In collaboration with the Municipality of Haarlemmermeer, Recreatieschap Spaarnwoude, and ID&T Group, Mysteryland will enter a new phase of sustainable planning in its 30th anniversary year.
As of next year, approximately 80% of the festival’s power consumption will consist of green grid power, while the remaining 20% will mainly consist of flexible, sustainably generated energy.
Milan Raven, managing director of Mysteryland: “We are extremely proud to take this important step forward together with the other parties involved and hope this will inspire other organisers to do the same. This effort fits perfectly with our recent signing of the Green Deal Circular Festivals, which focuses on sustainable innovation and in which we have promised to work hard to become more circular and climate neutral in the future.”
Marja Ruigrok, councillor for Economic Affairs, Traffic & Transport and Culture Haarlemmermeer: “Haarlemmermeer and Mysteryland both strive for innovation and sustainability. Local, green electricity and a mighty beautiful festival – that sounds like music to the ears of Haarlemmermeer!”
The green grid power that will fuel Mysteryland from 2023 will be supplied by the local energy company Tegenstroom, which is fully owned by the Municipality of Haarlemmermeer. Tegenstroom supplies 100% locally generated solar power produced by entrepreneurs in the Haarlemmermeer region. One of them is the neighbouring entrepreneur Jos Koeckhoven, whose land has been part of Mysteryland’s campsite for years. Mysteryland and its partners have devised a special plan to supply energy to the festival, with electricity cables being dug deep into the ground. At the places where a lot of power is needed, such as the various main stages, underground wells have even been constructed. During the festival, containers will be placed on these wells, which will work similar to large-scale power sockets, fed with solar power from neighbours.
A festival initiative on this scale is not only unique for the Netherlands, but is exceptional for the rest of Europe as well. Mysteryland’s campsite will be used as a ‘testing ground’ for new forms of sustainable energy, for which the festival will collaborate with innovative startups.
Andrea van de Graaf, director of Tegenstroom: “The fact that we, as a small local energy company, can supply solar power to such a large festival almost feels unreal. Truly green, truly local. Hopefully, other festivals will soon follow!”
Elise Bos Eyssen, programme manager at Recreatieschap Spaarnwoude: “Spaarnwoude Park has enjoyed working with Mysteryland for years already. We are extremely happy that we, together with the other parties involved, can contribute to a more sustainable festival and substantially lower CO2 release. With this, we take our responsibility for current and future generations.”
To make Mysteryland more sustainable, all parties involved joined in on a six-year journey and have made a one-off investment that will provide a medium-voltage (or 10,000-volt) grid power supply. In addition to these investments, a grant from Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) was received to realise the project. The grant from the Demonstration Energy and Climate Innovation (DEI+) scheme is paid to companies that deploy innovative techniques to reduce CO2 emissions.
Besides its planned commitment to significantly reduce Mysteryland’s CO2 emissions, the world’s longest-running dance festival is one of the parties that signed the Green Deal Circular Festivals (GDCF) during Amsterdam Dance Event in October. This agreement encourages sustainable innovation within and collaboration between European festivals.
The goal of GDCF is for festivals to be largely circular and climate neutral by 2025, regarding energy, food, water, transport, and materials. This European festival pact is, among others, supported by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
