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Access All Areas is delighted to present the finalists for the AAA Awards 2026. We will be announcing the winners for all 20 categories at the official awards ceremony, taking place on 8 December 2026 at the Bavarian Village, Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park, London.
Below is the OFFICIAL running order for this year's awards:
A Man About A Dog Limited
The AMAAD Operations team proves that top quality public safety management, industry leading environmental responsibility and a warm, inclusive workplace culture do not just coexist, they reinforce one another. Led by a dynamic all women core team, supported by a dedicated network of longstanding freelancers, they stand as an indisputable benchmark of excellence in live event operations.
The team holds top sector qualifications, spanning Level 5 Crowd Management up to Level 7 Crowded Places & Public Safety Management, alongside NEBOSH, IOSH and carbon literacy. For a decade, they have been the operational backbone of Junction 2 festival, alongside Boundary Brighton. As the founding team that opened Printworks (London) and electronic dance music events at Tobacco Dock, their operational versatility has driven groundbreaking venue launches nationwide, including Quarters (Brighton), Testbed (Leeds), The Prospect Building (Bristol), and London’s 7,000 capacity, Ironworks.
Winners of the Green Awards UK for Tourism and Entertainment 2026, the team embeds sustainability directly into their culture. By balancing professional discipline with genuine joy, collaborative mentoring and peer-to-peer learning, celebrated by an in-house AAA 30 Under 30 award winner. AMAAD Operations delivers unforgettable live experiences with passion, heart and flawless precision.
Boomtown
Chapter Five: Radical Redesign was Boomtown's most ambitious edition yet, and the operations team delivered it through a summer that tested everything. Boomtown rebuilt the city, opening the site to create more space, more landscape and a more welcoming experience for a broader audience. The team did this while hosting more than 75,000 people over five days and supporting 14,000 crew through nine weeks of build, show and break. A long heatwave brought dry ground, dust and pressure on water supplies. The team answered with more water and shade at the gates, dust suppression across the site, dedicated crew welfare and, for the first time at Boomtown, hydration breaks between DJ sets on the main stages so citizens could cool off, refill and reapply sun cream. The result was a city delivered on time, with new partners pulling as one. What sets this team apart is how it plans meticulously, adapts in real time and keeps people at the heart of every decision. Boomtown's operations team doesn't just run a festival. It keeps a city alive.
Chained Events
We are Chained Events! An operations team at the heart of UK live events. Seven years ago, we were Parklife Festival’s stock team, cutting our teeth running bars for 160,000 revellers. This year, 37 partners trusted us across 132 events.
We’re a hybrid operator: some book our staff, others our stock expertise, and others put us in charge of their entire bar operation. At No Art Manchester, we coordinated all retail for 20,000+ attendees.
Stock management is our core. From Belladrum to The Warehouse Project, we build repeatable workflows adaptable to any bar in any field. Our digital stocktakes cut a full festival count from 2 hours to 20 minutes.
August bank holiday was our biggest test: ten events in three days, from Creamfields to Live From Wythenshawe Park. We’d been preparing since March.
We built Trak, our own hub and mobile app, so our teams arrive prepared. One Circle, Freemans, Beat-Herder and The Warehouse Project have worked with us for five years.
In 2024, we helped WHP win this award. This year, we’re proud to put Chained’s own story forward, built by every member of our team.
DHP Family
For over 45 years, DHP Family has remained fiercely independent, creating distinctive live music experiences driven by artists, audiences and a passion for music. Free from corporate ownership and shareholder influence, we can make decisions based on long-term cultural and business value rather than short-term commercial pressures.
As an independent venue operator, festival organiser and national promoter, DHP combines the agility and passion of a small, experienced team with scale and capability of a national operation. We create unique, non-cookie-cutter events across the UK, from Bearded Theory’s five-day alternative camping festival in Derbyshire, to Dot To Dot, Footsteps and Foolhardy Folk Festival.
We operate venues including Rock City, Rescue Rooms, The Bodega, Stealth and The Palais in Nottingham, The Garage, Grace and Oslo in London, and Thekla in Bristol. Alongside our festivals and venues, we promote artists ranging from emerging grassroots acts to established arena artists, developing long-term relationships and careers.
Our work is united by an independent ethos, programming and a commitment to discovering and supporting artists at every stage of their journey, creating memorable experiences that stand apart from the mainstream and delivering opportunities for artists to grow from grassroots rooms to stages.
