Sustainability
A green sound
To promote and implement sustainability within the organisation, Muziekgebouw Eindhoven participates in the GreenStages2020 covenant, which now includes around 30 theatres and venues, mainly from the southern, central, and western regions of the Netherlands. Since joining, Muziekgebouw Eindhoven has been actively working on this initiative and currently ranks fourth among all participating venues.
Vegetarian meals by default
We serve around 2,700 meals ‘backstage’ each year to touring stage technicians and artists. Annually! This means we can make a significant impact by making these meals vegetarian by default. So that’s exactly what we’ve done. From the start of this season, our meals are served as vegetarian as standard, and anyone who still prefers meat can request it in advance.
From Ambition to Results
In 2021, we launched a multi-year sustainability initiative, starting with a baseline assessment and an ambitious action plan. Since then, the organization has made clear progress: from a score of 3.41 in the baseline assessment, to 5.32 in the first assessment, and a strong 7.39 in the second assessment. With this, Muziekgebouw Eindhoven has more than surpassed the joint target of 6.5 within three years. Within a group of approximately 30 participating theaters and venues in the southern, central, and western Netherlands, we currently rank fourth.
Sustainability as an integral part
The results achieved underscore that sustainability is not a side issue for us, but an integral part of the organization. Visible improvements have been realized in recent years across virtually all areas—from energy and waste to procurement and mobility. A concrete example is the study of our visitors’ travel behavior, conducted in collaboration with Brainport Bereikbaar. Based on these insights, we have, among other things, improved the accessibility of bicycle parking facilities in the immediate vicinity of the building and strengthened communication about sustainable travel to the Muziekgebouw Eindhoven. Sustainability is a shared responsibility: we actively encourage visitors to travel sustainably. Thanks to its central location, MgE is easily accessible by public transportation. The train station is within walking distance, and trains continue to run after evening concerts.
Sustainable gift
For many years, giving flowers at the end of a concert has been a long-standing tradition—a beautiful gesture of respect and appreciation for the performing artists. However, the cut flower industry doesn’t align with our sustainability goals. Additionally, touring musicians often don’t have the opportunity to take the flowers home, as they’re traveling and staying in tour buses or hotels.
That’s why Muziekgebouw Eindhoven, in collaboration with students from TU Eindhoven, set out to find a sustainable alternative to the traditional bouquet. Since the 2023/24 season, cut flowers have been replaced with a reusable felt bouquet.
