Fossil Fuel-ed Fame: The Environmental Impact of Stadium Tours
The Eras World Tour is now in full swing, along with many other artists announcing tour dates, but how does the concert industry affect our planet?
The hype surrounding Taylor Swift and her Eras, now World, Tour has never been seen before. Ticketmaster crashed from the surge of fans eager to buy tickets, which according to Business Insider, are 2,321% more expensive than Swift’s Reputation Tour in 2018. Fans from all over the country, and the planet for that matter, flocked to the United States to watch their icon perform, showing up in record numbers. Through fans’ spending on hotels, restaurants, transport, etc. boosting the US economy, economic output related to the tour credited to Swift boosted the economy so substantially that the US Federal Reserve commented on the phenomenon.
Despite the record-breaking achievements of Swift, the tour, and her fans, many don’t consider how productions of this magnitude truly damage the environment. We can’t live in a world where we can’t do anything because we’re thinking about our climate impact, that’s not realistic nor fair. But what we can do is hold people accountable for their unnecessary actions contributing in great amounts to a global crisis, about Taylor Swift’s astronomical carbon emissions through private jet flights. In contrast, we can also praise and raise our expectations for people who innovate and make change, like with Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour which is carbon-neutral.
Stadium Concerts’ Impact on Climate
Stadium Concerts aren’t an easy feat, 50,000+ people packed into a stadium to spend hours reveling in the magic of their favorite artists’ shows. But with many attendees traveling from out of town, purchasing plastic water bottles and food packaging, and wearing outfits they bought for one-time usage in addition to the massive energy consumption by the show and noise and light pollution, these one-of-a-kind nights can quickly turn destructive to our environment.
In the U.K. alone, music-relating tour accounts for 85,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually. Think about what that figure would be in the USA.
It’s a difficult situation though, one dealing with financial inequities and inaccessibility. 0 to low-emission tour busses and planes are costly, and with touring expenses already being quite high, adding on another expense is challenging, especially to up-and-coming artists. But, for much more famous and well-established artists who could afford these climate luxuries, it’s not commonplace.
And concerning fans, they shouldn’t and can’t be penalized for just trying to have a good time, it’s ultimately up to the tour and the artist to make decisions that affect how fans spend their money and use resources.
Taylor Swift: Popstar and Polluter
At the heart of the controversy surrounding celebrities’ and influencers’ emissions is world-famous pop artist Taylor Swift. A UK-based organization, Yard, tracked celebrities’ private jet flights and ranked them by emissions, with Taylor Swift at the no. 1 spot. Yard’s study found that Swift’s total flight emissions for the year, 2022, were 8,293.54 tonnes, which is 1,184.8 times greater than the average person’s total yearly emissions. New outlets and critics were quick to jump on these statistics, and many condemned Swift’s disregard for the environment with her frequent flying.
In response to these comments, a spokesperson for Taylor Swift provided the following statement to Buzzfeed News the day after the Yard analysis came out: “To attribute most or all of these trips to her is blatantly incorrect,” implying that Swift was lending her jet to others, who were the ones driving up her emissions. Even more backlash emerged from this statement, with many saying that “it’s Swift’s jet and she is responsible for its environmental output.”
With the heat from this initial controversy dying down and hype for the Eras Tour ramping up, another spokesperson for the singer had this to say to Insider about Swift’s emissions and the upcoming tour, “Before the tour kicked off in March of 2023, Taylor purchased more than double the carbon credits needed to offset all tour travel.” Insider was unable to independently verify this statement. In 2023, when the credits were supposedly purchased, credits cost between $40-$80 per metric ton of CO2 to be offset, according to Terrapass. However, the Washington Post found that companies selling these credits overestimate their emission reductions, rendering Swift’s alleged attempts at climate cutback questionable.
The map above, from Insider, shows Taylor Swift’s flight history during this past year’s Eras Tour, split between her two different jets (indicated by color difference). Notice how most flights come from or fly to Nashville, the singer’s adopted hometown, meaning that following each city’s concert, Swift would fly back home until the next weekend when she had to perform in the next city.
