The Jardín de las Delicias Festival, music in Spanish and the commitment to sustainability as a formula for success

The Jardín de las Delicias Festival is now an unmissable event in the Madrid and national scenes to welcome the new season. In what has been its most ambitious edition, it sold out for its two days, 23-24 September, offering music in Spanish and a new headliner, set to gain an increasingly important role from now on: sustainability.

The 40,000+ festival goers at venue not only enjoyed the music of almost 40 leading artists like Leiva, Taburete, IZAL, Rozalén, Marlon, Nil Moliner and Miss Caffeina, but also witnessed, and many of them participated in, the 18 measures promoted by Endesa as a sustainable sponsor; a clear sign of the festival's commitment to respecting the environment and to achieving an increasingly sustainable event.

The festival and Endesa's call to arrive by sustainable transport elicited an enormously positive response. The free electric bus shuttles from Moncloa to the festival grounds were always filled with music lovers willing to enjoy their favourite artists, the magic of Jorge Blass, and the world of sensations and fantasy that Pablo Méndez builds with his performances. And of the 100 free parking spaces offered to the first to arrive with their electric car (at 50 per day) not a single one was empty. 

There was also a commitment to zero plastic, with the use of recyclable cups and the sustainable bar, opened thanks to the agreement between Endesa and Vibra Mahou and where free drinks were given out by returning ten cups. As explained by María Lacasa, Endesa's brand and sponsorship director, "it is very exciting to accompany such a young audience through this sponsorship, with so much desire to enjoy, to get excited about music and to do so with respect for the environment. We are extremely proud of being a part of all this, proposing ideas and making the path to sustainability easier not only for the festival but also for thousands of fans of culture and music."

However, it also means responsibility. "This year has been the beginning of our commitment. We have designed the most sustainable Jardín de las Delicias Festival to date, but we are already working to make the next edition even more so." This will be made easier with the audit to which the festival has voluntarily submitted by A Greener Festival, the world leader in sustainability of live music. The audit will also analyse the awareness-raising initiatives, such as the sustainability guide. Or any initiatives linked to the circular economy, how to try to give a second life to the waste generated or how to prioritise the rental instead of production of materials. "And if materials need to be made, they will be reused later, for example, by making sustainable merchandising with decorative canvases."

The correct treatment of grey and waste water, avoiding soil pollution and preventing lighting, taking care of the green areas in the venue and generating an accessible, diverse and inclusive space for all people are among the measures that have made this Jardín de las Delicias the most complete edition to date. And all this, says Lacasa, "with the firm intention of remaining close to society, of reaching people, especially the youngest, by creating unique experiences, respectful of the environment and that share a passion for culture, and live the emotion of music".