A new chapter in the festival industry in Montenegro
Railway Transport of Montenegro, as previously announced, is pleased to support this year's 15th edition of Bedem Fest "Green Music, Green Fortress, Green Bedem Fest".
With the campaign “Choosing the Train is Totally Cool”, for a healthier and greener future, Bedem Fest, in collaboration with Railway Transport of Montenegro and Sava Insurance, is launching “clean energy” through free train travel with low carbon content and free entry to Bedem Fest, for the first time in terms of festival offerings, presenting a completely innovative and new approach to exploring the potentials of Bedem Fest, promoting the connection between people and nature, the fortress, ecology, and the music festival.
Today, on World Environment Day, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed at the ŽPCG premises in Podgorica with the NGO Pro Futuro as the organisers of Bedem Fest, which represents an important step in greening Bedem Fest, minimising the impact on the environment, making it carbon neutral, and offering a compelling vision of how the festival industry, entertainment, and ecological awareness can harmoniously coexist. Artists can make a significant contribution to preserving the planet and the sustainability of the festival and music industry by reducing carbon emissions associated with travel. Musicians Darko Mihajlović and Stefan Bjeletić from Nikšić performed on the train route Nikšić-Podgorica and Podgorica-Nikšić, engaging with their audience as well as the general public on sustainability and climate change topics, much to the delight of the passengers. By sharing their own sustainable journey and performances on the train, we will inspire other musicians and their fans to adopt similar practices.
Considering how harmful music festivals can be to the environment, such as carbon impact, with the campaign Choosing the Train is Totally Cool, we encourage the use of trains as an environmentally friendly mode of transport to reduce carbon footprints. To ensure a quick and eco-friendly arrival and return from Bedem Fest, in collaboration with NGO Pro Futuro and Bedem Fest partners, trains will be provided on the Podgorica-Nikšić route on Friday and Saturday, 23rd and 24th August, departing at 18:30, as well as special night trains on the Nikšić-Podgorica route, which will depart from the Railway Station in Nikšić on 24th and 25th August at 02:30 in the morning, after the conclusion of the music programme at Bedem Fest. Thanks to the support of Sava Insurance, train travel to Bedem Fest on the specified departure dates from Podgorica to Nikšić and return from Nikšić to Podgorica will be free.
“Emissions from fossil fuel transport are one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, which negatively affect air quality. We promote a sustainable transport policy, popularising and increasing the visibility of the services of Railway Transport of Montenegro, convinced that the collaboration of all our partners with Bedem Fest represents a good example of sustainability as a bridge of friendship in the field of corporate green responsibility, culture, protection, preservation, valorisation, and promotion of the Bedem Fortress, inspired by established priorities in the field of cultural development, enhancing the festival and tourism offerings of Nikšić and Montenegro, the goals of the National Cultural Development Programme 2023-2028, as well as cultural and artistic creation. “With the Green Bedem Fest, we inspire new solutions affecting firmly established habits and patterns of behaviour and consumption – both our own and others'. We will strengthen the capacities of the general public in Montenegro and beyond in understanding their role in promoting and implementing the green transition in the Western Balkans. Addressing environmental issues is something we all must urgently tackle if we want to reduce the negative impact on our lives and those of future generations. Our intention is to build awareness and commitment to practical ways in which we can all contribute to saving our planet by organising festivals that will contribute to the implementation of the Green Agenda,” stated Petar Šundić.
On behalf of ŽPCG, the Memorandum of Cooperation was signed by Dejana Baošić, Assistant Executive Director for Logistics and Commercial Affairs. “ŽPCG, as a socially responsible company focused on sustainable public transport services and green modes of transport, is pleased to support the 15th edition of Bedem Fest titled “Green Music, Green Fortress, Green Bedem Fest”. We believe it is very important to constantly raise awareness among citizens about the importance of environmental preservation, and what better way to do that than through cultural events. It is important for everyone to know that the train, as a means of mass public transport, has the lowest emissions of harmful gases and that it is indeed the ideal way to travel and enjoy good music while simultaneously protecting the planet, promoting the connection between people and nature, the fortress, ecology, and the music festival. We are pleased to contribute through the campaign “Choosing the Train is Totally Cool”, alongside the organisers of Bedem Fest and other partners, to raising awareness among all lovers of good music that by choosing to travel to the festival by train, they contribute to reducing negative environmental impacts, as well as ensuring their own safety. By arriving at and returning from the festival by train, we not only care for the planet but also avoid traffic jams, allowing us to relax and enjoy the music without the hassle of traffic or the risk of accidents. Thus, today on the train, for the first time, we have an organised music programme featuring musicians Stevan Bjeletić and Darko Mihajlović, engaging in sustainability and climate change topics, and we hope to inspire other musicians and their fans to adopt similar practices, and we hope this activity will encourage all citizens to choose the train because it is totally cool,” emphasised Dejana Baošić.