Leg 2 of the tour begins in mid-October, meaning these back-and-forth flights are likely to restart, assuming her habits aren’t year-round. Swift, with immense money, fame, and power, put on what is projected to be the most successful, highest-grossing tour in history. What’s unfortunate is that someone of this caliber continues to behave and act in a way that shows no regard for the biggest threat to civilization, the climate crisis. Swift flies wherever she wants because she can, she has the money, the planes, and fans who would stand up for her no matter what. This culture of not holding idols accountable is toxic, especially when their actions affect everyone. We must be aware of our biases and know our worth and values when it comes to holding people accountable who need some sort of meaningful reaction from their biggest supporters to feel inclined to make a change. “Swifties,” as they call themselves, are one of the most dedicated fan bases, but with undying dedication comes undying defense, even of questionable doings of their idol. The time is now to take that “Swiftie-level” of support to hold Swift accountable for her emissions and push her to make a change for the better.
Coldplay’s revolutionary Tour
Among other artists such as Billie Eilish, Jack Johnson, and Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay is at the forefront of the future with environmental sustainability in the concert industry. Their Music of the Spheres Tour, which kicked off in 2022 has achieved a feat of climate accomplishments:
- CO2 emissions are down 47% from their previous 2016–17 stadium tour
- “66% of all waste from the tour has been diverted from landfills”
- 5 million trees, one per concert-goer, have been planted and supported to maturity by One Tree Planted
- All power and lighting from the show is supported by 100% renewable energy
- Each show has averaged 15kWh in power generated by in-venue solar installations, kinetic dance floors, and power bikes, producing energy to “power the C-stage performance each night and provide the crew with phone, laptop and tool-charging station”
- “3,770 meals + 73 kg of toiletries have been donated from tour catering to the unhoused and unsheltered”
- Coldplay’s tour has financially supported environmental organizations, including Sustainable Food Trust, Sea Shepard, ClientEarth, and more
Coldplay’s tour is something that has never been done before in the music industry, and sets a new, much higher standard, for the future of performing in an age of climate consciousness.
The Future of Stadium Tours
Music and concerts are integral pieces to the lives of millions, and there is no indication that this industry will be slowing down momentum. Artists are always announcing or going on tours, with a 2022 Pollstar chart estimating the Stadium-sector gross of $6.28 billion.
Artists like Taylor Swift and Coldplay have decades of experience in the industry, with considerable power, sway, and net worth. They represent opposite poles of a climate spectrum within the music industry, with Swift flying back to her house after every city and Coldplay using 100% renewable energy throughout their tour.
The climate crisis is beginning to manifest itself in never-before-seen ways, from hurricanes in California to temperatures topping 110 degrees for 31 straight days in Arizona. Stadium tours are already large emitters, and with some artists choosing to not take action, in the case of Swift worsening the emissions, we’re normalizing not taking action in a time where action is the only way to mitigate this global crisis. Coldplay, among others, is leading in the mission to change the norm around concert-going for the better. Strive to be like Coldplay, going against the grain and doing what you know is the right thing to do.
Y. D. P. T. (2022, July 9). Just Plane Wrong: Celebs with the Worst Private Jet CO2 Emissions. Retrieved September 23, 2023, from https://weareyard.com/insights/worst-celebrity-private-jet-co2-emission-offenders
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Durney, E. (2022, August 1). Taylor Swift Is Being Called Out For Refusing To Take Accountability After Her Rep Defended Her Private Jet CO2 Emissions By Saying That Her Plane Is “Loaned Out Regularly”. Buzzfeed.News. Retrieved September 17, 2023, from https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ellendurney/taylor-swift-private-jet-emissions-backlash
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Aswad, J. (2023, June 5). Coldplay’s ‘Music of the Spheres’ Tour Drastically Reduces Band’s Carbon Footprint, Sets New Standards in Sustainability. Retrieved September 23, 2023, from https://variety.com/2023/music/news/coldplay-tour-carbon-footprint-sustainability-green-1235632704/
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