AEG Europe, the European subsidiary of global sports and live entertainment leader AEG, has announced a landmark agreement that will make its UK venues the first in the industry to operate entirely on the country’s greenest energy. The new supply agreement, established in partnership with Ecotricity, combines Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with a 100% renewable energy supply, backed by hourly-matched Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs). This pioneering initiative sets a new standard for energy provision across the live entertainment sector.
Under the agreement, specific renewable energy assets are allocated to AEG’s portfolio of live entertainment venues in the UK, including The O2, indigo at The O2, Eventim Apollo, Watford Colosseum, and University of Wolverhampton at The Halls. These venues will predominantly operate on deep green energy generated by solar and hydro assets, providing a high level of transparency and meeting audit-level scrutiny standards.
The investment by AEG is expected to accelerate the growth of renewable energy on the National Grid, creating a positive impact beyond individual venues. Sam Booth, AEG Europe’s Director of Sustainability, stated, “PPAs are widely recognised as the gold standard in energy procurement, and we’re proud to play a role in launching this first-of-its-kind agreement. It marks a significant milestone in the ongoing journey to decarbonise the live entertainment industry, and we’re pleased to help drive this progress.”
Dale Vince OBE, Founder of Ecotricity, added, “This is big news for live music, as venues across Britain – including London’s iconic The O2 – will be powered by deep green energy. AEG have already been working with us to bring clean power to outdoor festivals like All Points East and LIDO earlier this summer. Now they’re going even further – bringing green power indoors. It’s a major step forward and a proper milestone on the road to greening up the live entertainment world.”
AEG has long been at the forefront of sustainability in the live entertainment industry, implementing several innovative initiatives across its global network of venues, festivals, and events. Notably, in February 2024, The O2 hosted the world’s first carbon-removed events, extracting 545.9 tonnes of carbon across four shows—equivalent to the annual electricity usage of 395 average homes. These events demonstrated the commercial viability of wholly sustainable live shows while maintaining a best-in-class fan experience and inspired further sustainability actions across the industry.
Across its network of venues, AEG Europe continues to invest in sustainable initiatives, including lower-carbon food menus, permanent reusable cup schemes with cup-washing machines, biodegradable serveware, and other carbon-reduction projects. The company’s award-winning festivals have also implemented initiatives to reduce environmental impact and educate attendees, including a carbon labelling program for food vendors. Through these initiatives, AEG Europe continues to demonstrate leadership in making live entertainment more sustainable, proving that environmentally responsible operations can coexist with world-class experiences for audiences.
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