Billie Eilish turns one of the UK’s largest venues fully plant-based
All food vendors at London’s O2 served only vegan options to the 120,000 attendees during the artist’s six-night tour stop.
Credit: Lars Crommelinck/CC-BY-2.0
Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Billie Eilish transformed one of the UK’s biggest venues into a completely plant-based arena for the six nights she toured there.
The fully plant-based food policy was implemented at London’s O2 Arena during Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft tour dates. For the duration of the shows, all food vendors served only vegan options, from chipotle tacos and peri-peri halloumi-style wraps to pancakes and pizzas, catering to an estimated 120,000 attendees.
"In addition to efforts to decrease waste through reducing or eliminating single-use plastics and diverting landfill waste with compost and recycling, venues will be offering plant-based food options at all shows," the O2 Arena's website read.
Eilish, who has spoken out against the “horrendous” animal agriculture industry and urged fans to eat more plant-based foods to help combat the climate crisis, reportedly narrated a short film on veganism, environmental issues, and the tour’s sustainability efforts, which played before the concert.
On tour, her crew follows a plant-based diet, her merchandise is produced using sustainable practices, and the O2 Arena featured an Eco Village to help raise awareness about climate change.
Despite receiving some negative backlash from the British tabloids, Eilish saw a wave of positive feedback for the animal and environmentally kind decision across social media, with one fan writing on X: "Billie Eilish having her concert be a vegan food only event in efforts for the environment and animal welfare is possibly the coolest thing I've ever seen."
In an April interview with Vogue, Eilish shared that she was raised vegetarian and “never had any meat,” though she once considered dairy her “favourite thing.” She eventually went vegan "a few years" after her family did, initially motivated by a desire to lose weight.
Eilish said her perspective shifted after learning about the realities of the dairy industry and animal agriculture. “Everyone’s allowed to do and eat whatever they want,” she said, “but the misconception that it isn’t completely, unreasonably inhumane to abuse and slaughter animals just for the pleasure of something that tastes good is silly and thoughtless to me.”
Her mother, Maggie Baird, a longtime plant-based advocate since the 1970s, has also spoken about the emotional shift that came with going vegan, describing it as “a weight off my shoulders.”
Eilish has since been in Manchester for her next four gigs, performing at the Co-op Live, with the arena also announcing that it will have a fully plant-based menu: "Co-op Live will commit to a fully plant-based food menu, in alignment with [Billie's] dedication to environmental action,” it states on its website. “This one-off initiative underscores both the artist's and the venue's shared mission to lead the future of sustainable live entertainment."
Eilish’s activism for animal rights also extends to the fashion industry. She agreed to wear an Oscar de la Renta gown to the 2021 Met Gala, but only on the condition that the major fashion house banned fur.
The singer has also launched several collaborations with Nike, including a eco-friendly vegan sneaker and athleisure range, as well as a vegan version of the brand’s Air Force Ones sneakers.
Take action: Choosing a plant-based lifestyle is one of the most impactful choices you can make for animals, the environment, and your own well-being. Take Species Unite’s 30-Day Plant-Powered Challenge and be a part of a movement that's changing the world for the better.
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