Are Music Festivals Green? The Fight Against Greenwashing - A Case Study

Why Was This Article Written?

This article aims to show how to identify weak points in a narrative during protests and how to conduct a targeted information campaign capable of disarming the narrative on which supposedly “green” initiatives or events are based.

Note that the exact same analysis can be applied to other cases. It is possible to deconstruct hypocrisy and use a false narrative as a lever that begins to work against its creators. We are currently observing a repeat of this pattern with the Palm House in Łódź, a topic I will also address soon.

A question I leave for the readers: are actions effective thanks to handing out leaflets to random people and collecting likes on Facebook, or by showing the organizers the dangerous direction in which escalation will head? Especially if the city and local government officials position themselves as pro-ecological and promoting sustainable development…

The Initial Situation: December 2023

At the end of 2023, news spread through Łódź about the relocation of the Audioriver festival from Płock. Promotional materials showed drone flights over the historic Park na Zdrowiu (Józef Piłsudski Park), and local politicians—including Deputy Mayor Adam Pustelnik—boasted on social media about acquiring the largest electronic music festival in Poland. It was a great shock to everyone, as the decisions were, as usual, made in secret, and some journalists accused the Łódź City Hall and its subsidiary companies of failing to adequately secure the city’s, not to mention the residents’, interests.

The location was controversial from the start. Park na Zdrowiu is a historic green area of special historical significance. It is the resting place of participants of the 1905 Revolution, with a monument commemorating the victims. Some of the planned stages were to be set up in the immediate vicinity of this site of martyrdom, which raised additional ethical controversies. The park is also a haven for urban biodiversity and is located directly next to the Municipal Zoological Garden.

The plan involved bringing in heavy equipment (trucks), setting up several stages, and hosting tens of thousands of attendees over three days. Representatives of city-owned companies assured residents at meetings that acoustic tests had been conducted and the animals were not at risk. In their opinion, the event itself was fully legal and consistent with the park’s intended use.

Residents of the Montwiłł-Mirecki housing estate only learned about the planned festival after ticket sales had begun. A group called “Zielone Serce Zdrowia — Obrona Parku przed Audioriver” (The Green Heart of Zdrowie — Defending the Park from Audioriver) was formed, collecting over two thousand signatures on a petition.

Methodology: Reconnaissance and OSINT

I got involved in the case and began a systematic analysis of the entire process.

Organizer Reconnaissance

The first step was a thorough OSINT investigation of the organizer—Piotr Orlicz-Rabiega—his business connections, and all related companies. The analysis allowed for the creation of a risk map, including the identification of threads that could become significant if the conflict escalated. I am not publishing the details of this analysis, as the matter is closed for me.

Identifying the Narrative’s Weak Point

An analysis of the festival’s communication revealed what I believe to be the central element of its positioning: the #AudioriverGoesGreen tab on its website. The initiative included educational materials about ecology, climate talks, logos of well-known environmental organizations (WWF, Climate Coalition, Extinction Rebellion, Kupuj Odpowiedzialnie Foundation), and a widely communicated narrative about the event’s “sustainable” and “ecological” nature.

At the same time, I found an earlier statement by Orlicz-Rabiega to the press from about three years prior, in which he stated bluntly that Audioriver is not ecological, no large festival is, and talking about ecology in the context of festivals is hypocrisy.

This was crucial information. This discrepancy between the image, the declarations, and the earlier statements constituted a vulnerability in the entire narrative. It had to be exploited.

Verifying the “Safe for Animals” Claim

I made a phone call to the director of the Płock ZOO to ask how the festival sounds affected the animals and whether the event was a nuisance. The director, in a pleasant conversation, informed me that Audioriver did not significantly affect the animals.

However, it is worth noting the differences: the Płock ZOO is located differently in relation to the festival. The stages are set up on a beach, in the city center, and shielded by a bridge. In Łódź, the speakers were to be in the immediate vicinity of the zoological garden, partially directed towards it, and not separated by any barriers. The “acoustic tests” argument pushed by representatives of city companies (ZOO) was laughable, especially since a festival held in Łódź for the past two years has been quite disruptive for neighborhoods much farther away.

Actions Taken

Here is the timeline for the strategy’s implementation.

Correspondence with Environmental Organizations

On February 8-9, 2024, I sent official letters to all organizations whose logos were featured on the #AudioriverGoesGreen page:

The letters contained specific questions requiring clear answers: Did the organization confirm its involvement? What was its stance on its name being used? What actions was it taking? The questions were quite simple to answer.

The full text of the letter was as follows:

Dear representatives of Extinction Rebellion Poland, Climate Coalition, WWF Poland, Kupuj Odpowiedzialnie Foundation, and other organizations involved in the #audiorivergoesgreen project.

As a community deeply concerned about the protection of our environment and cultural heritage, we ask you to take a stand on the Audioriver festival, which is planned to be held in the historic Park na Zdrowiu in Łódź. This is an issue that arouses much controversy and emotion among residents and nature lovers.

