Our Sustainability Journey

Every year we aim to bring you the best festival possible. For us, that also means making sure that the festival can continue for years to come without harming the environment or the contributors that make it happen.

In partnership with Grøn Festival, an organization that aims to help festivals take climate action, we defined the meaning of sustainability and our plans to measure the impact that we are having on the world around us. Introducing a sustainability checklist and talking with our vendors, partners, and contributors are only some steps we are taking to become a leading festival in Norway.

We aim to develop a community through which reducing our carbon footprint and remaining socially sustainable become subconscious aspects of our actions.

For more information on what we are doing to become more sustainable and to find out what you can do to help, read below.

⚡️ Energy

All the energy that will be used on-site will be operated by a hydroelectric power station in Rollag municipality, Rollag Energi, using renewable energy sources generated from waterfalls.

Our backup power generators use HVO-100 Fossil Free Renewable Diesel made from renewable raw materials that do not emit new carbon dioxide into the atmosphere – this saves up to 90% carbon emissions compared to regular diesel.

🥗 Food & Drink

Our dream is to serve food and drink that are good for the planet and good for the people that attend Monument Festival.

We will have several local vendors providing healthy and locally sourced food with a number of vegan, vegetarian, and carnivore options available. We hope that guests will take advantage of the on-site food and drink services and support the festival in this way.

🌳 Location

We are relying on our community to help us ensure the festival grounds are not affected by our footprint because we have been fortunate in meeting Helena and Kittil, the owners of the land we call our festival home. And we hope to continue this journey with them for years to come.

“Any kind of trash in the grass – a plastic wrap, a cigarette butt, snus or an aluminum can of a beverage- can be deadly if it gets mixed up in the grass and the animals would end up eating it. Luckily, this has never happened here, and we want to ensure it never will.”

– Farm Owners, Helena & Kittil

🚌 Transport

A shuttle bus with 50 passengers on the Oslo-Veggli route will emit 2.28 kg CO2 per passenger compared to a car with 4 passengers, emitting 8.67 kg CO2 per passenger (estimated 14.5 litres of petrol) on the same route.

Tickets for the shuttle bus are available here and more tickets will be added to meet demand.

We strongly encourage car shares and public transport if attendees are unable to use one of the provided shuttle buses. This is an awesome way to not only save the environment but create lifelong connections with other festival-goers.

🛠 Using, Re-using and Re-purposing – The Stage

We are re-using and re-purposing most of the materials from previous years – including decorations as well as art installations – and things that have been lying around without a purpose.

The stage is a wonderful collaborative thing, which was built from the trees of the local farm in 2021 and will be re-used again this year. Many people have come and put their mark on it, both locals and non-locals.

“Our neighbors were also wonderful and loaned us so many things, instead of us having to buy everything new. We have a close partnership with many friends and neighbors in terms of sharing tools, machines, resources, and favors. We don’t have to own everything ourselves, the best way through life is by sharing.”

– Farm Owners, Helena & Kittil

🛠 Using, Re-using and Re-purposing – The New Bar

One noticeable upgrade from previous years at Monument festival is that we decided to build our own bar instead of renting a mobile bar unit. This idea comes from our creative crew members that sees new potential in old materials that others see no use for. This mindset is a key factor in how we can continue to build a festival with as little impact on the environment as possible.

Building this bar is an act towards cutting down on our CO2 emissions. We do this by repurposing old materials and eliminating the need for transportation of a rented mobile bar-unit back and forth to the festival every year. Most of the wood used to build the framework, is reused wood from an old floating dock. These materials were meant to be thrown away by the owner, but we could not let that happen.

We also used wood from the farm and some new materials from the local shop. The walls are made from re-used corrugated metal. All this makes it so much more than just a bar. It gives it an identity that fits perfectly with the festivals focus on sustainability and care for the environment. This bar will serve us well for many years to come!

♻️ Waste Management

Unlike previous years, we will not print line-up posters or programs to hand out at the festival. We believe that going digital for the purpose of sharing information is a lot more efficient because it reduces our printing costs and the amount of single-use waste created for and during the festival.

We are also limiting our packaging use and replacing it with eco-friendly alternatives. Our partners are aware of these changes and are working hard to accommodate this. Despite our efforts, we are not yet in a position to go 100% plastic-free. Our chosen cups are 80-100% recycled and one way to avoid using so many cups at the festival is by bringing your own.

We also recommend everyone to bring their own cup or buy our original Monument Stainless Steel festival cup, which is available at the merch stand.

All general waste from the festival will be sorted and recycled at our waste management supplier Norsk Gjennvinning’s waste station – more information on the amazing work they do can be found here. And you can help too, by using the recycling stations placed around the festival area!

🌏 Sustainable Development Goals

By taking sustainability action at the festival we are contributing to solving the following UN Sustainability Goals:

What can you do?

We hope you will join us on our Sustainability Journey because there are many simple yet effective ways you can help!

🚌 Our shuttle buses are the best way to get to and from the festival grounds for many reasons, including their low carbon footprint and awesome social connections on board. Tickets for the shuttle bus are available here and more tickets will be added to meet demand. More information regarding the transportation options can be found here.

🥗 Another great way to join us on this journey is your food choices. By ordering from one of our festival traders you can be certain that all ingredients are fresh and locally sourced. And if your dietary needs allow it, join us in choosing vegan and vegetarian options.

💧 Don’t forget to bring your own cup and water bottle!

♻️ Our festival is on the most beautiful grounds, and we want to ensure that they stay this way after the festival. This is where you come in! During your time at the festival, we ask that you throw away all rubbish into the designated waste areas and bins provided.

🌍 Monument is part of a growing Techno community. Perhaps you’re interested in volunteering and making new friends, or you are searching for a way to get your foot in the world of Techno? Come and say hello to the volunteers and festival leaders when you arrive at the festival – get to know the team, the family, and the owners of the farm! Let’s connect 🙂

If you have any suggestions or ideas about how the festival can improve its sustainable development efforts, send us an email

See you in the Forgotten Valley! 🌿