MAD COOL FESTIVAL is an experience that has already welcomed more than seven hundred thousand people throughout all its editions and that´s why it's our responsibility to create a festival, as sustainable as possible, so that in the future we can continue enjoying our festival together.
That’s why we’re working towards reducing our impact and putting together a sustainable event. We know we have a long way to go, but it’s our duty to make it happen.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) defines it as:
“One that is designed, organized and implemented in a way that minimizes potential negative impacts and leaves a positive legacy for the host community and all involved”.
Mad Cool Festival has become a leading event in Spain’s culture and tourism scene, and that’s why we are committed to:
Becoming an agent for change by creating the Festival of the future, based on efficiency and sustainability with a positive impact on three fundamental aspects: the environment, the sociocultural landscape and the economy.
By reducing our possible negative effects and by optimizing our processes to make them more efficient.
By guaranteeing sustainable management based on reducing our environmental footprint.
By ensuring the preservation of the human rights of all people involved, as well as transparency and good leadership by the organization.
By contributing to and collaborating with the strengthening and sustainable development of the sector and the community.
By raising awareness about the effects of climate change.
We install a waste sorting system including 500 containers each with a capacity of 800 liters. They are distributed all around the festival so that you can help us with the separate collection of waste (paper, plastic, organic and general).
We provide soft drinks with reusable bottles.
We have eliminated single-use plastic at food stands, replacing it with biodegradable materials.
We provide soft drinks with reusable bottles.
We have eliminated single-use plastic at food stands, replacing it with biodegradable materials.
We sort glass separately at the bars.
Our cups are reusable, which is why they cost one euro fifty. Don’t lose it and use it throughout the festival.
Wherever possible, we reuse graphic materials (banners, posters). We also use materials from previous events and give them a second life.
We provide you with all the necessary info about the festival through QR codes, social media, and the Festival’s own mobile APP. This way, we avoid using paper.
Our artificial turf is reused every year, and we save liters and liters of irrigation water and chemical fertilizers.
We use sustainable materials for all our initiatives and communications.
We use protocols to raise awareness about waste recycling during the event for workers, sponsors, providers, waiters and contributors (stands and food trucks).
At Mad Cool Festival we reduce and optimize energy use through efficient lighting:
We opt for LED technology to light up the bars, tents, gathering areas, VIP zones and The Club, dressing rooms, etc. In this way, we reduce energy consumption.
We use Stage V generators which produce fewer CO2 emissions.
We collaborate with sustainable Partners who help us to include innovative and clean technologies:
With Iberdrola, a global leader in renewable energy, we have our Smartflower, a solar energy system that provides clean energy, being 40% more efficient thanks to its solar tracker and rotation capacity.
The fleet of electric vehicles used by Spain´s national post office “Correos” will help us with the delivery of the wristbands in a sustainable way, also using envelopes made of recycled materials.
We use electric vehicles for the festival's production teams thus reducing trips in vehicles powered by fossil fuel.
We encourage getting to the event by using more sustainable transport options, such as buses, the metro, car pools and electric transport methods.
We’re also carrying out an energy efficiency assessment that allows us to identify opportunities for improvement in order to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Not only this, we’re also working on an estimate of our carbon footprint in order to analyze how we can make up for it once the festival is over and, in this way, become a carbon-neutral event.
At Mad Cool Festival there are vegetarian, vegan, and also gluten and lactose-free catering options.
We prioritize providers who can offer organic and local (km0) food and products that highlight local cuisine.
We support projects committed to social sustainability:
This year Ángel León, El Chef del Mar, (The sea Chef) whose Restaurant holds the title of the most sustainable restaurant in the world by the 50Th Best restaurants list, joins the Mad Cool´s culinary offer with the Taberna del Chef del Mar Food truck (The sea Chef´s Tavern Food truck) whose income collected during the festival will go directly to the MAAVi Foundation.
MAAVi Foundation develops a program of differential integration for children through soccer and with the support of educational, nutritional, and professional development programs.
In addition to our recyclable cups, the packaging used in our catering is 100% Plastic Free.
For the festival, it’s essential to continue the discussion around environmental issues, which is why we continue to raise awareness about the effects of climate change.
We use the festival’s communication platforms to disseminate our sustainability values.
We create quality jobs in the local community.
Each year, the festival´s invitation is associated with the payment of a fee that we donate to a social cause. In this way, we continue with our objective to promote, support and make visible causes related to our brand identity and philosophy, thus contributing positively to the community.
This 2023 it will be donated to the following causes:
Fundación Música Creativa, Music Saves UA, Grupo Lábor and Afandice.
In this way, Mad Cool Festival continues to promote and support causes that are related to our brand identity and philosophy, thus contributing positively to the community
Grupo Lábor is a non-profit association working in the district of Villaverde. Focused on supporting woman through training and employment, especially those who are in a situation of social vulnerability (victims of gender violence, migrant women, women over 45 years old, long-term unemployment).
Music Saves UA is a non-profit initiative created by the Ukrainian Association of Musical Events (UAME) currently raising funds in order to meet the goal of providing immediate humanitarian aid to those most in need in Ukraine. Aside from this aid, Music Saves UA strives to raise awareness about the war in Ukraine while promoting Ukrainian music and culture.
Fundación Música Creativa is a non-profit organization which performs an educational, cultural and social impact task through music, promoting social projects that contribute to social integration, welfare or empowerment of vulnerable groups through music, highlighting their artistic abilities and bringing the musical experience to people with difficult access to culture.
Afandice has been part of the Villaverde community since 1979, where thanks to its occupational center it promotes the improvement of the quality of life for people with disabilities and their families, defending their rights, contributing, and supporting the opportunities for their life project and their effective social inclusion
We collaborate with rising Talent, giving them a space at the festival and acting as a loudspeaker for their work with Mad Cool Talent by Vibra Mahou.
We create areas and provide access for people with reduced mobility to watch the concerts.
The festival has a “Purple Point” that provides a support space for the prevention of gender-based violence and attacks. It also has a “Rainbow Point” offering a safe space where you can ask for information, support or advice about any topic concerning LGBTQI+ matters.
Minimize your footprint: Use public transport to get to the festival or car pool. There’s a Telegram channel for the festival where you can find car buddies: Lonely Mads Club. (t.me/lonelymads).
Help us to sort waste and use the containers you’ll find all around the festival.
Don’t waste water from the fountains.
Reuse your cup.
DON'T FORGET TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE SUN!
Protect and repair your skin: look for the Cantabria Labs branded space inside the festival and the free Heliocare sunscreen dispensers at your disposal to protect you from the sun, don't forget to reapply the sunscreen, wear sunglasses and a hat!
Remember that you can combine oral and topical photoprotection for complete protection. Still not familiar with Heliocare capsules? Find out more here: https://www.cantabrialabs.es/fotoproteccion/fotoproteccion-por-via-oral
Last but not least, don't forget to visit your dermatologist every year to check your moles. An early diagnosis through self-examination is essential to detect if a mole has changed shape, size or color.
Iberdrola, world leader in renewable energies, leader in energy transition and decarbonization and agent of social transformation, makes this project possible, which also aims to rehabilitate the environment by attracting talent, culture and art.
