Massive Attack revealed that they declined an invitation to perform at Coachella 2025 due to concerns about the festival’s environmental impact. Group member Robert Del Naja discussed the decision in a recent interview with NME, highlighting the band’s commitment to minimising the carbon footprint of live performances.
The discussion took place during the band’s recent three-day Act 1.5 festival in Liverpool. This follows their groundbreaking concert in Bristol in August, designed as a “large-scale climate action accelerator” to set new standards for carbon-neutral live music events.
Set in California’s desert, Coachella does not align with these goals. Del Naja stated, “We said no to Coachella next year because we’ve been there once, and once was enough. It’s in Palm Springs—a golf resort built in a desert, running on sprinklers and public water supply. Brilliant. If you want to see the most absurd example of human behaviour, it’s right there.”
He also criticised artists performing in Las Vegas, describing it as an “aviation destination” situated in a desert. When asked about the Sphere, an entertainment venue in Las Vegas hosting concerts, theatre productions, and film screenings, Del Naja called it a “brilliant piece of infrastructure in the worst place it could possibly be—in the worst setting in the world.”
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Source: ANA-MPA
