In August 2025, Hydrologiq delivered the UK's first hydrogen-powered main stage at a major festival, introducing 77,000 predominantly young attendees to hydrogen technology in an environment where they could experience its benefits firsthand. Combined with over 1 million social media impressions, this deployment reached an unprecedented non-industry audience. For the vast majority, this was their first encounter with hydrogen power.
The deployment
Four synchronised EODev GEH2 fuel cell generators supplied up to 440kVA of continuous power to Boomtown's HYDRO stage throughout the event week. Working with partners Renewable Generation Limited and EODev, the deployment consumed 250kg of green hydrogen and avoided 8,530kg of CO2 emissions. The dance-focused stage powered sets from internationally recognised artists including The Blessed Madonna, Eats Everything, and Honey Dijon.
Hydrologiq's Logiq platform managed operations throughout, monitoring generator performance and forecasting hydrogen consumption to ensure continued power.
Proven performance under pressure
The festivals and events industry has long been sceptical about replacing diesel for critical applications like powering a main stage. The hydrogen installation's flawless performance at Boomtown 2025 exposed fundamental technical limitations of diesel combustion, presenting a completely viable alternative in the form of hydrogen fuel cell.
Benjamin Lindley, Hydrologiq COO, explains:
"Festival stages present one of the most demanding load profiles in temporary power: sub-second transitions from near-idle to full capacity as tracks drop and lighting rigs kick in. Traditional diesel generators struggle with these conditions: two synchronised diesel units can hunt for voltage, fight each other to maintain sync, physically shaking and exhausting part-burned fuel, NOx, and particulates with every change in demand.
The fuel cell generators did nothing of the kind, responding to wildly variable loads without stress. This deployment demonstrated that hydrogen isn't just cleaner than diesel; in high-variability applications, it's technically superior."
Reaching new audiences
Boomtown's social media campaign introduced hydrogen to its young audience before, during, and after the event. Five key posts across Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook generated 25,000 likes and over 1.25 million impressions. On-site, an innovative viewing window allowed festival-goers to watch the hydrogen system in operation, while Hydrologiq staff engaged attendees, artists, and production crew throughout.
What's next
Based on HYDRO's success, Boomtown has announced Hydro XL for 2026 - an expanded stage in a larger festival area. As Boomtown's 2025 slogan put it: hydrogen is not the power of tomorrow, it's "the power of now".
