Lollapalooza increased its commitment to supporting environmental causes on Wednesday (Jan. 24) with the announcement of a new partnership with the conservation organization Re:wild. Beginning with the Jan. 27-28 Lollapalooza India in Mumbai this weekend, the global festival with outposts in Chicago, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, France and Sweden will team with the group co-founded in 2021 by leading conservation scientists and actor Leonardo DiCaprio to support Re:wild’s efforts by sharing environmental education through Lolla’s messaging channels, as well as on festival grounds.
“In a moment when we need the world to come together to protect and restore nature as the most effective solution to the related climate and biodiversity crises, there are fewer greater convening forces than music,” said Wes Sechrest, Re:wild chief scientist/CEO in a statement. “We are excited for this partnership with Lollapalooza to bring visibility and support to the vital and urgent work of the communities and local organizations on the front lines working to ensure that nature thrives for the benefit of all.”
In addition to amplifying Re:wild’s messages on its social feeds, Lolla festivals will carve out spaces on their grounds for partners to speak directly to attendees, as well as supporting the organization’s projects with an as-yet-unspecified financial commitment. Lollapalooza has partnered with a number of environmental organizations to green the massive festival over the past three decades via the purchase of carbon offsets, free refillable water stations that have diverted millions of plastic water bottles from landfills, composting, recycling and food waste distribution and reusable cup programs among other efforts.
In a message to fans, festival co-founder and Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell and wife Etty Lau Farrell said, “Solutionists, join us! We are thrilled to partner with our new friends at Re:wild, as we too love the land, the water, and all living creatures. Their commitment to healing the world is directly in line with the environmental awareness roots that were planted in the infancy of Lollapalooza decades ago. And of course, we still respond to the call of the wild!”
The festival’s flagship American show, Lollapalooza Chicago, received the Illinois Sustainability Award in 2017 and in 2023 Lollapalooza Berlin was the nation’s first festival to be certified as sustainable according to international standards.
Among the efforts undertaken by Re:wild over the past three decades are protecting and restoring mangroves, tropical forests, oceans and other ecosystems, as well as helping indigenous peoples attain rights to their lands and reintroducing endangered species. Click here to find some helpful suggestions for ways you can Re:wild your fridge, campus and your life and here to read more about the Re:wild Lollapalooza partnership.
