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Massive Attack announce first UK gig in five years as special climate action event

Massive Attack have announced their first live UK show in five years.

The trip hop group have confirmed plans for a summer climate action event in their hometown of Bristol in the summer as they mark 25 years of their own climate activism.

Act 1.5 will be an all day “large-scale climate action accelerator event” at Clifton Downs on August 25, 2024.

It will see the duo – Robert Del Naja and Grant Marshall – playing their first UK concert in five years, while the gig will be the lowest carbon show of its size ever.

In a statement, Del Naja said: “We’re chuffed to play our home city again and to be able do it in the right way.

“In terms of climate change action there are no excuses left; offsetting, endless seminars and diluted declarations have all been found out – so live music must drastically reduce all primary emissions and take account of fan travel.

“Working with pioneering partners on this project means we can seriously move the dial for major live music events and help create precedents that are immediately available.”

Special guests are set to be announced as more acts join the lineup.

The show is also part of Massive Attack’s partnership with scientists and analysts at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.

As part of the band’s decarbonisation efforts, the show will feature a localised pre-sale for Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire, Swindon and Taunton postcodes to try and limit private car travel, while renewable energy will be used alongside with a rail travel incentive.

the Tyndall Centre’s Professor Carly McLaghlan added: “This is precisely the type of transformative approach that we need to see more of in the live music sector and indeed every sector; one that has the collaboration and vision to reduce emissions across all areas of impact and working beyond the areas you directly control to unlock the systemic change we urgently need to deliver on our Paris Agreement commitments.”

the localised ticket pre-sale starts at 10am UK time on Wednesday (06.12.23), with the general sale going live on Friday.