Sam Fender’s People Watching concerts in the UK and Ireland have become the first major tour to use transportation powered entirely by electric trucks. 

Partnering with Mercedes-Benz Trucks, the sell-out run of shows was supported by four eActros 600s - saving a claimed 840kg of CO2 over the 934 miles travelled while keeping to a schedule across England, Scotland, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Each night, the trucks carried stage sets and equipment hundreds of miles between venues, charging on the road using the existing UK and Irish HGV infrastructure. 

“Transport is a key part of any live music tour, but we wanted to make the People Watching Tour as green and sustainable as possible,” said Richard Burnett MD of KB Event, who provided the tour logistics. “Until now, electric trucks weren’t seen as viable for big tours, but the eActros 600 has shown they can deliver the performance, the range, and the reliability.” 

Sam Fender himself added: “We’ve just finished our summer tour where we used Mercedes-Benz electric trucks operated by KB Event. Hopefully, this will help show what can be achieved on future tours and other artists will jump onboard too. Big thanks to everyone involved and to Massive Attack for pioneering the way with more sustainable touring.” 

Despite tight deadlines, charging posed no issues during the tour. “We only needed a maximum 90-minute stop to recharge, which slotted neatly into the schedule,” added Burnett. “It will be even easier when venues start adding their own charging hubs.”

Charging used existing infrastructure and needed 90 minute stops