The sustainability of the Eco Festival Azores Burning Summer is based on the balance of three areas: Economic, Social, and Environmental. The organization looks at the environmental aspect as a priority and fundamental for success in the social and economic aspects.
“Concern with social, economic, and environmental issues is now central. It is important that festivals educate the public, partners, and society to help create new behaviors and adapt to the new legislation”
In 2023, the Festival will send, for the first time, the biodegradable waste produced at the event to the Eco Park on the Island of São Miguel. The Mechanical and Biological Treatment Center (TMB), recently inaugurated on the island of São Miguel, is the result of the fight against the incineration of waste promoted by the “Movimento Save the Island”, which includes ARTAC, the entity that organizes the Eco Festival Azores Burning Summer. The municipality of Ribeira Grande was the only one on the island of São Miguel that supported the cause, demanding the construction of the TMB.
AWARDS ACHIEVED BY AZORES BURNING SUMMER
- 2020 – Espírito Verde – Government of the Azores – Honorable mention in the category “Circular, Green and Blue Economy”
- 2021 – Espírito Verde – Government of the Azores – Regional winner in the category “Circular Economy, Green, and Blue”
- 2022 – Iberian Festival Awards – National winner in the “Best Contribution to Sustainability” category
CERTIFICATION – MORE SUSTAINABLE EVENT
In order to accurately assess the degree of sustainability of the Eco Festival Azores Burning Summer, the organization decided to submit the event to a rigorous monitoring process, which accompanied the festival from its planning to dismantling, and which allowed it to obtain the certification “Evento mais sustainable” awarded by SGS, the world leader in certification.
The Eco Festival Azores Burning Summer is the first event in the Azores to obtain the “Most sustainable event” certification. In addition to environmental issues, this certification also covers the areas of food safety, workplace safety, emergency measures, and social justice/equality, among others.
ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY
- more than 80% of the investment made in the Eco Festival Azores Burning Summer is directed towards local professionals and companies based in the Azores archipelago, thus contributing to the dynamization of the local economy. This stance reinforces the importance of public and private investment in Culture, highlighting its multiplier effect;
- establishment of partnerships with local companies;
- dynamization of the local economy through consumption carried out by the festival’s public in the geographical area where it takes place, with special emphasis on catering, accommodation, transport, and tourist activities.
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
- 50% of the event’s programming hours are free to access (cinema, ecodesign, electric vehicles, land art, DJ sets, concerts, jam sessions);
- integration of young people from the local community into the festival’s production team;
- integration of local musicians and DJs in the festival’s programming;
- development of actions that allow greater interaction between locals and visitors. We believe that the success of tourism lies in the interaction of tourists with local communities;
- promotion of gender equality: in all editions, female artists are invited to perform on the 3 stages of the event. About 50% of the team of collaborators at the event is made up of female elements;
- fight against homophobia, xenophobia, and racism: the organization of the festival favors competence and is committed to “breaking down” any form of devaluation, injustice, or discrimination that may occur at the event;
- salary justice: the payment of fees follows the values practiced in the market and agreed upon with service providers. The organization rewards employees based on their performance and dedication;
- inclusiveness is another distinguishing factor of the event. The access and comfort of the elderly, people with reduced mobility, couples with children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers, was facilitated by the organization, through the correction and improvement of the floor of the access ramp to the enclosure and the creation of a rest area in a higher area, with good conditions to watch the shows.
HABITAT Community Program
The HABITAT program aims to strengthen the feeling of belonging and the taste for the place where you live, through the appreciation and preservation of history, experiences and traditions, cultural and natural heritage.
In a collaboration between Okeanos – Institute for Research in Marine Sciences, within the scope of the MONIPOL project, funded by the Regional Directorate for Fisheries, and the Azores Sea Observatory through the project “Conhecer para Deciding”, funded by the Regional Directorate for Science and Technology, the Azores Burning Summer brings to the parish of Porto Formoso the project “Marine Detectives – know the fish you eat”, with activities and games for the youngest. This initiative takes place on the 24th of August in the city of Ribeira Grande and is aimed at children in the first and second cycles who are part of the ATL network in the municipality of Ribeira Grande.
