08 Jan Billie Eilish Eco-Friendly World Music Tour

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Millenials and Gen Z’s are going to save the world. Though, in all fairness, they’ve been forced to take the helm of a sinking ship, these respective generations are doing an eco-friendliness like society has never seen before. 

And it’s making some big waves.

The Hollywood Foreign Press made history on 5 January 2020, by serving the first plant-based menu at the Golden Globes. They announced that it formed part of their sustainability efforts, and that they were planning to go vegan for all five of their major award ceremonies.

This is proof that any brand, company or conglomeration can be earth-conscious on a macro scale.

I’ve attended my fair share of music festival that have recycling bins, utilise water-wise bathrooms and have cashless bar systems. What Billie Eilish is committing to do incorporates all of these elements and elevate them.  Though she won’t be making a turn in South Africa, Eilish’s ‘Where Do We Go’ tour that kicks off in March will bring eco-awareness to 40 different cities across 17 countries. 

“Our Earth is warming up and our oceans are rising. Extreme weather is wrecking millions of lives,” the 18-year-old eco-warrior shared in a video released last year. It’s going to take a great amount of effort to treat our current climate emergency, and Eilish is collaborating with non-profit organisation Reverb to create a concert model that best honours the planet. 

Plastic straws have been banned and concert-goers are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles. Each venue will have a dedicated eco-village where fans can attend seminars and demonstrations that cover the subject of conservation and going green.

The first international performing artist to make a statement about eco-awareness on such a grand scale, Billie Eilish is certainly setting trends that fellow musicians will follow. Most of the concert venues she will be performing at have a capacity of 20 000+. By simultaneously proving that many people can be catered for in an earth-friendly way while using the opportunity to educate her audience about the urgent need to practise conservation, Eilish is using her influence in a way no one has before. Glastonbury, Burning Man, Coachella, Rocking the Daisies etc, have all made their own efforts to be eco-friendly, but individual acts haven’t been so bold.

Billie Eilish is proof that it doesn’t take a hero to save the world, just a few brave souls willing to do the work.