The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has launched a new fund that will help independent festivals implement more environmentally sustainable events.
The initiative is backed by an initial pledge of £40,000 from Ticket Tailor’s Earth Invest fund.
The AIF Sustainability Step Change Fund will generate capital to support AIF in working with its members to minimise their impact on the climate and to adopt more sustainable practices.
AIF members can initially make an expression of interest to benefit from the fund, or put themselves forward as part of a ‘coalition of the willing’ that AIF can work alongside to make meaningful and impactful change on this issue.
Part of AIF’s approach in this area will come from Vision For Sustainable Events’ recently released Show Must Go On Report and, in particular, the 30 Climate Actions For Events checklist, which will act as a framework for festivals’ climate transition plan.
Ticket Tailor is an independent ticketing platform based in the UK. In 2025, 68,000 event creators from over 100 countries issued more than 25 million tickets on the platform. Ticket Tailor is a certified B Corp, is carbon neutral and donates to climate causes every time a ticket is sold.
Earth Invest is Ticket Tailor’s dedicated environmental impact fund. A pool of capital has been set aside to support organisations, partners and initiatives that are driving sustainability improvements across the events industry.
This contribution from Ticket Tailor’s EarthInvest is a great launchpad for the fund and for the independent festival sector
John Rostron
AIF CEO John Rostron said: “AIF has worked hard over the years in an effort to raise awareness and improve practices among both music festival fans and promoters on this issue. With the Sustainability Step Change Fund, we can now take those efforts to the next level, providing pockets of financial support, new resources, skills and expertise directly to our members to enable them to facilitate real change. This contribution from Ticket Tailor’s EarthInvest is a great launchpad for the fund and for the independent festival sector.”
Ticket Tailor founder and CEO Jonny White said: “As a software provider and a B Corp, we have always taken responsibility for our own carbon impact, but are acutely aware that events themselves are a big strain on the planet's resources. That’s something we want to help address. Our AIF sponsorship is a big statement that we want to support events in their sustainability journey and, for many, that will require financial support, which our Earth Invest funding can provide.”
The AIF represents the interests of 170 UK music festivals. AIF festivals collectively sell more than 1.3 million tickets every year.
AIF member festivals include the likes of Arctangent, Bloodstock, GreenBelt, Mighty Hoopla, Deershed, Valley Fest, End of The Road, Notting Hill Carnival, Pitchfork London, Field Maneuvers, Shambala, We Out Here and more.
