U2 360° Tour: Committed to Being Environmentally Responsible

All I have to say is, "it’s about time"! Everyone needs to take part in being environmentally responsible. It’s really refreshing to see celebrities with so much money and power making a commitment to bettering our planet. The U2 360° Tour has committed to net zero emissions for their global tour. The producers of the tour, LiveNation, are in the works of producing the largest concert tour in history with an environmentally responsible policy.

The Environmental Advisor is a Minneapolis-based company Music Matters. Music Matters "...is dedicated to advancing sustainability and marketing in the music and entertainment business and working to leverage the power of music". Music Matters is a division of the consulting and marketing company, EFFECT Partners.

Music Matters is working with the production, venues, and U2 fans to reduce the environmental impact of the tour. Music Matters is setting up recycling programs, fans are encouraged to use Brita hydration stations to reduce use of plastic bottles, and the tour is offering fans a rideshare program so attendees can carpool.

Music Matters has also worked with Dave Matthews Band and Jack Johnson to reduce their carbon footprint during tours. I really commend these artists for their efforts. Hopefully bands like U2, Dave Matthews Band, and Jack Johnson will lead the way to a new standard of environmentally responsible touring.

The 2010 U2 360° Tour starts June 6 in Anaheim, Ca where they will play two shows at the Angels Stadium. The tour will begin in the United States and Canada then move on to Frankfurt, Moscow, Athens, Munich, Paris, Seville, and concludes in Rome on October 8, 2010.

Minneapolis will be lucky enough to have U2 at the new TCF Bank Stadium on June 27, 2010. Unfortunately, if you don’t have tickets yet you’ll have to search e-bay because they are SOLD OUT.

-Annie H.

U2 360° Tour: Committed to Being Environmentally Responsible