VIVE Community Health Program
With the aim of reinforcing the social responsibility of the event, strengthening ties with the local community, and encouraging individuals to become active and responsible agents for their health, the Azores Burning Summer Festival is once again committed to the health program community – VIVE. This second edition will take place from the 7th to the 13th of August, aimed at the entire population of the island of São Miguel and, in a special way, at the population of Porto Formoso. All programming is free of charge and has been carefully selected, according to 3 lines of action:
- Promotion of Health Literacy, through the promotion of workshops in the area of nutrition, complementary medicine, and integral psychology;
- Promotion of Physical Activity and Combating Obesity, through changes in eating behavior and dynamization of activities that promote physical exercise, such as functional training classes;
- Promotion of Mental Health & Personal Development, through experiential and self-knowledge activities (such as the Theater Laboratory – called “Trincar a Terra”), as well as the development of body-mind therapies, namely yoga, pilates, and movement meditation sessions.
The Community program has the support of the Porto Formoso Parish and Parish Council and runs from the 7th to the 13th of August at the Social and Parish Center of Porto Formoso.
August 7 (Monday, registration required)
- 17:00 Reiki as complementary medicine
- 7:00 pm Functional training
August 8 (Tuesday, registration required)
- 17:00 Ken Wilber and the Integral Life Practice: Mind-Body
- 7:00 pm Hatha Yoga
August 9 (Wednesday, registration required)
- 17:00 Coaching & Highly Sensitive People
- 7:00 pm Hatha Yoga
August 10 (Thursday, registration required)
- 17:00 Theatrical Lab: Cracking the Earth
- 7:00 pm Qigong
August 11 (Friday, registration required)
- 17:00 Theatrical Lab: Cracking the Earth
- 7:00 pm Functional training
August 12 (Saturday, registration required)
- 9:00 Pilates
- 10:00 Yoga for Kids
- 11:00 Live Food
- 15:00 Theatrical Laboratory: Cracking the Earth
August 13 (Sunday, upon registration)
- 9:00 Zumba
- 10:00 Mobility
- 11:00 Vegetarian Showcooking
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
We introduce, test, and promote green measures.
We reflect, reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle.
The organization of the festival aims to avoid waste and promote changes in consumption habits, with the greatest goal to be achieved being the awakening of collective ecological awareness.
ECOLOGICAL PROGRAMMING/SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
Eco Talks
Debate panels around socio-environmental issues, with the participation of political leaders, representatives of associations, activists, and specialists. The debates take place in partnership with RTP and Antena1 Açores.
Electric vehicle exhibition
Exhibition of brands and models of electric and hybrid vehicles, with the aim of raising public awareness of the environmental and economic advantages of electric mobility.
Eco market
Ecodesign and natural products fair. It is a space for interaction/networking between participants, the local community, and tourists.
Outside cinema
In order to open doors to reflection, the selection of films aims to promote changes in behavior and raise public awareness of social and environmental issues. The sessions take place outdoors on Moinhos Beach, on the 23rd and 24th of August, the films “Entre Ilhas” by Amaya Sumpsi and “Cesária Évora” by Ana Sofia Fonseca will be shown.
Landart
Throughout the editions of the Festival, several artists were invited to create land art installations in different locations on the island of São Miguel. The luminous installation “Burning Love” appears over Praia dos Moinhos and was thought of as a permanent symbol of the Festival.
Capacity control
The festival organization established as maximum capacity the equivalent of 2⁄3 of the public allowed by law, depending on the area of the venue. This posture is reflected in the comfort and safety of the public, as well as in the improvement of access to the venue and in the fluid use of the sanitary facilities, bar, shops, restaurants, and other social areas of the event. This bet has been highly praised by the Festival’s audience.
