Boomtown, renowned for its boundary-pushing approach to music, storytelling and sustainability, today announces a groundbreaking new hydrogen-powered stage for 2026: HYDRO XL.

Following the debut of HYDRO in 2025 as one of the UK’s first hydrogen-powered festival stages, HYDRO XL returns bigger, bolder and re-engineered at scale, growing from its original 8,000 capacity to 20,000 this year. Now positioned at the heart of Downtown in the former Origins footprint, HYDRO XL steps into one of Boomtown’s most iconic flagship stage locations, marking a major leap forward in both production and sustainable innovation.

As one of the first main stages in the UK to run entirely on green hydrogen, HYDRO XL demonstrates that zero-carbon solutions can operate at full festival scale without compromise. Powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology, the stage delivers emission free energy while maintaining the high-impact sound, lighting and spectacle expected from a flagship Boomtown stage.

For 2026, HYDRO XL continues to evolve within the futuristic district of Metropolis, taking on a bold, industrial design that is sleek, mechanical and immersive. Acting as a key anchor in Boomtown’s narrative, the stage will host one half of both the opening and closing ceremonies, where the city’s story begins and ends through large scale performance and spectacle.

Unveiling the full stage lineup today, HYDRO XL reflects Boomtown’s continued commitment to pushing musical boundaries across its biggest platforms. From global icons to underground talent, the programme spans house, techno, bass and beyond.

Highlights include Skrillex, the true genre-defying maximalist producer, alongside Four Tet and Floating Points (Live), both known for their expansive, forward thinking electronic performances. Groove Armada bring their legendary catalogue to the stage, while Brutalismus 3000, 999999999, Azyr, VTSS and Oguz represent the harder, high-impact edge of contemporary club culture.

Further additions include DJ EZ, a pioneer of UK garage, Eats Everything B2B TSHA for a standout cross-genre set, and Sherelle’s AV show, delivering high speed, high energy innovation. Rising names such as KILIMANJARO B2B Oppidan, Rossi. B2B Silva Bumpa, Diffrent and Notion sit alongside cult favourites like Effy B2B Ross From Friends, Marlon Hoffstadt and more, creating a lineup that reflects both heritage and the future of dance music.

This year’s curation underlines Boomtown’s proactive approach to diversifying the artists and sounds represented on its largest stages, bringing together a broad spectrum of scenes and communities under one roof.

Luke Mitchell, Boomtown Co-founder and CVO says: “We’re absolutely over the moon to be working with GeoPura to bring HYDRO XL to life at this scale. Seeing the smaller HYDRO stage in action last year at Boomtown was incredible. Personally I spent a lot of time behind the stage as it was fascinating to see. 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.”

Luke continues… “We really value this partnership with GeoPura, it’s a significant investment to pull this off and a real journey this year to prove it works on this scale. GeoPura’s ability to produce truly green hydrogen using renewable energy is another important factor, not just for Boomtown, but for the wider events industry who we hope to see adopting this technology too. 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.”

With hundreds of artists still to be announced, Boomtown Chapter 5: Radical Redesign continues to reshape the future of festivals. Beyond just a theme, Radical Redesign is a commitment to rethinking how large-scale events operate, from infrastructure and energy to culture, creativity and connection.

Boomtown remains a platform for environmental action, immersive storytelling and collective experience, alongside its ambitious music programme. Across the city, attendees can expect a rich blend of music, performance, art and participation, all driven by the festival’s core values: Respect yourself, Respect each other, Respect the planet.

The 17th edition of Boomtown will take place between Wednesday 12th August – Sunday 16th August 2026 at Matterley Estate in the South Downs National Park. For more info visit https://www.boomtownfair.co.uk.