Josephina Bodimeade has helped festivals and their audiences green their operations since 2015. Now as Sustainability Manager at Shambala Festival, she shares her journey in this work, the successes and challenges and what keeps her motivated. Read her answers below:
1. What is the proudest sustainability achievement or moment of your career?
My collective of wild, young, eco-minded lunatics that swept campsites helping people tidy up, separate their recycling, and win prizes! I am Sustainability Manager at Shambala now, and honestly, on Monday afternoon after the show…. the campsites are almost spotless. It’s magic.
2. What was your worst ever sustainability-related decision, project or initiative and why?
Washing over 2,500 plates and bowls to avoid disposables at a recent event. By the end, I had become an untameable, deranged sink monster. But it was also really funny.
3. What are you excited about implementing this year?
I’m excited to offer prizes for people arriving at our festival in cars filled with 4 people. I’m getting branded medallions made of wood. Our current average-car-capacity is 3,08. So this would reduce cars on site by 1,200, and emissions by roughly 82 tonnes of CO2!
4. Which environmental issue do you most care about?
Food for sure. If abattoirs and industrial dairy farms had glass walls….
5. What sustainable change have you made in your personal life that you are most proud of?
Being vegan for 12 years is strong. I am also the most non-flyer-person I know…
6. What do you read, listen to or watch to stay in touch with green issues?
Outrage + Optimism: Climate Change Podcast hosted by the inimitable Christiana Figueres.
7. What is the most memorable live performance in your life?
Oosh, kinda impossible to say! Red Hot Chili Peppers supported by THE James Brown in 2006 was ultra-formative…. I was 18 and alone in London ‘AVIN IT.
8. Was there a moment you committed to taking action on climate change?
Boom Festival 2012. It’s such a deeply conscious event, I questioned so many things I’d taken for granted as a youth, and my life changed a lot afterwards.
9. What is the most important issue to tackle at your events?
Waste is the one we can probably influence the most. So we’ve removed almost all disposables (some zip ties still kickin’ about, obviously).
10. What do you think is the most significant challenge for the events industry becoming more sustainable?
Not being frightened of impacting ticket sales and upsetting customers – and still making big, bold sustainability choices.
11. Can you share something sustainable from another artist or event or company that inspired you to make a change?
The 1.5 Massive Attack gigs had electronic screens with information about the plant-based food. I want to do more at Shambala, even though we’re meat and fish free already!
12. What is the secret to your sustainable success?!
Always asking myself: if everybody did this thing….how would the world be different? I.e. if everyone dropped high street banks N O W, they would have no money to trade weapons or support fossil fuel extraction. The world would have to change instantly, and we could collectively tackle the biggest issues with our money votes!
13. Tell us something you feel positive about right now that relates to the environment
Innovation. I don’t wanna reply on technology to save humanity……buuuut big parts of me think it’s gonna have a LOT of work to do.
14. Tell us a book, film or recent article you feel others should watch/read and why about positive change?
Charles Eisenstein – The Yoga of Eating. It all comes back to our stomachs. Our tastes. Culture. Beliefs. When I realised implications of every meal, I linked all issues from food, land use, crops, resources, water, pollution and animal cruelty. Going plant-based is the biggest way to collectively reduce our huge human impact. Meat is so yesterday! (P.S. I appreciate some regenerative, local, wild-sourced is tonnes better).
15. Can you give people new to sustainability in events a top tip?
Enthusiasm is totally key.
16. What is the favourite festival moment of your career?
Managing a team of 100 Eco Warriors at Boomtown 2018, and smashing it! The campsites have, honestly, never looked so clear. We all made a huge impact on tent desertion and litter.
17. What habit or practice has helped you most in your personal journey in life?
Gratitude. Always gratitude. For the gifts we all-to-often take for granted.
18. Is there anything new or exciting you are planning or changing for the future that you can tell us about?
Nothing massive! But I am excited to see where the Green Events Code of Practice – made by event organisers for local authorities and supply chains
19. Will we save the world?
The world will be fiiiiine, she’s been through much worse!
20. What would your sustainable super-power be?
Getting everyone to immediately deeply feel the beauty of our planet, and so committing all activities and initiatives to supporting and not destroying her, at all. Job done.
Follow Josephina Bodimeade on >> LinkedIn
Visit Shambala’s website at www.shambalafestival.org/
This Q&A originally appeared in our July 2025 Vision for Sustainable Events newsletter. Sign up to receive monthly event sustainability news, case studies and guest blogs direct to your inbox.