Compensation measures for the Ecological Footprint and Environmental Conservation
The Organization of the Azores Burning Summer, together with the Municipality of Ribeira Grande and the Parish Council of Porto Formoso, has been carrying out a series of interventions with a view to conserving the Parque dos Moinhos and surrounding trails and improving the quality of the area where the Burning Summer takes place. event. In 2022, the main venue of the event underwent interventions, installing several irrigation points, electrical supply infrastructure, collecting rainwater, improving the drainage system to prevent erosion, combating invasive species, and planting trees and endemic species.
Dissemination of environmental measures
Over the years, the Azores Burning Summer organization has publicly shared its experience in implementing various ecological measures. In 2022 we draw attention to the need to standardize the type of reusable cups in small, medium, and large events held in the Autonomous Region of the Azores. More specifically, we sensitize organizations to:
purchase only 50CL reusable cups with a scale of capacities, applying the deposit/refund system;
recover the glasses at the exit of the event;
allow in cups from other events to maximize reuse.
Waste prevention
- we consult with all suppliers to reduce waste at source;
- we forecast and identify the waste generated so that we can properly plan the type and location of eco points;
- we reuse and recover materials used in previous editions.
Communication
- we favor digital communication;
- we have restricted advertising within the enclosure in support of the ‘Zero Visual Noise’ policy;
- all event signage and information materials are resistant and reusable;
- the production of physical materials alluding to the event is reduced to the essential. Promotion sites are
- selected to optimize the investment made and increase the effectiveness of communication.
Club Makumba > Womex 22 < Teatro Tivoli BBVA – 20221019Technique/Energy
- we banned the use of internal combustion generators (fossil fuels);
- the supply of electricity is carried out, exclusively, through download, from the public electrical infrastructure installed on site, to privilege the use of renewable sources available in the network during the night period;
- the stage faces south to reduce the impact of noise on existing housing;
- sound tests are performed and limited sound pressure to protect the public and reduce the impact on existing housing;
- the distribution of electrical energy, communications, and audio takes place in permanent and distinct underground networks;
- the water provided for the bar and restaurant services are heated in electric cylinders, maximizing the use of energy from renewable sources available on the network during the night period;
- priority is given to the use of efficient equipment with low energy consumption, such as LED lighting;
- we opted for renting structures and equipment instead of buying them.
Accessibilities/Transports
- we make the public aware of sharing and optimizing transport;
- we provide two free car parks, located 1km and 2km from the enclosure, to reduce traffic and improve air quality during the event;
- encouraging the use of public transport;
- incentive to “Car Sharing”;
- encouraging pedestrian mobility;
- we provide a free shuttle service (round trip) between the car parks and the venue;
- we promote the optimization of transport for artists.
Waste Management
- we ban cups, bottles, straws, straws, plastic tableware, and other disposable materials;
- we provide reusable cups, purchased at the festival with the possibility of a refund;
- we allow the entry of reusable cups from previous editions or other events, as long as they have a capacity equal to 50 CL and capacity scale;
- we raise awareness of the return of reusable cups to avoid purchasing new cups;
- in bars, we favor refill systems instead of drink packaging;
- coffee sugar is served in dispensers, replacing sachets;
- water is sold in reusable cups and comes from water dispensers;
- only bio-compostable materials are used in the catering, such as plates made from wheat bran, sugar cane, or paper, cutlery made from certified wood, and recycled napkins;
- we banned the use of tablecloths to avoid waste;
- we introduced Ecopoints for the selective collection of paper, plastic, metal, and organics;
- we separate the organic residues and send the local anaerobic to a bio digestion unit for the production of biogas (renewable energy source) and subsequent transformation into organic compost;
- we provide individual portable ashtrays free of charge;
- we favor the use of sisal rope (organic material) instead of plastic clamps;
- donation of bar and restaurant surpluses.
ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS ACHIEVED
- Zero Waste / Zero Visual Noise
NEW ENVIRONMENTAL TARGETS
- Zero Beatas / Car Sharing
GENERAL INFORMATION AZORES BURNING SUMMER
Music, cinema, debates, ecodesign, electric vehicles, land art, health, and community actions are the ingredients that make this eco festival the perfect combination between nature and its audience.
