COMMITMENTS
COMMITMENTS
COMMITMENTS
COMMITMENTS
COMMITMENTS
OUR COMMITMENT
Because a festival like the Main Square brings together tens of thousands of people, reducing its negative impact on the environment and society is a major issue. This is why the Main Square Festival has adhered since 2019 to the Partnership Charter of Commitment of the Urban Community of Arras for the Benefit of Ecological Transition. This represents the innovative implementation at the territorial level of France’s national and international ecological ambition, materialized by the Paris agreements following COP 21.
Thus, the festival works each year to carry out new actions with our territorial partners aimed at making the festival’s impact on nature and its inhabitants more positive. We continue and deepen the efforts made during previous editions and we try to raise awareness among our festival-goers so that they too leave as few traces as possible of their passage through the Citadel and its surroundings.
ENERGY AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
We encourage low-carbon mobility with:
- Artis and the Urban Community of Arras provide festival-goers with free shuttles in Arras to promote the use of public transport.
- TER offers special deals to Main Square festival-goers and sets up trains adapted to festival schedules (more info to come).
- A dedicated carpooling platform with Pass Pass Covoiturage .
- A parking lot located 5 minutes walk from the festival entrance and reserved for cars with at least 4 people.
- A free bike parking directly near the Citadel.
In order to reduce the environmental footprint of the festival, we are giving an increasingly important share to decarbonized electricity.
Since 2022, the Bastion stage has been powered without generators with electricity coming 100% from the grid.
We audit our energy distribution with the aim of:
- Develop network connection to reduce diesel use;
- Reduce our consumption by optimizing the electrical distribution system.
During the 2024 edition of the festival, 44% of the festival’s electricity came from generators and 56% from the grid compared to 35% in 2023 and 13% in 2022. For 2025 we are working with the Urban Community of Arras to further reduce generator use in favor of grid connection with decarbonized energy. All electricity from the grid is ‘green’ certified at 100% by renewable origin guarantees.*
*ENGIE buys the equivalent of 100% of the amount of electricity consumed by the Main Square festival in Guarantees of Origin issued by renewable energy producers (excluding temporary connections). A Guarantee of Origin certifies that electricity has been produced from a renewable energy source and injected into the power grid.
WASTE REDUCTION AND SORTING
Since 2011 we have implemented a system of reusable and deposit-based Ecocup cups. We reuse cups each year with colors from previous editions; we do not discard stocks from one year to another.
We have replaced disposable tableware with reusable and deposit-based tableware at all points of sale at the festival.
We provide numerous drinking water points to reduce the use of plastic bottles.
1. Cigarette butts :
- We install ashtrays throughout the festival site. The collected butts are recycled thanks to World Clean Up Day.
- We distribute pocket ashtrays to festival-goers.
2. We improve waste sorting and recycling every year with the help of the Syndicat Mixte Artois Valorisation (SMAV) :
- We have installed a mini recycling center on site where we have been able to collect wood separately.
- Other types of waste are captured through containers and collected specifically with 3 different streams.
- 10 tons of furniture and decorative elements from the festival site were created from waste collected by SMAV (VIP area furniture is partly from SMAV recycling centers).
- 600 bins distributed throughout the site are available to the teams and merchants who are also sensitized to sorting gestures.
- 160 sorting bins are available to the public.
- The frying oils collected during the festival are transformed into biofuel.
3. We optimize the sorting of plastic bottles: their contents will be poured into reusable cups and the bottles will be sorted directly by bar staff for better flow management and to avoid sorting errors.
4. We raise public awareness of waste sorting through signage, digital communication, screens, etc.:
- Even before arriving at the Citadel, the public is sensitized to sorting gestures thanks to SMAV with bins provided in the parking lots.
- A reminder of sorting instructions is displayed in Artis shuttle buses circulating in the city of Arras towards the festival.
Several faucet ramps will be installed for greater access to free drinking water.
For security reasons, reusable water bottles are not allowed inside the festival, but reusable and deposit-based cups will be available at all bars.
FOOD
- Each food vendor will offer at least one vegetarian option on their menu.
- We have also chosen vendors offering various vegan and organic meal options.
