photo_cameraBryonie Matthews
Festivals
AIF Appoints Sustainability Advisor for UK Festivals
The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has appointed Bryonie Matthews as Sustainability Advisor as part of a new programme aimed at helping independent UK festivals improve their environmental performance ahead of the 2027 season.
The appointment marks the first time the UK festival trade association has introduced a dedicated sustainability advisory role.
Matthews will support members through Step Change, a new initiative designed to help independent festival organisers implement practical environmental improvements.
Step Change aims to make established sustainability strategies more accessible to independent festivals, many of which face financial and staffing constraints when introducing environmental measures.
AIF represents 150 UK music festivals, whose combined annual ticket sales exceed one million. The association hopes the programme will encourage collective action across the sector, allowing festivals to share knowledge, resources and proven solutions.
Experience Across the Festival Sector
Matthews has worked with organisations and events including The Earthed Collective, Shambala Festival, Kendal Calling and Hope Solutions. Her work focuses on turning sustainability objectives into practical measures, particularly through education, circular economy approaches and collaboration.
Commenting on her appointment, Matthews said:
"As an industry we’ve had incredible frontrunners researching, leading the way, testing solutions, and sharing knowledge for a long time - we know what works, and what needs to happen. Next is to make sure everyone has an equal understanding of, access to, and confidence in the strategies that exist."
She added: "The Step Change programme offers the blueprint for a just transition in our industry, allowing us to scale the reach of proven climate strategies and activate as a collective."
Practical Support for Independent Festivals
AIF CEO John Rostron said the initiative would help festivals take environmental measures they have previously struggled to implement because of limited resources.
"We’re delighted to welcome Bryonie to AIF, embedding sustainability not only into our team, but also offering our member festivals hands-on support to shift things forward that they’ve wanted to do but been too lacking in resource to deliver."
The programme comes as festival organisers face increasing pressure to address the environmental impact of live events while managing rising operational costs.