Although Audioriver promotes itself as an ecological and innovative event, serious concerns arise about its real environmental impact. Based on available information, this festival may generate a significant carbon footprint due to participants traveling from different parts of the world, as well as lead to noticeable plastic pollution. Additionally, there is concern about the potential destruction of the historic park and its biodiversity, and the impact on the local zoo.

The festival organizer, Mr. Orlicz-Rabiega, has repeatedly spoken of Audioriver as an ecological event using innovative pro-ecological technologies in the context of #audiorivergoesgreen. Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge, these declarations are not supported by facts. We fear that this initiative was created after a statement from 3 years ago, in which Mr. Orlicz-Rabiega told a newspaper that Audioriver is not ecological, no large festival is, and talking about ecology in the context of festivals is hypocrisy. We do not question the right to educate participants about climate protection and ecology. However, ecology should not serve as a smokescreen for events that are not actually ecological, which raises suspicions of #greenwashing, or ecological manipulation.

Residents of the Montwiłł-Mirecki estate expressed their concern after learning about the planned festival when ticket sales began, revealing the event’s location. They fear the consequences of bringing heavy equipment into the park, building stages, and gathering thousands of people for three days. They also recall the historical significance of Park na Zdrowiu as the resting place of participants of the 1905 Revolution. The Facebook group ‘Zielone Serce Zdrowia - Obrona Parku przed Audioriver’ has collected over two thousand signatures on a petition opposing the organization of the festival in this location, emphasizing natural, historical, and wildlife impact issues.

Therefore, we ask for your position on this matter. We would like to know how you view the use of your organizations’ names as a cover for a controversial event. Do you confirm your involvement in the #audiorivergoesgreen project? What actions are you taking to ensure that this festival will be truly environmentally friendly and will not harm the historic Park na Zdrowiu and its inhabitants?

We eagerly await your response and actions that may contribute to the protection of our common natural and cultural heritage.

Sincerely, Maciej Lesiak

Information Infrastructure

Simultaneously, observing the algorithmic nature of Facebook where the Łódź City Hall and the organizer had a decided advantage, I created and maintained for two years a bilingual website, zielonesercezdrowia.pl, on my own servers. However, the informal organizers of the protest committee decided to conduct 100% of their communication through a Facebook profile and never used the website.

Nevertheless, the site was SEO-optimized and ranked increasingly higher in search results for phrases like “audioriver łódź” and “audioriver protests.” There was likely a real threat that by summer—the period when the festival was to take place—this bilingual site would be highly ranked, revealing to foreign attendees threads that the organizers would have preferred to hide from an international audience.

Visual Documentation

I filmed drone footage documenting all potential festival locations, including Park 3 Maja (which was considered as a second location). This footage allowed for a substantive critique of each proposed alternative.

Media Contact

I contacted, among others, the editorial team of Krytyka Polityczna, informing them about the withdrawal of support from environmental organizations and providing the evidence of greenwashing I had collected.

Reactions: A Chronology

February 12, 2024 — Kupuj Odpowiedzialnie Foundation (Ekonsument)

“I am writing to inform you that we are not a partner of this year’s edition of Audioriver and we have not given our consent to use our logo in the context of the location in Park na Zdrowiu. We have asked the organizer to remove information suggesting our cooperation on this event.” (translation from Polish)

— Katarzyna Salus, info@ekonsument.pl

February 12, 2024 — Climate Coalition

Public statement:

“The Climate Coalition is in no way collaborating with and is not a partner of the Audioriver 2024 festival. This means that it does not support or endorse the location of this year’s edition of the festival in the historic Józef Piłsudski Park.

The Climate Coalition’s collaboration with the Audioriver festival took place exclusively in 2021, when the festival was held in Płock.

The Climate Coalition agrees with the arguments of the local community and social organizations, which indicate that such an important place should not be the location for a mass music event. We do not support the choice of this location and wish to express our support for the social organizations protesting this location.” (translation from Polish)

February 12, 2024 — Extinction Rebellion Poland

Statement on Facebook and Mastodon:

“As Extinction Rebellion Poland, we support the appeal of Zielone Serce Zdrowia and the residents of Łódź to move the Audioriver festival from Park Na Zdrowiu to another location where it would be less harmful to people, nature, and animals.

Until this demand is met, we demand that the organizers of Audioriver remove the interview with our activists and any mentions suggesting that Extinction Rebellion Poland supports this festival from their website.

