Pop sensation Billie Eilish has been leading the global charts for a while. But what’s caught our attention is her commitment and advocacy for climate change, through her ‘green concerts’. Yes, you read that right: Eilish’s green concerts are designed to be planet-friendly, with minimal plastic, promoting plant-based foods.
The 20-year-old has over 103 million followers on Instagram and over 42 million monthly listeners on Spotify. But it isn’t just her music that’s bringing her fans to the yard. Eilish has been giving back—enormously—through her conscious, sustainable choices and has been motivating her fans to do the same.
This year, Eilish unveiled a six-day climate event, from the 10th through the 26th of June, in London, called Overheated. It coincided with her Happier Than Ever green concert, at the O2 Arena. The event was streamed live on her YouTube channel. It featured panel discussions, a clothing swap, a documentary screening and talks on veganism. And there were appearances by the likes of Dame Vivienne Westwood, Yungblud, girl in red and Emily Eavis. Well, just those names are enough to pack a punch!
What is even more remarkable is her partnership with REVERB, a non-profit that partners with musicians and concert and festival venues to make events eco-friendly. REVERB hosted ‘eco-villages’ at the concert venue for her fans. A vegan since age 12, Eilish promotes plant-based foods and eliminates disposable waste, while working to offset emissions, through her tours. She funds diverse projects to eliminate greenhouse gas pollution from her tour.
With free water refill stations to avoid disposable waste, fans could make a donation and receive a custom, reusable bottle. Well, aren’t we tired of seeing all that plastic left behind after a concert! For old-school peeps, she made available a sustainable vinyl copy of the Happier Than Ever album—a 100% recycled jacket and sleeve, FSC certified paper, vegetable-based inks and bio-wrap packaging made from sugarcane. A vinyl copy in sustainable packaging? Hell, yes! Moreover, the proceeds from Overheated were donated directly to Reverb and to Support + Feed, a charity organization founded by Maggie Baird, who also happens to be Eilish’s mother, which aims to combat food insecurity and make plant-based foods more accessible—all while combatting the climate crisis!
For Eilish, Overheated is only the latest in a long string of planet-first public appearances. In May, she graced the red carpet of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met Gala 2022) wearing a baroque-esque Gucci look by Alessandro Michele, made entirely of upcycled materials. A year prior, in May 2021, Eilish stepped onto the Met Gala red carpet oozing glamour in an Oscar de la Renta Grace Kelly-inspired gown. However, there was a twist: The musician had laid the condition that Oscar de la Renta must pull all fur from their shelves for good—and they did! But that isn’t all. For her winning night at the 2022 Oscars, Eilish wore a black, ruffled Gucci gown made from deadstock (previously rejected or unused fabric). Talk about eco-fashion!
Apart from her purposeful red carpet looks, Eilish is an active contributor towards climate conservation efforts and virtually received a German sustainability award, Europe’s leading price for ecological and social engagement, in 2021, from ESA astronaut, Matthias Maurer. In 2021, she stepped up to help conserve Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, which as we know is in jeopardy due to coral bleaching caused by the warming of ocean temperatures, by partnering with CoralWatch, a citizen science program at the University of Queensland for assisting in the conservation. We love a star on a mission!
Billie Eilish, for us, truly stands out as a conscious champion, the sustainable icon we need! She is consistently using her platform to make a change and, more importantly, incite change among her fanbase. We hope to see more artists follow in this young entertainer’s footsteps. And we can’t wait for more planet-friendly tours from her.
We are truly ‘happier than ever’.
