Highlights

In July 2026 we held our tenth Innovation Festival, and it was our biggest event yet! 

We returned once again to Newcastle Racecourse hosting over 60 sprints in the sunny North East.

Almost 4,000 of you attended, and we managed the equivalent of 37 years worth of work . . . in just four days!

We also hosted our Young Citizens Work Experience Festival for the third time, which saw 420 students from 19 different schools taking part in a variety of real-life and online challenges.

Millions of people from all over the world watched IF26 unfold on social media, and people travelled from as far as Australia, the Phillipines, the USA and Canada to be with us for the week. 

The event was full hydrogen-powered, and everything was eco-conscious right down to the glitter!

In the decade of Innovation Festivals, we’ve covered a lot of ground.

Since our first Innovation Festival, we have come on leaps and bounds. Almost 25,000 people have joined us over the ten years, and our potential project value is £190m a year.

There’s a lot of water under the bridge (pun totally intended) and we thought we’d share some of the best bits and highlights from previous years with you. Enjoy!