Northumbrian Water is celebrating ten years of its famous Innovation Festival, as the event returns for 2026 with its biggest spectacular yet.

Over the past decade, the festival has seen over 20,000 attendees from 5,000 organisations and 40 countries across the globe – and this year is expected to top the lot.

Since 2017, Northumbrian Water has hosted the summertime event, which sees some of the greatest minds from the worlds of technology, creativity, infrastructure and more coming together to creating positive changes to urgent water challenges

To celebrate this, the theme for Innovation Festival 2026 is ‘The Power of 10’, meaning that innovators are challenged to think ten times bigger, faster and further than ever before. It will also give a nod back over the past ten years, showcasing some of the festival’s biggest successes.

Huge ideas, such as the UK Government’s National Underground Asset Register, which helps to prevent fatal utility strikes, and Smart Sewers, which helps to reduce storm overflows have been generated from the event and are now making a real-life impact.

Around 3,000 innovators are expected to gather again at Gosforth Racecourse, in Newcastle, on 6-9th July to come up with ideas on how to drive sustainable growth, revitalise communities, and create lasting positive change.

Angela MacOscar, Head of Innovation at Northumbrian Water, said:

“It’s hard to believe that our beloved festival is now ten years old, and over this time we have seen some truly game-changing ideas.

“Last year was our biggest festival yet, but we know that we have to top it and really celebrate a decade of this incredible event. 2025’s theme was Regeneration, and it was our first ever zero-waste, hydrogen-powered event, and now sustainability isn’t an add on for our festival, it is a must.”

As well as the main festival, which will open for registration in mid-May, students from across the region will also gather to attend the Young Citizens Work Experience Festival.

The Young Citizens event, held in conjunction with the main Innovation Festival, will see 14-18 year-olds from local schools and colleges get hands on, develop valuable work-based skills and learn innovative ideation techniques used across the Northumbrian Water business. They’ll also expand their career knowledge within the water sector and other STEM based industries as future places of work.

Angela added:

“At its heart, this year’s theme of ‘The Power of 10’ is all about multiplication, and how bringing people together, across disciplines and borders, dramatically increases what is possible.

“We know that we need to be constantly improving for our customers and communities, and this event is our way of showing that we are always trying to be better – with the North East at the forefront of innovation.

“I couldn’t be prouder of all we have managed to achieve since 2017. We started in a small corner of the field, and now we take over the entire Racecourse with innovators who are determined to make a difference.”

As in previous years, the festival will also see a host of celebrity guests, entertainment, music and activities.

For more information about the festival visit www.innovationfestival.org