The pioneering Shambala music festival has served only vegetarian and vegan food for years but has just announced that it is launching a public vote on whether to introduce wild venison this year.

Shambala is famous for being among the most sustainable festivals. Ten years ago it removed meat and fish from its menus for the first time.

The organisers hoped to spark a conversation about the impact the food we eat has on climate, ecosystems and communities around the globe. 

Habitats

Chris Johnson, a co-founder of Shambala and the current managing director, said: “In 2016, we shocked the festival world - and some of our audience - by taking meat and fish off the menu. 

"We did this to reduce environmental impacts, and also to spark debate. It feels time to reinvigorate these important conversations, and also to highlight that we urgently need to eat wild deer to rescue and protect what little is left of our natural habitats.”

The festival claims it was able to cut food-related emissions to just six per cent of its total carbon footprint - compared to an average of 21 per cent for British music festivals.

But after a decade the festival is revisiting the conversation in light of record-high deer populations in Britain and growing ecological concerns around overgrazing and biodiversity loss.

Conservationists, land managers and ecologists have warned that deer numbers have risen to levels that many habitats cannot sustain, in part because of the absence of natural predators.

Wild

Heavy browsing of young trees and vegetation is linked to stalled woodland regeneration, damage to crops, and declining biodiversity. 

As a result, controlled culling is widely used as a land management tool. Advocates argue that consuming wild venison from these programmes ensures the animal is used as food rather than wasted, and can form part of a more localised, low-input food system. 

Last week the British Government unveiled a strategy aimed at making deer management easier in order to reduce numbers and protect crops and habitats. 

The organisers of Shambala are encouraging festival goers to participate in this ecological debate - and asking its community to consider whether wild venison could have a place at the festival as an environmentally restorative food choice.

Circus

If approved by festival-goers, Shambala would introduce a single trader serving only wild British venison, with a percentage of profits donated to biodiversity initiatives. 

Talks and workshops exploring the Britain's deer overpopulation and wider food system ethics would also form part of the programme.

A third of Shambala’s audience identifies as vegetarian or vegan. The organisers stress that they respect the ethical convictions underpinning those choices. The final decision will be determined by an audience vote.

Shambala 2026 will take place from 27 August 2026 at Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens with artists including Bob Vylan, Hollie Cook, Emma-Jean Thackray, The Selecter. There will also be four days of theatre, circus, and workshops at its Northamptonshire home.

This Author

Brendan Montague is a member of the editorial team of The Ecologist.