can buy a tent for $20 or less, with the view of treating it like a single use product is so disheartening. I mean, it doesn't take into account the slave labor that's used overseas to get that product into the market at such a low cost.”. This statistic is devastating but in response to this as outlined by Falls marketing organiser Claire Kehoe, the tents left behind at Falls Festival are salvaged and donated to local scout groups or upcycled as shade cloths for the next year's festival. Despite this management strategy being effective and making the best out of a bad situation it doesn’t change the single-use culture of these products. It is this mindset and culture that contributes to the growing issue of consumerism that needs to change in order for progress to be made.
Contrary to other articles that believed the attraction of tourists the festivals provide for the community was a positive thing an article by Independent Australia disagreed stating, “The community shudders at the prospect of such a massive invasion of festival goers, who already leave the festivals’ Yelgun site and the Shire in a dire situation”. This statement highlights the waste issues of festivals and the culture of the attendees. In terms of the economic value linking to my second aim question rather than the increased amount of people and therefore business to the local community being a positive attribute to festivals the article again highlighted a different opinion, “Faced with huge queues in cafes, post offices, banks and supermarkets, no parking spaces and lengthy delays in getting to appointments and work, residents are fed up.”. It was beneficial to my study to be able to compare contrasting views and opinions on festivals and this article has provided me with an alternate view to many of the others. This variety of opinions has provided me with a balanced investigation.
Aim Question Three
I hypothesized that if successful management plans are implemented then the sustenance of the environment's restoration after a festival can be ensured and therefore allow for predicted festival growth. I believe I have proved this as it is evident throughout my investigation that the majority of festival organisers, attendees and artists obtain a genuine care for the environment leading the management strategies in place to be effective. The strategies in place have proven effective as of the statistics and can only improve to cater to the expected growth.
As a performer at both international and national music festivals Emily Lubitz was able to provide me with a variety of management plans implemented by festivals. This was essential to my study as someone who has witnessed these in practise.
I wanted examples of festivals that have stood out as environmentally friendly or ahead of others and she mentioned Wave Rock Weekender festival which was also mentioned in the Triple J article by Ange McCormac as being an outstanding festival for environmental awareness. She says, “Wave Rock we played 10 years ago before all this single use plastics and it was this very cool festival, only 500 people, everyone got a little biodegradable plastic cup, you wrote your name on it and that was your cup for the weekend”. Another prominent management strategy evident throughout many of my other sources such as the Environmental Impact Statement, Coastal Waste article and case study is Carbon Offsetting (Fig 9.) She says, “I know for myself I always tick the offset air ticket not because I think that absolves me of any guilt from flying and the impact I’m having but it’s more like market research for them, like who cares - For me ticking carbon offset, it’s a vote that I care”. From this I believe that Carbon Offsetting is a successful management tool as the money is going towards important facilities such as solar panel gardens as outlined on the Splendour in the Grass website but it is also an indication of the cultural movement and change in attitude towards wanting better for the environment. The case study by Sound Emissions provides an evaluation of the effectiveness of this key management strategy - Carbon Offsetting. The case study mentions a goal of Splendour organisers to offset 100% of unavoidable travel related carbon emissions. The major outcomes of this 4 year effort is 2,814 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions being offset and $85,600 being invested into renewable wind energy projects such as the Solar Gardens within the local community. Despite the data being dated these efforts demonstrate effective strategies and major progress in the carbon offsetting management strategy and are important as it is still being used today.
Environmental concern has been at the forefront of attendees, organisers and artists minds for as long as festivals have been in Australia as evidenced by the Aquarius Festival. Responses from one of the early attendees Sue Crompton highlights discussions about sustainable living and other relevant topics, this facility has followed through in the shape of the ‘Science Tent’ hosted by Splendour. The Science Tent (Fig 10.) hosts an informative forum for topical discussions on contemporary issues such as climate change and pill testing. This demonstrates the evolution to more formalised discussions on environmental change.
Responses from attendee Sophie George highlight a number of the most prominent management strategies such as return and earn cups, sustainable food packaging, appropriate waste disposal bins and recycled water in toilet and restroom facilities. These strategies are reinforced by my survey results (Fig 11.) that also mentioned appropriate recycling facilities and plastic free dining options as being two of the most evident management strategies for attendees.
All of the management strategies mentioned and more are explained in detail throughout my questionnaire conducted with Claire Kehoe. As an organiser of Falls Festival she was able to provide me with reliable and reputable information to incorporate into my discussions and assisted me in proving or disproving statements made in other sources.
Claire states that it is predominantly the organisers that are responsible for the management strategies but that attendees and artists have to maintain a care for land as well reinforcing statements made by Sophie George (attendee) and Emily Lubitz (artist). We can prove that the attendees are maintaining responsibility through my survey results (Fig 12.) in which the vast majority of respondents answered “Yes” when posed the question, “Do you take precautions to recycle your waste correctly at festivals?”.
Another prominent waste issue as mentioned in a number of other sources such as the Triple J article by Ange McCormac and article by Independent Australia, is the waste left behind by campers (Fig 13.) Other articles outlined the wasteful culture and attitude around the campsite. Often in the rush to get out the morning after attendees leave their tents and other belongings behind, this generates more waste and highlights the negative consumer culture. Claire outlines the management strategies in place to combat this issue. All tents left behind are donated to local scouts who reuse them or they are used to make shade cloth for the next festival.
Evaluation
Research Process and Recommendations
The Senior Geography Project is a three stage investigation including a proposal, a research period and a final presentation.