Slam Dunk 2026, LFX Events
Slam Dunk Festival’s unique North / South model brings world-class artists to audiences across the UK, improving accessibility, reducing travel barriers and supporting more sustainable journeys. Each one-day event welcomes approximately 30,000 festivalgoers to Leeds and Hatfield, requiring two simultaneous, mirrored builds delivered safely and efficiently.
LFX Events has delivered Slam Dunk since its inception, drawing on trusted suppliers, quality contractors and an experienced freelance team to deliver two coordinated, successful events. Through continuous improvement, 2026 saw three key operational enhancements.
Improving accessibility: An enhanced professional access team, including a dedicated Festival Access Manager and six access staff per site, supported improved facilities and services. These included accessible shuttle buses, improved site access, queue-jump provisions, Changing Places unit. Every stage offered accessible viewing, with the two main stages providing three levels of access and dedicated speaker systems.
Reducing crime: Enhanced operational management & collaboration with Hertfordshire Constabulary helped tackle organised phone theft. In 2026, facial recognition technology reinforced these measures, with zero reported phone thefts at the event.
Strengthening show-stop procedures: A revised procedure, developed using the Pink Bows Foundation approach, introduced dedicated roles and clearer, recorded communication protocols. Supported by qualified safety professionals and experienced Event Control teams.
London Stadium
London Stadium's operations team spends the football season keeping West Ham home fixtures running, then shows the venue's range in summer. Between 31 May and 26 July 2026 it hosted the sold-out 20th anniversary of Soccer Aid for UNICEF, three nights of Take That, two nights of Metallica, the London Athletics Meet and Wingfest, delivered safely and on schedule.
The team plans every conversion in detail, from build and sound checks to takedown, and works with city partners to keep crowds moving. Accessibility is built in, with step-free routes, lifts on every level, Changing Places facilities and an accessible shuttle bus, and rooftop solar helps power the summer's biggest shows.
The results speak for themselves: a record £16.46 million raised on the night at Soccer Aid, sold out concerts, and a world-record mile from Josh Kerr, all inside a few weeks.
Science Festivals NI
NI Science Festival 2026 demonstrates what can be achieved by a small, ambitious and highly collaborative operations team. With just four full-time staff, supported by a trusted network of freelance event managers, the team delivered an extraordinary 11-day festival spanning more than 350 events across Northern Ireland and welcoming 59,000 attendees.
Our objective was to make science accessible, engaging and inspiring for audiences everywhere, while delivering a complex, geographically dispersed programme to consistently high standards. With 45% of events free to attend, the team coordinated venues, partners, speakers, suppliers, ticketing, logistics, accessibility, technical requirements and live event delivery across multiple locations simultaneously.
The team’s approach combines meticulous advance planning with agility, trust and calm decision-making during the live festival. Robust systems and strong relationships empower freelance event managers and partners to deliver effectively, while the core team provides coordination and support across the entire programme.
What makes this achievement stand out is the scale and complexity delivered by such a lean permanent team. Behind 59,000 audience experiences are four people who successfully bring hundreds of moving parts together, transforming an ambitious programme into a cohesive festival reaching communities throughout Northern Ireland.
We Organise Chaos
We Organise Chaos leads and delivers operations across a diverse portfolio of complex live events, including We Out Here, Rock Oyster and Live at York.
Our team creates the operational structures that turn ambitious plans into successful live experiences bringing together departments, suppliers and specialist partners to ensure events operate safely, efficiently and cohesively.
Collaboration, people, strong processes and experience underpin our approach. At We Out Here, we developed a bespoke event management system to improve collaboration, visibility and accountability across the advance team. At Rock Oyster, we introduced clearer milestones, consistent communications and collaborative planning processes, allowing the promoter team to focus energy on strategic development rather than operational firefighting.
At Live at York, our experience in crowd management and complex event egress informed a successful egress strategy, helping build confidence with the Local Authority and contributing to the event securing a new license.
At the heart of our success are our people. Through training, mentoring, paid learning opportunities and collaboration, we build skilled, diverse teams and create opportunities for people to develop and take on greater responsibility.
We Organise Chaos creates order from complexity — combining experienced people, strong processes and collaborative leadership to create exceptional live events.
