How a Major Arena Went All-Vegan for a Superstar
In a big win for animals, the SAP Center in San Jose, California just went completely vegan—yes, all of it—for concerts by alt-pop superstar and long-time vegan Billie Eilish. For two nights, anyone stepping through those arena doors found themselves in a vegan foodie paradise. Keep reading to find out what was on the menu at the venue!
Eilish is famous for using her massive platform to support animal rights and sustainability. In 2021, Eilish was PETA’s Person of the Year after she successfully urged Oscar de la Renta to ditch fur. She’s also brought Support + Feed—the vegan nonprofit founded by her mother, Maggie Baird—on tour with her before, inspiring fans to go vegan.
Eilish encouraged fans to eat at her favorite vegan restaurants in every North American city on her current “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour. For her San Jose stop, she requested that the arena offer nothing but vegan food during her concerts—and it delivered!
Billie’s fans got a menu that included vegan hot dogs topped with vegan cheese, vegan pizzas, vegan chocolate chip cookies, vegan chicken strips, hearty vegan sliders, and even asparagus ravioli.
Other Artists Shaking Up Menus at Stadiums
Morrissey has famously convinced a number of venues—and even a Belgian music festival—to go meat-free during his performances. Paul McCartney has followed suit and has also requested meat-free backstage areas. Artists can request that venues meet certain requirements through “riders.” A rider is a part of their contract that outlines everything from technical specifications to personal requests, including food preferences. By specifying vegan options in their rider, artists can ask venues not to serve animals at their concerts.
Stadiums are stepping up their vegan game as more people than ever realize that every animal is someone. Cows are gentle, social animals who can recognize more than 100 other cows and form close friendships with members of their herd while chickens form complex “pecking orders,” where they remember the faces and ranks of more than 100 other birds.
PETA has ranked the most vegan-friendly NFL stadiums and MLB ballparks, proving that vegan options are a winning game changer.
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