Lights, camera, compassion – how pop culture is turning vegan

Veganism has never been just about what’s on the plate. At its core, it’s a cultural and ethical shift, one that touches everything from how we see animals to how we understand our place in the world. And when it comes to culture, little holds more sway than entertainment.

From the music we stream to the shows we binge, from red carpet fashion to reality TV, entertainment isn’t just background noise – it’s how we make sense of the world. It shapes our identities, reflects our values and sets the tone for what’s considered normal, aspirational or even revolutionary. Whether we realise it or not, popular culture tells us what to care about. That’s why the growing embrace of veganism matters more than ever.

At a time when we’re facing a climate crisis, rampant biodiversity loss and a rising awareness of systemic cruelty in food systems, entertainment has the power to either reinforce the status quo or challenge it. And increasingly, it’s doing the latter. Celebrities, filmmakers, musicians and creators are weaving plant-based ethics into their work, helping to normalise and celebrate a lifestyle that was once seen as fringe. Not just through outspoken activism, but through subtle decisions – what food gets served on tour, what clothes are worn on screen, what kind of characters get written into scripts.

This matters. Because long before people change their habits, they change their minds. And more often than not, it’s stories, songs and onscreen moments – not statistics – that make those changes possible.

From plant-based pop stars and climate-conscious film sets to compassionate fashion and storytelling that sticks with you, culture is catching up with ethics. And in doing so, it’s helping make a kinder, more sustainable world not only imaginable, but visible.

A new kind of backstage rider

It might start with something as small as what’s being served backstage, but those choices ripple outwards. Where green rooms once overflowed with meat- and dairy-heavy buffets, an increasing number of artists are requesting plant-based catering and they’re not shy about it either.

Billie Eilish is leading that charge. The Grammy-winning artist has made plant-based living part of her brand and she’s using her global tours to encourage venues and fans alike to make more ethical choices. At her recent Happier Than Ever tour stop at the SAP Centre in San Jose, California, Eilish didn’t just take the stage – she transformed the entire stadium into a vegan zone. For two nights, more than 20,000 concertgoers were offered everything from vegan chicken tenders and hot dogs to asparagus ravioli and chocolate chip cookies. It was a bold move and it worked. Fans raved and the stadium proved that mass vegan catering is not only possible but popular.

This isn’t new behaviour for Eilish either. She has long used her platform to promote veganism, from encouraging major fashion brands like Oscar de la Renta to drop fur, to co-founding Support + Feed, a nonprofit organisation working to transition communities toward plant-based diets while tackling food insecurity and climate change. Her annual climate-focused event, Overheated, held at London’s O2 Arena, also asked the venue to go completely vegan during the multi-day festival.

She’s far from the only artist using their clout this way. Morrissey famously refuses to perform at venues that sell meat, while Paul McCartney has made meat-free requests a regular feature of his touring contracts. These demands may seem simple on the surface – no animal products backstage, please – but their impact is profound. When superstars take a stand, venues and promoters listen, and plant-based living moves another step into the spotlight.

Film sets with a conscience

This shift isn’t confined to concert tours; film sets are also becoming spaces where vegan values are quietly taking root.

Director James Cameron is known for his love of both big-budget cinema and environmental advocacy. During the production of Avatar, he mandated that all catering be vegan – a reflection of the film’s deep ecological themes. “We can’t make a movie about respecting the natural world while ignoring what we’re putting on our plates,” he told the crew. That decision not only reduced the film’s environmental footprint but also signalled a new kind of production ethic, one that takes responsibility beyond the screen.

This approach is gradually spreading across the industry. Actors like Natalie Portman, Rooney Mara and Woody Harrelson are not only living vegan lifestyles but also using their influence to shape what happens on and off set. From requesting vegan catering to championing cruelty-free fashion and cosmetics, these stars are showing that animal-free choices can exist even in the glitziest corners of Hollywood.

Harrelson, known for his long-standing veganism, has even been credited with helping other celebrities make the switch. While filming Solo: A Star Wars Story, he reportedly inspired co-star Thandiwe Newton to adopt a vegan lifestyle, not through pressure but by simply leading by example. He’s done the same for Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink. Sometimes, all it takes is one respected colleague living their values to make others stop and think.

Stories that make us care

It isn’t only what entertainers do behind the scenes that matters. Increasingly, the stories they tell are helping audiences confront the realities of animal exploitation and environmental breakdown.

Bong Joon-ho’s Okja is one of the most striking examples. The 2017 film tells the story of a young girl and her genetically engineered ‘super pig,’ bred by a fictional food corporation. While the premise may be fantastical, the emotional journey is anything but. It is a searing critique of the meat industry, wrapped in a profoundly human story. By giving us a loveable animal protagonist and placing her at the heart of a global food nightmare, the film bypasses defences and appeals to empathy.

What’s remarkable is how well it worked. After Okja premiered on Netflix, searches for ‘vegan’ spiked globally. For many, it wasn’t a documentary or a news article that planted the seed of doubt – rather a fictional exposé of the cruelty involved in meat production. This is where entertainment holds its quiet power. A good story lingers, inviting reflection without direct judgment of our choices and actions.

Normalising the plant-based life

Not every representation of veganism needs to be loud or provocative. One of the most effective ways entertainment supports the movement is by showing vegan choices as entirely usual.

When a character casually asks for oat milk or makes a joke about tofu without being the punchline themselves, it chips away at the outdated stereotypes. These small moments accumulate, helping viewers see plant-based living not as fringe, but simply part of modern life. This kind of representation may not grab headlines but is vital to shifting the cultural baseline.

More than a trend

What we see in entertainment shapes how we see ourselves. The rise of veganism in music, film, fashion and television is about more than menus and messaging, it is about power – the power to influence hearts, habits and ultimately, culture itself.

In a world increasingly aware of climate change, animal cruelty and health crises, entertainment has a role to play in reflecting and accelerating change. Normalising compassionate choices, celebrating plant-based living and telling stories that challenge the status quo bring veganism to the centre of cultural life. Veganism is no longer the underdog narrative – in the world of entertainment, it’s becoming the headline act.