For 4 days, around 60 regional, national, and international artists take to the festival’s three stages. Together they contribute to defining the musical identity of the event, which exudes world music, soul, jazz, dub, funk and other styles of black music. The musical direction results from the partnership between Filipe Tavares, founder and director of the Festival, and Adrian Sherwood, host of the event.
On Moinhos Beach, the MOINHOS REVIVAL program takes place, which aims to rescue the spirit of an era where freedom, friendship, and the cult of good music lived side by side on that beach. The programming, with free access, extends over four days on PALCO NOS with open-air cinema, Dj sets, and concerts that end in jam sessions that connect guest musicians with local musicians. On the last dawn of the festival, the public is invited to go down to the beach to witness the fire installation “Burning Love” and contemplate the sunrise.
In Moinhos Park, the main attractions of the poster are active. The sloping lawn forms a perfect natural amphitheater, the result of the environmental recovery that has been promoted by the festival organization over the years. In the interval between concerts on the Main Stage, the public heads to the tent set up on top of the lawn to watch the DJ set on the Tropical Stage. Music and fun are constant.
For more information about the schedule, visit azoresburningsummer.com
According to CISION, the Azores Burning Summer is the musical event in the municipality of Ribeira Grande with the greatest media projection, having registered a record value of 19.3 million impressions (cumulative audience) and an equivalent value in advertising (AVE) estimated at 532 thousand euros. This is a clear sign of the return on investment that has been promoted by the Municipality of Ribeira Grande, the Government of the Azores, and other sponsors.
PROGRAM
AUGUST 23 (Wednesday, free access)
Praia dos Moinhos
- 20:00 DJ Set – Las Mákinas
- 22:00 Cinema on the Beach – “Between Islands” by Amaya Sumpsi
- 00:00 End
AUGUST 24 (Thursday, free access)
Praia dos Moinhos
- 20:00 DJ Set – Zelecta
- 22:00 Cinema on the Beach – “Cesária Évora” by Ana Sofia Fonseca
- 00:00 End
AUGUST 25 (Friday)
Praia dos Moinhos
- 16:00 DJ Set – Tweet Tweet
- 18:00 Moinhos Revival by Duo Atlântico & Isa B
- 20:00 End
Parque dos Moinhos
- 20:00 DJ Set – These Skies
- 21:30 Club Makumba
- 22:30 DJ Set – Isilda Sanches
- 23:30 Selma Uamusse
- 00:45 DJ Set – Mesquita & Laura
- 01:45 Arp Frique
- 03:00 DJ Set – Milhafre
- 04:00 End
AUGUST 26 (Saturday)
Praia dos Moinhos
- 16:00 DJ Set – Nex
- 18:00 Moinhos Revival by Manel The Island Man & Friends
- 20:00 End
Parque dos Moinhos
- 20:00 DJ Set – Galopim + Quaresma / Antena 1
- 21:30 Filipe Karlsson
- 22:30 DJ Set – New Major
- 23:30 The Legendary Tigerman
- 00:45 DJ Set – Resident – Adrian Sherwood
- 01:45 Mirror People
- 03:00 DJ Set – Pedro Tenreiro
- 04:00 End
Praia dos Moinhos
- 04:00 “Burning Love” Fire installation at Praia dos Moinhos
- 06:00 End
TICKETS (online)
From the 15th to the 30th of June – General Pass €25 / Daily tickets €15
TICKETS (online / points of sale)
From the 1st of July to the 24th of August – General Pass €30 / Daily tickets €20
TICKET OFFICE (festival premises)
August 26th and 27th – Daily tickets €25
Online sale: azoresburningsummer.com / seetickets.com
Selling Points:
- Ribeira Grande: DE’Quina (Municipal Market)
- Porto Formoso: Moinho Terrace Café
- Ponta Delgada: Solmar Bookshop
Always confirm with the concert hall or promoter the conditions of access, confirmation of the date or time, tickets place of sale, price, and availability.
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