Our top sustainable festivals to visit in 2026

More and more festivals in the UK are taking steps to reduce their environmental impact, from cutting single use plastics to running on renewable energy. While no large event is completely waste free, many are tackling the issue with meaningful sustainability initiatives that make a real difference.

Choosing a more eco friendly festival is a great place to start, but it’s not the only way to reduce your impact. The way you prepare for the weekend matters too. Packing low-waste festival essentials, like refillable dry shampoo, shampoo bars or reusable travel containers for washing your hair at the festival can help cut down on unnecessary waste without adding extra effort.

If you’re not sure where to begin, our guide to eco-friendly festival packing covers the basics, along with a full range of festival hair care essentials designed for travel.

And if you’re starting to plan your 2026 festival calendar, these are some of the best sustainable festivals in the UK to have on your radar.

Glastonbury Festival

Glastonbury Festival is one of the biggest festivals in the world, with roughly 200,000 attendees each year and stretching over 1,000 acres of land. Despite its size, Glastonbury is high up the list of eco friendly festivals when it comes to sustainability.

Its long-running “Love Worthy Farm, Leave No Trace” campaign encourages festival-goers to take responsibility for their waste and belongings, helping protect the land it’s held on.

The festival has banned the sale of single-use plastic bottles, introduced compostable food packaging, and even built an on-site recycling facility to manage waste more effectively. It’s also powered by renewable energy sources, including solar, wind and biofuels, and has invested in long-term environmental initiatives like tree planting and biodiversity projects.

Even with hundreds of thousands of attendees, Glastonbury shows that large-scale events can still take meaningful steps towards sustainability.

Shambala Festival

Shambala Festival is often considered one of the most eco-friendly festivals in the UK, and for good reason. Sustainability isn’t just part of the event, it’s built into everything they do.

The festival is powered by 100% renewable electricity, has reduced its carbon footprint by over 90%, and has been completely single-use plastic free for years. Food vendors are meat and fish-free, and all food waste is composted, creating a much more circular system. They promote clear transparency with their sustainability efforts, with in-depth information in their 2024 impact report.  

They also actively encourage greener travel options and reusable systems across the site, making it one of the best examples of what a truly sustainable festival in the UK can look like.

Green Man Festival

Green Man Festival, located in the Brecon Beacons in Wales, has built sustainability into its ethos, with a strong focus on protecting the natural landscape the festival calls its home.  

This sustainable festival runs on renewable energy where possible, uses biofuels to power generators, and prioritises locally sourced food and drink to reduce food miles.

They have also paired with ‘Red Fox Cycling’ to promote cycling travel to the festival, alongside a powerful ‘can’t take it home’ scheme. Green Man works with charities to offer drop off points around the festival for unwanted camping equipment or food, that will then go to refugees around the world. 

Its setting in a national park adds an extra level of responsibility, and the festival consistently promotes a “leave no trace” mindset among its festival goers.

We Out Here Festival

We Out Here Festival is a great example of a smaller, independent festival taking a thoughtful approach to sustainability across the whole experience.

One of its biggest achievements as a sustainable festival is its waste management system. Working with A Greener Future (AGF) in 2023, the festival has sent zero waste to landfill, focusing on reducing, reusing and recycling wherever possible. Traders are encouraged to use compostable serveware, and waste is carefully sorted on site.

Set within rural Dorset, the festival also works to protect its surroundings, from reducing light pollution to supporting local wildlife. Alongside this, initiatives like shuttle buses, car share incentives and reduced single-use plastics help lower its overall impact.

Together, these efforts make We Out Here a great option if you’re looking for a more consciously run, eco friendly festival.

Green Gathering Festival

If you want a festival where sustainability isn’t just a feature but the entire focus, Green Gathering might be one of the best examples of a sustainable festival in the UK.

This off-grid festival runs on 100% renewable energy, with solar powered stages and a strong emphasis on low impact living. It also promotes vegetarian food, compost toilets, and hands-on workshops around sustainability, from upcycling to permaculture.

In a recent study, Green Gathering festival attendees often say how Green Gatherings focus on environmental impact inspires them to change their habits and outlook on sustainable living.

Unlike larger commercial festivals, Green Gathering is designed to actively show what a low waste, environmentally conscious festival can look like in practice, making it a great addition for festival goers who want something more intentionally eco led.

Knockengorroch Festival

One of the niche sustainable festivals on this list, Knockengorroch Festival is set in a remote valley in southwest Scotland and takes a grassroots, land first approach to sustainability.

The festival is completely single-use plastic free, with traders and attendees encouraged to avoid disposable materials wherever possible, alongside on-site recycling and compost toilet systems. 

It also puts a strong emphasis on low-impact travel, offering shuttle buses, incentivising lift sharing, and even pricing tickets to encourage fewer cars on site.

Stages and structures are also often built from locally sourced natural materials, and the festival actively educates attendees about the surrounding ecosystem through workshops, talks, and partnerships with environmental organisations.

Set within a UNESCO designated biosphere and dark sky park, the festival is designed to work with its environment rather than against it. This makes it a great choice if you’re looking for a more grassroots, nature focused sustainable festival.

Boomtown Fair

The Hampshire based festival Boomtown has made significant strides in recent years to become a more environmentally responsible, eco-friendly festival.

The festival has introduced reusable cup systems, improved recycling infrastructure, and committed to reducing single-use plastics across the site. It also focuses on public transport incentives, encouraging attendees to travel by coach or train rather than by car.

With ongoing improvements and a clear focus on reducing their environmental impact, Boomtown is a great example of how larger festivals can move towards more sustainable practices before and after the festival. 

No Music On A Dead Planet: why it matters

Alongside specific festivals taking steps to be more sustainable, there’s also a growing movement across the music industry for wider environmental action. One of the most recognisable is No Music On A Dead Planet, led by the charity Music Declares Emergency.

This campaign and charity brings together artists, festivals and fans to raise awareness of the climate crisis and encourage their community to take action. Their message is simple, without a healthy planet, the music, culture and communities we love simply wouldn’t exist.

The No Music On A Dead Planet has gained a lot of traction within festivals themselves, becoming increasingly visible thanks to festival goers and artists. From merchandise and endorsements to on-site activations and conversations, it helps bring sustainability into the festival experience itself rather than treating it as an afterthought.

With thousands of artists and industry professionals already involved, and a growing community of music fans taking part, it’s a reminder that real change comes from both the events we attend and the actions we take as individuals.

Choosing a sustainable festival in a nutshell

Whether you’re heading to a huge event like Glastonbury or a smaller independent festival, sustainability often comes down to both the organisers and the people attending. Look for festivals that prioritise renewable energy, actively reduce single use plastics and make it easy for its attendees to be low waste and environmentally conscious.

And just as importantly, bring your own eco-friendly festival products, pack consciously, and take everything home with you. 

Pairing the right sustainable festival with a more conscious packing approach, like choosing reusable hair care and low-waste travel essentials and keeping your festival beauty zero waste can also help make your overall experience much more sustainable from start to finish. Because even the most sustainable festivals rely on collective effort to make a real difference.