AWARENESS
VILLAGE DES ASSOCIATIONS
We try to raise awareness among our festival-goers about eco-friendly practices and sorting through signage. In addition, in 2025 we are setting up a Village of Associations near the Bastion Stage dedicated to raising awareness for a fairer and more responsible world. We will find actors such as:
- Amnesty International
- Conservatoire d’Espaces Naturel des Hauts-de-France
- La Cloche
- Fiertés Pas-de-Calais
- LPO 64
- Réseau de l’Artois – Prélèvement Multi Organes et Tissus
- Sea Shepherd
- World CleanUp Day
The Syndicat Mixte Artois Valorisation which works in the Arrageois territory and manages the festival’s waste, will also be present and will set up workshops to raise awareness about waste reduction and sorting among festival-goers.
COLLABORATION WITH CONSERVATOIRE D’ESPACES NATURELS HAUTS-DE-FRANCE
This year, the Main Square Festival is committed to preserving local biodiversity by highlighting the work of the Conservatoire d’Espaces Naturels Hauts-de-France (CEN). In this dynamic, a participatory Nature Workshop was organized on Saturday, March 8, 2025, offering nature and music lovers a great opportunity to act for the environment.
The CEN Hauts-de-France involved 30 volunteers to contribute to the ecological maintenance of the Marais de Maroeuil, a remarkable natural site in the Arrageois. Volunteers took part in tree cutting and clearing actions, essential to maintain an open marsh and preserve the grazing areas of animals that live there during the summer season. To thank the participants for their commitment, each volunteer was offered a day ticket for the Main Square Festival 2025.
The action in favor of biodiversity does not stop there because this year, festival-goers also have the opportunity to make a micro-donation of 2€ when purchasing their festival ticket. These funds will be used to finance a tree planting project on the Marais Philippe Rapeneau site in Fampoux in autumn 2025, as part of an ecological conversion of a poplar grove.
Finally, to learn more about the protection of natural spaces, festival-goers will find the CEN Hauts-de-France at the Village of Associations throughout the festival, from July 4 to 6, 2025.
SOCIAL
Because Main Square wants to continue welcoming its festival-goers in the safe and inclusive environment you know,
WE HAVE…
- Set up the prevention village with the Urban Community of Arras where many social issues are addressed to raise awareness among our audience;
- Deployed a large number of security agents and video surveillance to detect possible assaults and react quickly but also to listen to festival-goers;
- Set up patrols throughout the festival with teams trained to assist possible victims of sexual or discriminatory assaults;
- Continued to train our teams, especially security, on these issues;
- Continued to pay particular attention to representation within our line-up.
THE COMMITMENT OF FESTIVAL-GOERS
To best help Main Square festival-goers reduce their environmental footprint and enjoy the concerts serenely during their visit, we have created a guide that we make available to them to help them adopt good practices.
RESPONSIBLE FESTIVAL-GOER GUIDE
- Come by train or carpool! Prefer public transport. -> All the information to use soft mobility to get to Main Square here: https://mainsquarefestival.fr/en/transport-accomodation/
- Do not print your ticket or the festival program: opt for e-tickets and the Main Square mobile app.
- Do not throw any waste on the ground (you are lucky to be on an exceptional site listed as a UNESCO heritage site, so please respect it).
- Reduce your waste! The best waste is the one that does not exist! For this reason, the festival’s cups and tableware are reusable and deposit-based.
- Reusable cups: 1.50 EUR deposit will be charged when purchasing your drink.
- Reusable tableware: 2 EUR deposit will be charged when purchasing your dish if it requires a container.
Remember to return your cup or tableware to one of the 3 festival deposit stands so that it can be reused!
– 1.50 EUR deposit per cup will be refunded.
– 1.50 EUR* deposit per tableware item (bowl/plate) will be refunded.
*A contribution of 0.50 EUR is retained to absorb the costs of implementing this zero waste solution. According to the AGEC Law / effective from 01.01.23: Disposable tableware is prohibited in catering establishments serving more than 20 covers simultaneously,
- Sort your waste!
Reduce your environmental footprint by taking part in waste recovery with the Syndicat Mixe Artois Valorisation.
It’s easy, just follow the sorting instructions:
- Smokers, collect your cigarette butts and dispose them in the appropriate ashtrays.
Be vigilant:
- Take care of yourself and your friends. Our site marauders and security guards are on hand to listen and help.
- Always keep an eye on your glass, and don’t drink from other people’s.
- Discriminatory behavior is unacceptable on the Main Square site.
- Don’t hesitate to call on our prevention teams and security guards.
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