Thank you for giving us your platform for 3 years, but we do not want to serve as #greenwashing for an enterprise that harms nature and animals.” (translation from Polish)

February 13, 2024 — WWF Poland

“WWF Poland is not a partner of this year’s edition of the Audioriver festival in Łódź. Our involvement in the #audioriverGoesGreen project pertained to previous years. We do not authorize the use of our image in the promotion of the current edition in Park na Zdrowiu.” (translation from Polish)

— Agnieszka Veljković, WWF Poland

February 20, 2024 — Krytyka Polityczna

“Thank you for your message and information. We have published a second article, this time by Kasia Gauza on the same topic.” (translation from Polish)

— Dominika Wróblewska, Editor-in-Chief

Article: Techno nie przeszło po trupach? Czy to koniec kontrowersji wokół Audioriver (Did techno not walk over dead bodies? Is this the end of the controversy surrounding Audioriver)

Coincidences

As the media buzz around the environmental organizations’ withdrawals grew, interesting things began to happen. Purely coincidentally, of course.

The festival’s website was taken down. Even though ticket sales and promotion were in full swing. Just as the location became uncertain. All promotional videos filmed in Park na Zdrowiu disappeared from the internet. From Facebook, Instagram, and of course, the website. Traces of collaboration with environmental organizations on the #AudioriverGoesGreen page also vanished. Posts and materials regarding the planned event and the controversy with residents disappeared. They are, of course, available in services that archive website changes.

There was no official denial or explanation. One might say that someone was cleaning up very intensively to prepare for various potential scenarios being written somewhere in the subsidiary companies of the Łódź City Hall involved in the event’s execution and promotion.

On the Facebook profile of one of the organizations involved in the protest, the following post appeared at that time (March 12, 2024):

“Interesting that Audioriver Festival has removed all posts and promotional materials concerning the planned event in Łódź’s Park na Zdrowiu and the controversy with the city’s residents. (…) Fortunately, there are web archiving services online, thanks to which this content has likely been preserved. It is worth remembering that on the internet, information rarely disappears without a trace.” (translation from Polish)

The Finale: Mayor Zdanowska’s Statement

On February 12, 2024, Łódź Mayor Hanna Zdanowska published a statement:

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Residents of Łódź,

I do not consent to the organization of the Audioriver Festival in Piłsudski Park.

We want the Audioriver Festival to take place in Łódź—it is a development opportunity for the city, an undeniable brand, and a fantastic music event. However, in the case of Park na Zdrowiu, we have reached a point where we would be organizing this event against the will of some residents, and instead of a joyful celebration of music, we would have a celebration in the shadow of protests.

Over the past few weeks, I have been observing what has been happening around the festival. I saw that the issue was evoking ever-greater emotions. (…)

I apologize to the organizer and artistic director, Piotr Orlicz, and at the same time, I oblige all municipal units subordinate to me and the Łódź Event Center to fully cooperate in the realization of this undoubtedly needed enterprise for Łódź in a new location.” (translation from Polish)

It is worth noting the construction of this statement. The apology is directed at the organizer, not the residents. The responsibility for the “bad location” is shifted onto the protesters, who had no part in choosing it. The statement includes a commitment to find a new location for the festival—in other words, the city is apologizing to a company for the trouble caused by its own citizens.

New Lies in Place of Old Ones, to Be Continued?

Potentially, the case is closed. However, for a keen observer, analogous patterns are emerging in subsequent urban conflicts. For this reason, I decided to describe the actions I took anonymously in the background of the protest. I hope this will allow those who are starting to take action, whether they want to act openly in social media bubbles or more covertly, to choose the right strategy. Opening up additional possibilities by creating an asymmetry of knowledge. Perhaps a window of new opportunities will open soon…

The above description is a documentation of the actions I took as part of the protest against the organization of Audioriver in Park na Zdrowiu. I am not evaluating their effectiveness. I leave that to the readers. I wanted to show the methods.

We are currently observing an analogous situation regarding the Palm House in Łódź. The pattern is similar: a “green” or “pro-development” narrative as a cover, a lack of transparency towards residents, and ignoring voices of opposition. Activists still prefer collecting signatures and likes instead of analyzing the weak points of the opponent’s narrative. Meanwhile, the idea of a “event city” is being forced through.

What is significant is that, in the context of the Audioriver issue, we accomplished a huge amount of work on the side, mapping the techniques and networks of manipulation of recommendation systems by [redacted]. We pursued this topic for another 2 years, which resulted in an audit and a serious case involving the submission of notifications of potential law violations to one of the government offices. From the information I have, this case is currently being processed, and we are awaiting the results from the team investigating it. This is just one of the threads of the case, and unfortunately, I still have a problem with the fact that so-called activists do not understand what hurts the most…

Sources and Documentation:

• Statement by the Climate Coalition: https://koalicjaklimatyczna.org/oswiadczenie-w-sprawie-festiwalu-audioriver-w-lodzi/
• Article in Krytyka Polityczna: https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/miasto/techno-nie-przeszlo-po-trupach-czy-to-koniec-kontrowersji-wokol-audioriver/
• Personal correspondence with environmental organizations (Reference Nos. L.dz. 402-405/02/2024)
• Archival materials from website archiving tools of the Signal Dadalo Media editorial office.