Vevolution festival is in London. | © Sarah Koury www.kouryvindaloo.com
The vegan movement is on fire. From soaring IPOs to vegan fried chicken launching at KFC, 2019 has seen some of the biggest mainstream breakthroughs in the plant-powered universe. And where better to celebrate those vegan wins than at the UK’s leading vegan festival?
Set to take place on London’s picturesque Southbank this November, Vevolution Festival will treat you to a day packed with inspirational and thought-provoking talks, workshops, and panels.
Speakers include pro skateboarder Kenny Anderson, Wicked Healthy co-founder Derek Sarno, LIVEKINDLY founder and CEO Jodi Monelle, and restaurateur Loui Blake.
“We are so proud that Vevolution Festival has become a global event with attendees and speakers traveling from all over the world to be a part of it,” the festival’s co-founder Damien Clarkson told LIVEKINDLY.
Together with Judy Nadel, Clarkson created Vevolution to push the vegan movement forward. It aims to raise awareness and educate the masses about veganism, creating free educational content for people around the world to access.
Vevolution supports vegan entrepreneurs, businesses, and hosts major events around the world, including its annual London festival.
The event is sponsored by a number of vegan brands, including BOL, Follow Your Heart, Wuka, and Bute Island Foods. Environmental organization Greenpeace has also partnered with the festival, as has Animal Equality UK, and community kitchen Made in Hackney.
Clarkson explained, “when we started [Vevolution Festival] we didn’t ever envision it would grow to be such a big global celebration of the plant-powered movement and positive change-makers.”
Each year, the festival gets bigger and better. This year, it will unveil a new Positive Futures stage.
“We live in an economically, politically unstable time,” said Clarkson. “We think we are clearly seeing the very real impacts of man-made climate change on our planet. This stage will be discussing how we re-imagine and transform our food systems, our health, and creative positive change-making businesses.”
It’s been a huge year for vegan food; 2019 has seen major fast-food chains — including Papa John’s, KFC, and Burger King — add new animal-free options to their menus. But the biggest leap forward for the plant-based movement? Clarkson says it’s got to be the Beyond Meat IPO.
Based in California, Beyond Meat has taken the world by storm with its vegan “bleeding” beef-like patties, which look, cook, and taste like their animal-based counterparts.
The burgers aren’t just kinder to the animals, but they’re good to the planet too. One Beyond Burger produces 90 percent fewer greenhouse gases than its beef equivalent.
In May, it became the first-ever vegan brand to IPO. Initially, its value was $25 a share. By the end of its first day, its value was $65 a share. By June, it was valued at $99.9 a share.
Its success has changed the future of food, says Clarkson. “We speak to so many investors and big companies who are now waking up to the potential of the plant-based products to generate profit.”
He added, “the Beyond Meat IPO has led to so many more big companies, banks, and investors contacting us about the future of plant-based business and this is really exciting.”
Positive change is happening around the world, and Vevolution will inspire you to get involved, says Clarkson. Even if you’re planning on going solo, you won’t be disappointed.
“We always have people attend our festivals on their own,” he said. “Every year we hear stories of people who have made new friends and come away from Vevolution feeling like they are a part of how we are going to create a better world.”
He added, “our ultimate wish is that attendees leave feeling positive about the future and the role they can play in transforming the planet and making it a better place to live.”
A renewed sense of hope and passion aren’t the only souvenirs attendees will take home. For every ticket purchased, guests will receive a goodie bag worth £25, packed full of the best new vegan products.
If you want to go all-in, there’s also the option of an Extra Entry Ticket. You’ll get access to the festival, entry queue jump, and access to the venue 15 minutes before the doors open.
You’ll also be able to access to breakfast 15 minutes before the doors open. You’ll get a free lunch and a WIP goodie bag, packed with vegan products worth more than £45.
But if you’re not interested in filling up your home with new things you may not necessarily need, Vevolution understands. It is also offering the choice of a low impact ticket, which simply grants access to the festival alone.
Free continental breakfast — which includes muffins, fruit pots, and cookies — will be on offer on a first-come, first-served basis, and free coffee will be available for all throughout the day.
For those there for the food (who isn’t), Vevolution is offering “the best vegan street food you can find in the country.” The venue’s internal caterers Benugo have also cooked up a special plant-based menu for the occasion.
“Vevolution is for everyone,” said Clarkson. ”It is a place to come and discuss the future of the plant-based economy, meet your new best friend, and hear a positive vision for the future.”
Vevolution will take place on November 16 at BFI Southbank. To choose your ticket, click here.
This post was last modified on December 15, 2020 6:36 am