Boomtown to debut 20,000-capacity hydrogen-powered stage for 2026 event

The stage, named HYDRO XL, will enable the five-day theatre and music festival to increase in capacity from 8,000 to 20,000 and take over the former Origins footprint in the heart of the festival’s Downtown area. It follows the debut of a smaller hydrogen-powered stage at the 2025 event, which the organisers say was the first of its kind in the UK.

Now positioned as one of Boomtown’s flagship platforms, HYDRO XL will run on hydrogen fuel cell technology, producing zero carbon emissions. The stage will maintain full production values for sound, lighting and performance, anchoring one half of the festival’s opening and closing ceremonies within its Metropolis district.

Boomtown co-founder and CVO Luke Mitchell explains that the decision to expand the technology came after witnessing the original hydrogen stage in action last year: “Personally I spent a lot of time behind the stage as it was fascinating to see," Mitchell says. "Where you would normally hear diesel generators, there was just silence, with nothing but water vapour as the by-product, and the water was so pure you could drink it. It inspired us to take the leap and develop the idea into one of our main stages this year.”

The full stage lineup for HYDRO XL spans house, techno, bass and beyond, including Skrillex, Four Tet, Floating Points and Groove Armada. The bill also features harder-edged acts such as Brutalismus 3000, 999999999, VTSS and Oguz, alongside UK garage pioneer DJ EZ, a B2B set from Eats Everything and TSHA, and an AV show from Sherelle. Ross From Friends B2B Effy, Marlon Hoffstadt, Oppidan and KILAMANJARO B2B Silva Bumpa are also confirmed. The organisers explain that the curation reflects a push to diversify the artists and sounds represented on their largest stages.

Mitchell stresses the importance of the partnership with GeoPura, the green energy company supplying the hydrogen: “It’s a significant investment to pull this off and a real journey this year to prove it works on this scale,” he says. “It’s crucial that others with resources in our industry invest in this new green technology, so we reach a point where it’s achievable for all to use.”

Hundreds more artists are yet to be announced for the festival, which this year operates under the theme ‘Radical Redesign’ and runs from Wednesday 12 August to Sunday 16 August at Matterley Estate in the South Downs National Park.