As organisers of Summerjam, we are aware of our ecological and social responsibility and try to live up to it in the planning and implementation of the festival.
Summerjam takes place in a unique recreational area in Cologne. We also want to be a cultural enrichment for the city of Cologne at this location. We have always taken care to leave the site tidy and clean after the event, thus protecting nature and wildlife at Fühlinger See.
We also hold our visitors to account: Enjoy – don´t destroy!
We appeal to them not to use any disposable products, to also think about sustainability when camping and to deposit their rubbish in the right place – we will take care of the waste separation. However, we are aware that such a large event is nevertheless a burden on the environment. That is why we are continuously working to reduce this ecological footprint.
In cooperation with organisations, associations and the "City of Cologne", we as organisers also offer a space for social projects and want to have a positive impact on society with various activities. Summerjam has always been a place where everyone is welcome. We want to create a family-friendly and barrier-free festival experience and enable all our visitors to participate.
In order to reduce our carbon footprint, we as organisers try to act in a more environmentally and climate-friendly way in various areas. We are increasingly offering our visitors vegan or vegetarian food on the festival grounds. In the "Garden of Food" there is a colourful selection of these climate-friendly delicacies. Backstage, we as organisers also rely on regional organic products for the catering of our staff and artists and increasingly offer vegetarian dishes.

Since 2021, many products made of single-use plastic have been banned in Germany and the EU. We will consistently implement this ban at Summerjam and encourage our retailers to use sustainable alternatives. For almost two decades, we have also been working with deposit cups in our gastronomic offer. These are thoroughly rinsed and reused.

We work to use less energy and water. By using energy-efficient lighting, we have already been able to reduce electricity consumption in this area. Water consumption at Summerjam Festival is also planned in a resource-saving way. For example, most toilet flushes deliberately do not use drinking water.

However, the biggest CO2 footprint of such a large event is created during the journey to and from the festival. That is why we have been appealing to our visitors for years to leave their cars behind and travel by bus and train. To make this journey as comfortable as possible, we offer a festival shuttle from the nearest S-Bahn station. For train travellers, this means taking the S6 or S11 at the Cologne central station up to Chorweiler, then our shuttle busses and you're at Summerjam.

We have expanded communication by employing a "Welcome Team". The volunteers welcome the visitors at the entrances to the campsite, hand out rubbish bags and provide information on where to dispose of rubbish or what social activities are available at Summerjam. The aim is to sensitise our visitors for a socially and environmentally conscious festival experience.

Music creates opportunities. Since 2017, the non-profit organization Zukunftsmusik e.V. has been committed to supporting the musical education of children and young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. Through donations, the organization funds music projects, workshops, and educational programs that provide young people with opportunities for creative growth and personal development.
At the Summerjam Festival, Zukunftsmusik e.V. is participating as a partner for the first time, collecting refundable deposit donations from campers.
The volunteer team distributes deposit collection bags directly across the camping areas and regularly picks up the collected bottles and cans from campsites throughout the festival.
This allows festival visitors to support music and educational projects for children and young people through a simple act of donation.
Every deposit contribution helps provide young people with access to musical education and opportunities for creative expression.Together, we demonstrate how sustainability, social engagement, and festival culture can go hand in hand.

Everyone should be able to move around and celebrate freely, safely, and without fear at events. Therefore, points of contact and support services are available in cases of harassment, discrimination, threats, or other uncomfortable situations.
Those affected can turn to event staff, bar staff, or security personnel at any time to receive support, protection, and assistance in planning their next steps. The goal is to create a safe space where those affected can calm down and discuss their situation.
Bar and security staff can call upon qualified, trained specialists for advice. These specialists provide support to women and girls* following harassment, assaults, or other experiences involving boundary violations, and provide information on further support services. Through these measures, we aim to send a clear signal in favor of respect, safety, and a discrimination-free environment.

*The Care Team is, of course, there for everyone.

Education For A Change!
HELP Jamaica! e.V. supports educational projects in Jamaica.
Through various local initiatives, the non-profit organisation enables children and young people from economically and socially disadvantaged areas to learn, to further their education, to develop new skills and to develop their personality. HELP Jamaica! collects donations at the Summerjam Festival in order to financially support existing projects and educational offers or to initialise new projects with local partner organisations. The aim is to support children, young people and adults in finding ways out of the cycle of unemployment, frustration, drugs and violence.