MUMBAI: India’s only ecologically designed music festival, Echoes of Earth, is expanding its footprints and reach with a series of on-ground innovations with its event partners Johnnie Walker Refreshing Mixer and Budweiser. Also, with the biggest brands of the alcohol-beverage Industry like Johnnie Walker Refreshing Mixer and Budweiser coming together for the fest, the audience can look forward to being regaled with music, innovation and some path-breaking, unheard initiatives that promise to start a new dialogue. 

The festival is returning to its home turf in Bengaluru with its fifth edition on the 3rd and 4th of December. Known as truly a one-of-its-kind, it promises to continue its legacy of celebrating sustainable stories and art against a backdrop of music and revelry unlike any other. 

Converging on the festival’s 4 upcycled stages are musical acts that are culturally and socially diverse. The much anticipated final line-up includes the likes of The Yussef Dayes Experience, Dorian Concept, Klangophonics, Vieux Farka Toure to local acts such as Anyasa, Hanumankind, Easy Wanderlings, Many roots ensemble etc. Echoes of Earth continues as a festival, continues to introduce its audience to the newer genres and charters the future of a mindful listening audience in the country. 

Roshan Netalkar, Festival Director of Echoes of Earth, said, “We live in a day and age where being environmentally conscious is a part of our day-to-day living. The need of the hour is now to switch to a lifestyle lived in moderation and conserve our natural resources and see how we can give new life to what we discard. Echoes of Earth has always innovated on how differently we can scale up to celebrate nature. We are working towards becoming a zero-waste, carbon neutral festival in the near future. We are also incorporating circular design in our festival this year. Our installations are created from 100% recyclable materials. Similarly, when it comes to music, we’ve always brought together global cultures on a single platform and line-up this year paves way for a diverse, conscious and culturally inclusive space.”

Presenting sponsor, Johnnie Walker Refreshing Mixer is hinged on championing collective progress and its association with Echoes of Earth is no exception. Anchored by dynamism and progress, best described in the line ‘Keep Walking’, Johnnie Walker Refreshing Mixer is partnering with the festival to shine light on 5 eco-warriors who are pioneering cultural change in sustainability thereby naming them “Walkers”. 

Serial entrepreneur and angel investor Zeeshan Khan, indie artist and urban ecologist Aditi Veena, aka Ditty, National Geographic explorer, filmmaker, and presenter Malaika Vaz, marine biologist and scuba inspector Nayantara Jain and founder of Bare necessities, Saher Mansoor will narrate their personal journeys of bringing about changes from the roots at the festival. 

Johnnie Walker Refreshing Mixer spokesperson said, “Johnnie Walker has inspired generations of cultural change-makers through the years. Keep Walking, our rally cry, is an anthem for those who are always evolving, forever pushing the boundaries and furthering the narrative for themselves and the community around them. They are the disruptors who not only walk the talk themselves, but also take others along with them. Johnnie Walker Refreshing Mixer, in partnership with Echoes of Earth, is bringing to life the soulful cultural disruption sustainably. This is one of the greenest music festivals in India with an enviable line up and we are walking the talk with them to create inspiration for the audiences to enjoy consciously.“

Meanwhile, Budweiser India will blend celebration and a green future with its path-breaking, sustainable streetwear collaboration with multiwear label, Capsul at Echoes of Earth 2022, making a meaningful difference with a refreshing perspective. 

Commenting on the collaboration, Vineet Sharma, Vice President Marketing - South Asia, AB InBev, said, “After two years of hiatus, we are thrilled to be back with Echoes of Earth. This year, the festival celebrates two tentpole ideologies that deeply resonate with Budweiser - sustainability and community exchange. Budweiser has always been a catalyst in providing consumers with not just world-class music activations but also, bringing people together for elevated experiences. In conjunction with that, we’ve introduced a unique innovation - a solar-powered bar that will help build a sustainable future and unlock opportunities. Alongside this, we’ve partnered with Capsul Merch Store, an upcycled thrift store to encourage adoption of slow fashion. These initiatives are in line with Budweiser’s global commitment to brew with 100% renewable electricity by 2030. We aim to continue driving these efforts that will add value to our patrons as well as our partners.” 

Echoes of Earth is well-known as India’s greenest music and lifestyle event crafted to bring diverse audiences closer to the pulse of nature, culture and great live music under an umbrella theme celebrating the Earth through a fresh lens. This year’s theme, ‘Circle of Life,’ focuses on an inclusive circle where all life begins and thrives alongside wildlife and nature conservation and restoration stories from the hidden corners of India’s various ecosystems.

Further building on this vision, the festival seeks to reshape the future of lifestyle events to be greener and cleaner. For this, Echoes of Earth has collaborated with brands sharing its vision for sustainability initiatives - its long-standing title partner Johnnie Walker refreshing mixer (non-alcoholic) and energy partner Budweiser India for this year’s edition.

Taking place in the lap of lush green vistas of the 180-acred Embassy International Riding School, the music festival is largely designed using upcycled and recycled concepts, and has been a platform where artists highlight eco-conscious philosophies while promoting alternate sustainable ways of life to the audience.