The significant size of the investigation means it is essential time is used most effectively. Time management is essential to ensuring the full potential is reached. I struggled with time management, however I found that having the task broken up into three parts made keeping on track and staying focused much easier.
I recommend getting started immediately when receiving the task. To hold yourself accountable weekly progress goals could be set to ensure you don’t fall behind and achieve the best possible results.
Begin brainstorming primary sources and contacting individuals or companies etc that you wish to seek information from as early as you can to allow time to prepare, conduct and synthesize data. Contact as many people as possible to have the best chance of receiving the most useful responses. For example, my survey was sent to students and posted as QR code to teachers early enough for me to get a substantial amount of data, however I was late to posting my QR codes in Byron Bay and Lennox Head. It was crucial to my investigation that I got opinions from locals to my study site and although I received some responses I believe there was opportunity for more and that could have changed the results.
The research part of the assessment was the hardest but the most exciting and rewarding for me. The proposal was my idea and my research was the investigation. I got to watch as my hypotheses were proved or disproved as my research deepened and the opinions of significant individuals came together.
Limitations and Successes
Throughout my investigation I was aware of bias throughout both my primary and secondary research methodologies. My articles provided me with some statistical analysis and also a range of opinions and concepts developed by others. I believe having a variety of opinions and statistical evidence enabled me to formulate my own opinions and justifications using the data. This diversity proves it was a balanced investigation. Responses from my interview and questions provided me with first hand experience in my field of study. The responses were constructed to respond directly to my aims and therefore were effective in answering my aim questions and proving or disproving my hypotheses.
Results from my survey are biased and based entirely on individual opinion and experience and therefore may potentially be unreliable. The majority of the respondents were not professionals in the field however they are local and so their opinion is valid and beneficial in understanding the impacts of festivals on the Northern Rivers and surrounding communities. To improve validity and reliability of my survey results I could have posted my surveys in public places earlier to gain a better response from the local community. To further my research I could have posted the survey in more towns such as Brunswick Heads, Mullumbimby and Ocean Shores and also to community Facebook pages. However the survey was essential to my study as it provided me with both qualitative and quantitative data through a series of open and closed questions. From this survey I was able to pull a variety of graphs to provide evidence and support my study.
Some sources such as the Environmental Impact Statement and articles including ‘Paradise Lost’ by Independent Australia were a few years old which means the data may be different presently. However, the statistics included and evaluated strategies gave me insight into the resulting damages of festivals and other kinds of practises that could help. I believe the sources are reliable as it includes quotes from reputable sources such as the Byron Shire mayor Simon Richardson and evaluations by qualified and knowledgeable people.
Overall my investigation was mostly successful. Though I had some sources that may not have been as current or some sources that were biased, they all contributed to my investigation. By being aware of the limitations of my methodologies I was able to manage and filter the information I received to complete a balanced, well-rounded study.
Conclusion
Upon synthesising my results and research I can conclude that I have completed a balanced investigation of the impacts of festivals economically, socially and environmentally on the Northern Rivers. Through the accumulation of several primary and secondary research methodologies has enabled me to evaluate both quantitative and qualitative data assisting in a well-rounded study. I proved 2 of my 3 hypotheses and believe the hypotheses I did disprove has led me to a more successful evaluation.
Bibliography
References
Part A:
Websites
“ELA Prepare Environmental Reports and Strategy to Manage Potential Indirect Impacts to the Adjacent Billinudgel Nature Reserve for Splendour in the Grass.” Eco Logical Australia, 10 Nov. 1970, www.ecoaus.com.au/news/keeping-australias-largest-music-festivals-in-tune-with-the-environment.
“Festival Statistics: Key Concepts and Current Practices.” UNESCO, 19 Feb. 2015, en.unesco.org/news/festival-statistics-key-concepts-and-current-practices.
“Figure 2f from: Irimia R, Gottschling M (2016) Taxonomic Revision of Rochefortia Sw. (Ehretiaceae, Boraginales). Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e7720. Https://Doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e7720.” doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.
Heritage, corporateName=Office of Environment and. “North Coast - Biodiversity.” NSW Environment, Energy and Science, 26 Apr. 2016, www.environment.nsw.gov.au/bioregions/NorthCoast-Biodiversity.htm .
Articles
Videos
Nimbin Aquarius festival - 2008, January 14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQokUwK1Ris
Part B:
- Arnold, Sue. “Byron Bay: Paradise Lost.” Independent Australia, 27 Jan. 2017, independentaustralia.net/environment/environment-display/byron-bay-paradise-lost,9966.
- The Devasting Waste Problem Behind Australia's Festival Circuit.” Coastal Waste Management, 27 Sept. 2019, coastalwaste.com.au/the-devasting-waste-problem-behind-australias-festival-circuit/.
- Green Music Australia, www.greenmusic.org.au/ .
- McCormack, Ange. “New Research Sheds Light on Waste Problem at Australian Music Festivals.” Triple j, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 26 June 2019, www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/waste-at-festivals/11249908 .
- “Splendour in the Grass: #SITG2021. Presented by Secret Sounds & Triple j.” Splendour in the Grass | #SITG2021. Presented by Secret Sounds & Triple j, splendourinthegrass.com/.
- “Wave Rock Weekender.” Wave Rock Weekender | Australia's Golden Outback, www.australiasgoldenoutback.com/event/wave-rock-weekender .
- Environmental Impact Statement (PDF)
- Case Study (PDF)