‘No precedent’: Lorde and Little Simz to star at world-first festival run on clean power

Bristol’s Forwards festival this weekend will be powered almost entirely by green energy, marking what organisers claim is the world’s first large‑scale clean‑power event. The main stage on Clifton Down is driven by a compact hydrogen power plant supplied by GeoPura, while a second stage and other areas rely on battery units charged from renewable sources and backed by generators that use hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). The festival hosts artists including Lorde, Little Simz and Wet Leg and is part of a pilot scheme that has already powered other Bristol events such as the Balloon Fiesta and television productions like the drama *Mavis Eccleston*.

The clean‑power pilot (CPP) was created with backing from regional public money and political support, giving it a secure source of green mobile power for festivals, events and film crews. The scheme was seeded by a low‑carbon performance by the trip‑hop collective Massive Attack, which, together with the creative‑industry project Act 1.5, demonstrated that a zero‑emission power supply for a large event is feasible. The West of England mayoral combined authority and Bristol City Council have provided financial support, while clean‑energy providers and the region’s largest television studio, Bottle Yard, have also backed the initiative.

Ben Price, head of partnerships at Team Love, the organisers of Forwards, said the geography and geology of Clifton Down prevent the festival from tapping the National Grid, and that the economics of temporary energy supply make it impractical for the organisers to invest on their own. “We need the backing of public money to de‑risk it,” Price said. Mark Donne, lead producer of Act 1.5, described the project as a global first, noting that no comparable programme exists in terms of scale, design or the sectors involved. John O’Sullivan, another senior figure in Act 1.5, said the result is fewer diesel generators at events and that “the only thing you notice is the quiet.”

Act 1.5 is working with other mayoral authorities across England to expand the concept, and the project has attracted international interest. The initiative is seen as a catalyst for systemic change in the entertainment and media sectors. Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack said the group’s 2024 show was never meant to be a one‑off, adding that the project “was always about systemic change” and that it provides a “permanent legacy of decarbonisation for all major festivals and film and TV productions in Bristol.” He warned that governments and transnational corporations have wasted time in the face of climate‑related disasters, and that projects like Act 1.5 can help civil society act now.

Jonathan Pryce, who appears in *Mavis Eccleston*, also endorsed the project. He said that the severe weather events of the summer have become a vivid reality and that “drama, music and art are activities that allow us to understand difficult realities, but they also provide spaces to imagine a better future and find ideas and designs to reach it.”

The hydrogen plant used at the main stage produces only water as a by‑product, and performers will be invited to sample the water at the end of their sets. The second stage’s battery units are charged from renewable suppliers, and the HVO generators provide backup power. Together, the scheme demonstrates that a large festival can operate with a near‑zero carbon footprint, potentially setting a new standard for events worldwide.