Kendal Calling has launched a new environmental awareness game – and the first person to score 50,000 will win a £200 bar tab to spend at the festival.
Flappy Tent is designed to raise awareness of the impact of leaving behind tents and litter at festivals as part of the festival’s sustainability programme.
The game is set the day after the festival where 284 tents have been left behind, causing them to come loose and fly across Cumbria and the North West.
Players have to help Kes the Kestrel take to the skies and clean up to take the tents to landfill – where they take up to 500 years to decompose.
It is based on the (partly) true events of last year’s festival, where only 284 tents were left behind and a whopping 98 per cent of tents were taken home.
This summer, the festival is aiming to do more and is calling on festivalgoers to join forces to minimise their environmental impact at Lowther Deer Park and leave nothing but memories.
Andy Smith, co-founder of Kendal Calling said: “Last year our fantastic audience really took to heart our appeal to leave Lowther Deer Park like we found it. A staggering 91.4 per cent reduction in abandoned tents was quite something to behold, but we don’t want to rest on our laurels.
“Together with our friends in Japan Takekiyo and Hiroaki San (who manage the band Taffy) we’ve developed Flappy Tent.
“Foremost it’s a reminder of what happens to rubbish once it’s out of your eyesight, but it’s also an opportunity to win a weekend’s free beer at the festival – what’s not to love? My highest score is 31,000 – best of luck!”
Other sustainability initiatives being rolled out this year across site include new campsite crews to help keep campsites clean, an increase in waste and recycling points, a focus on recycled decor and decrease in fuel useage with an increase in using solar, battery and load on demand solutions.
Single plastic has also been banned on site and food traders have committed to selling at least one vegetarian or vegan meal and use local produce where possible.
The festival is also working with Open Kitchen MCR to reduce food waste and is planting a tree for every ticket sold in collaboration with the Lowther re-wilding project.
Organisers are also supporting industry schemes to improve sustainability across the festival sector.
You can play the game for free now HERE.
