In photos / Environment
In photos: Bristol’s climate news – August 2025
It’s been a month of creativity and celebration for climate groups in the city, culminating in Bristol’s Kambe Events once again delivering a 15,000 person festival that smashed sustainability records: this year Shambala became the first festival to cook and heat entirely on biogas, upping the ante for the event which eliminated disposable plastics in 2013, has operated on 100 per cent renewables since 2014, banned meat in 2016 and co-founded onboard.earth.
Elsewhere, the spirit of the River Avon was birthed and paraded at Green Man festival, the River Malago was reflected in song, and young people came together to celebrate the end of a nature-inspired community organising programme.
Shambala festival, held each year on the August Bank Holiday weekend, celebrated its 25th birthday this year. It has remained fiercely independent and utterly committed to environmental sustainability – photo: Shambala
As well as sustainability talks including those focused on a just transition, eco-artistic practice and building a climate movement that can win, the festival celebrated with a Big Phat Green Wedding ceremony in which participants married themselves – photo: Shambala
Create UP!, a programme for young people that want to connect with nature and create change in their communities, celebrated its culmination with a party at Sparks – photo: Ursula Billington
The party’s programme included storytelling, a shared feast and screening of a film documenting the programme’s activities which have built up to the participants taking inspiration from time spent in nature to plan and run their own workshops in the community – photo: Ursula Billington
The River Wye goddess met the spirit of the River Avon in a parade to a ceremony at the River Usk at Green Man festival – photo: the Avonas
The River Avon puppet, part goddess-part demon, was created by female-led art collective the Avonas and helpers to embody the river’s spirit and lead the campaign to give the Avon legal personhood – photo: the Avonas
Avona was ceremonially birthed from the Avon and will play a part in the continued campaign to establish rights for the river to be pollution-free that was captured in the Rave on for the Avon documentary – photo: the Avonas
Birch Collective’s Fresh Air Thursdays have given young people the opportunity to get outside in nature and take part in land-based skills like lighting fires, natural crafts and organic growing – photo: Elliot Hingston
The Collective, which is celebrating its fifth birthday this year, works to increase wellbeing via nature connection with a variety of different programmes including woodland management, forest school and 1:1 nature-based mentoring sessions – photo: Elliot Hingston
A River’s Song, led by community artist Liam Taylor-West, is inviting community members to contribute to a piece of music that reflects and honours the River Malago in Bedminster – photo: Natalia Kida
Local artists, river lovers and community members have been out on walks tracing the river’s path above and below ground – photo: Natalia Kida
They have discovered artworks previously made with the river, including words engraved on stones in its bed. The music sessions continue and when the piece has been created there will be a chance to listen to the finished piece while walking along the river – photo: Natalia Kida
Main image: the Avonas
is needed now More than ever
Read next:
- Review: Shambala 2025 – ‘Still the future of festivals”
- Hartcliffe City Farm – ‘Positive connections between people, land and food’
- Meet the growers doing things differently
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
