Thursday, 21 August 2025
Live at the Breakwater: Music, Community, and a Commitment to Sustainability in Wexford Following performances by major acts such as Amble, The Waterboys, Gavin James, Moncrieffe, Jax Jones, and The Whistlin’ Donkeys, Live at the Breakwater, staged under the big top near Wexford Bridge, has once again been hailed as a success, with talks underway […]
Following performances by major acts such as Amble, The Waterboys, Gavin James, Moncrieffe, Jax Jones, and The Whistlin’ Donkeys, Live at the Breakwater, staged under the big top near Wexford Bridge, has once again been hailed as a success, with talks underway to make it a permanent fixture in post-Fleadh Wexford.
While thousands attended and the festival made a strong financial impact, organisers Lantern Events are especially proud of something else: the festival’s sustainability efforts, which have become a defining feature of the event.
Large-scale events like music festivals generate significant amounts of waste, energy use, and carbon emissions, but they also provide a unique opportunity to influence public behaviour at scale. With thousands of attendees in one place, festivals are ideal testing grounds for greener habits, from reusable cups to low-waste food service. The choices made at Live at the Breakwater not only reduce immediate waste but also demonstrate how sustainable practices can become the norm at public gatherings.
In 2024, Lantern Events launched an ambitious environmental initiative aimed at significantly reducing single-use plastic. These efforts continued into 2025 and were highlighted by the introduction of a cup deposit return scheme, making Live at the Breakwater the only Fleadh Cheoil venue to implement such a system.
The results speak for themselves:
47,500 plastic drinking cups avoided
22,500 plastic straws avoided (replaced with paper straws)
10,600 plastic water bottles avoided (replaced with aluminium bottles)
5,000 biodegradable cup holders used
Across the 2024 and 2025 events, a total of 155,600 single-use plastics were eliminated.
Festival-goers were introduced to a new concept in 2024, which is borrowing a cup instead of using disposable plastic. According to Brian Byrne of Lantern Events:
“Every bit of plastic ever made still exists somewhere. We want to make sure that the ‘somewhere’ is not landfill or our oceans or rivers.”
He continued:
“Our cups can be used again and again at Live at the Breakwater, the Spiegeltent Festival and all of our festivals and events. It was a new concept for our audience in 2024 as ‘borrowing’ a cup instead of disposing of a plastic cup was new. But the feedback has been great. We want to be part of the solution, not the pollution. People appreciate that and support it.”
What happens to a festival cup after the music ends? In traditional setups, it heads straight to landfill. At Live at the Breakwater, reusable cups are collected, washed, and prepared for future use at other events hosted by Lantern Events. This closed-loop model avoids the extraction, production, and disposal cycles of single-use plastics, which dramatically reduces the event’s carbon footprint. These cups don’t just serve drinks; they serve as symbols of a more circular, less wasteful economy.
The event’s picturesque location on the banks of the Slaney, with Wexford Bridge and views of the Raven and Curracloe in the background, makes environmental protection all the more important.
“We are very aware that many of our events take place in beautiful settings, no more so than Live at the Breakwater,” Byrne said. “We are conscious of our responsibility to maintain these settings and the environment.”
He also acknowledged the support of Wexford County Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service in securing the venue.
Transitioning to sustainable systems doesn’t come without challenges. Organisers had to navigate supply chain issues for eco-friendly materials, ensure health and safety compliance for reusable items, and retrain staff and volunteers. These behind-the-scenes efforts require investment and resilience, but Lantern Events views them as necessary costs for a long-term environmental payoff. Their experience could serve as a blueprint for other event organisers.
Lantern Events views its sustainability programme not as a trend, but as a long-term commitment.
“We will continue to innovate to support our environment and to champion alternative consumption,” said Byrne.
With a strong response from both the public and performers, Live at the Breakwater has proven that live music and large-scale events can go hand-in-hand with meaningful environmental responsibility.
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