The 1975 To Play World First 'Carbon Removed' Concert In 2024

In February 2024, when The 1975 headline The O2 arena in London, they’ll road-test a world-first: carbon-removed gigs.

An iNews report offers that carbon (CO2) will be removed from the concert by being physically sucked out of the air at the band’s upcoming two shows at the venue.

That CO2 includes fans’ singing, cheering, and carbon emitted from the band’s light show.

The 1975 could also be looking at planting trees outside the venue and utilising CO2-absorbing volcanic rocks across farmland to act as a fertiliser.

AEG, the owner of The O2, conducting a report entitled A Greener Future, reveals that a traditional gig at the venue emits 100 tonnes of CO2, including the concert itself, but also catering, electricity, and transport of a band like The 1975, their crew, and stage production. Carbon removal reportedly costs £150 a tonne ($293), which adds to an estimated £15,000 ($29,334).

“We’re incredibly proud to be hosting the world’s first carbon-removed events here at The O2,” Sam Booth, Director of Sustainability at AEG Europe, said in a statement, per NME.

Booth added, “The perfect large-scale carbon-free event does not currently exist, but while the industry continues to innovate and improve to reduce emissions to their lowest possible level, carbon removals will remain an important piece of the puzzle.”

“Carbon removals, which physically extract the carbon these events generate from the atmosphere and durably store it out of harm’s way, are a great stepping stone to a genuine net-zero future.”

The band’s carbon-removed show at The O2 arrives as part of their February and March Still… At Their Very Best UK and Europe tour, ending the Being Funny In A Foreign Language album cycle.

Last month, it was reported that Future Sound Asia (FSA), the promoters behind the Malaysian music festival Good Vibes, were pursuing a claim against The 1975 for their controversial performance and its subsequent cancellation of two days of the festival after vocalist Matty Healy broke the law on stage.

The 1975’s set at Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur was cut short after Healy launched a furious tirade against the Malaysian government and kissed the band’s bassist Ross MacDonald on stage, directly breaking the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws.

The remainder of the three-day festival was cancelled following Healy’s actions. In addition to a bummer ending for the festival, the Malaysian government subsequently vowed to tighten entry requirements for international artists.