ALCOHOL
GUIDELINES/
PRINCIPLES
Earth Beat is a 100% alcohol and drug abuse-free festival. Earth Beat is a principles based organisation. We believe that it is more important to focus on creating a friendly, safe and healthy environment for everyone.
In previous years (2015 and 2016), Earth Beat was advertised as Alcohol and Drug Free, yet there were still people drinking at the festival. In order to effectively and authentically enforce a drug and alcohol free festival, frisking and policing people would be required. Doing this would not be in alignment with the atmosphere and culture we want to create, and the trust we have in our community and humanity.
The kaupapa of Earth Beat is what sets the culture and safety for the space we co-create. A big part of this is our commitment to, and ongoing relationship with hapū, and acknowledging the ancestors of the land.
In order to create another layer of safety, we endeavor to nurture a culture of whānau (family and community), wairua (connection with the spirit and life force that breaths us and all our relations), and aroha (care and love for ourselves, each other and the earth).
Alcohol Itself Is Not The Issue.
We believe in real change. Getting to the root of the issues in our society. Everyone knows alcohol itself is not the issue. The festival team has been divided around whether alcohol should be permitted at the festival at all. Alcohol related incidences at Earth Beat are few and minor compared to other festivals of this nature, however they do happen. To reconcile this issue, predicated on the belief that alcohol abuse in New Zealand is partly a cultural issue that begins in the teenage years, we are currently working with a rites of passage organisation in New Zealand to offer workshops at Earth Beat for youth.
We believe that it is more important to create a friendly, safe and healthy environment for everyone than to declare that the festival is drug and alcohol free. We don’t believe prohibition is the pathway to real change. We don’t believe that taking a stance against people who enjoy the odd beer or wine will make the festival any safer than it already is. Therefore, after some discussion between the crew, the decision is that participants will not be permitted to bring alcohol to the event but alcohol will be served at Earth Beat with the ability to restrict quantities per person.
There are several reasons for this decision.
- Earth Beat is a Zero Waste event. In past years, even when the festival was advertised as Alcohol free, the morning site cleanup was comprised mostly of cans and bottles of alcohol, often dispersed throughout the site, in the bush, under trees, in waterways, and difficult to collect.
- Ātiu Creek is a Regional Park. Drinking alcohol outside licensed areas is prohibited. Glass is strictly prohibited on all Auckland Council Regional Parks.
- Serving alcohol through a trusted vendor allows responsible and experienced staff to monitor abuse. People will be denied drinks if they pose a danger to themselves or others.
Because of the health conscious audience of Earth Beat and the overall family vibe of the festival, alcohol consumption tends to be very low. Our alcohol vendor will operate as a standard vendor. Alcohol sales are negligible and have little bearing on our decision.
We actively question the idea that alcohol is necessary in order to have a good time. As a young organisation, our Alcohol Guidelines and Principles may change as the festivals evolves and grows. Earth Beat is about getting into it, rather than out of it. We encourage all participants to demonstrate this throughout the festival!