Bearded Theory
Bearded Theory champions new music alongside artists we’ve worked with for many years, creating an eclectic alternative to the mainstream. Previous line-ups have featured Iggy Pop, Jane’s Addiction, Amyl and the Sniffers, Future Islands, SOFT PLAY, Dinosaur Jr., Interpol and Public Service Broadcasting, alongside contemporary artists including English Teacher, Bob Vylan, Yard Act, Panic Shack, Big Special and more.
Our approach is rooted in distinctive, carefully curated line-ups that bring together alternative legends, punk firebrands, indie favourites, folk storytellers and electronic pioneers. In 2026, Pixies, Garbage and Skunk Anansie headlined a bill featuring CMAT, Kae Tempest, The Horrors, Sprints, The Twilight Sad, Ozric Tentacles, A Guy Called Gerald, Ferocious Dog, Lambrini Girls, Fat Dog, BCUC, Opus Kink and more, with discovery at its heart.
Above all, Bearded Theory is defined by its independent spirit and strong sense of community. We deliberately shun corporate sponsorship, creating a space where audiences can come together for the love of music without the intrusion of major brands. Our ambition is not to grow by becoming more mainstream, but by becoming more distinctly Bearded Theory – independent, adventurous and willing to do things differently.
Reggae Land, JBM Music LTD
Reggae Land is the UK's largest reggae festival, and it is wholly independent - founded, funded and run by JBM Music Ltd, with no corporate group behind it.
In 2026 the festival ran across three days at Milton Keynes National Bowl, selling 135,000 tickets and reaching 100% of licensed capacity on both main festival days. It sold out in January, six months before the gates opened, having sold 80,000 in 2025. Another 55,000 are already away for 2027.
Six stages - Main Stage, One Love, Dance Hall, Carnival, Dub and Bob's Bar - each programme a distinct strand of the culture, not an overflow from the main stage. Burna Boy headlined the opening night. The main stage production ranks among the largest in the UK festival market, with PRG lighting and video, a d&b GSL audio system and stage design by Auratecture.
What sets Reggae Land apart is ownership. Its audience buys the brand rather than the line-up, returning every year whoever plays - which is why JBM has declined offers to take the festival overseas. It is a national-scale festival built by an independent promoter, for an audience the UK market has too often overlooked.
Kaleidoscope Festival
Kaleidoscope Festival is an independent London festival built around live music, DJs, comedy, culture and discovery.
Created at Alexandra Palace in 2018, it is conceived, programmed, marketed and produced solely in-house by the team that runs Alexandra Palace and its 196-acre Park year-round.
The 2026 programme reflected London’s musical heritage and creativity, with Rudimental, Groove Armada, MJ Cole, Black Grape, Roni Size and DJ Paulette, alongside comedy, performance and a dedicated programme for younger festivalgoers.
Attendees move between the amphitheatre of the South Slope, panoramic views across London and spaces inside the Grade II* listed Palace, from live music on the Hilltop to a secret rave in the Victorian basements.
In 2026, audience feedback shaped a new indoor Food Village, while an enlarged accessible viewing platform improved sightlines and capacity. The festival achieved its first 100% sell-out, five days before the event.
Its success supports Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust, helping care for and restore the Palace and Park and supporting cultural, learning and community programmes reaching more than 13,500 people annually.
Now in its eighth year and sixth edition, the spirit behind Kaleidoscope Festival remains simple, throw the best party we’d all want to go to ourselves.
Labyrinth on the Thames, Labyrinth
Labyrinth on the Thames brings world-class contemporary music to the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, 500 years of British history becomes the stage for globally significant artists, set against Sir Christopher Wren’s breathtaking architecture on the banks of the Thames.
In 2026 we grew from six to eight sold-out shows, welcoming 76,000 fans for MOBY, Peggy Gou, Overmono, The Kooks, Dom Dolla, Adriatique, Anjunadeep and Michael Bibi. Each date had its own identity, while the production and fan experience remained distinctly Labyrinth.
Our principle was to avoid touching the heritage rather than mitigate impact afterwards. Almost 100 contractors took personal responsibility for protecting the site, every day, from build to break. There was no impact to its protected features, and the venue described our methodology as “exemplary”.
We believe a sold-out festival should leave its neighbours better off. Through our partnership with EARNT, fans earned tickets by donating over 3,000 items for food banks, while fundraising raised over £40,000 for The Community Hospice. We also nearly tripled our residents’ ticket allocation and opened routes into the industry for local students and young entrepreneurs.
Into the Valley, Nozstock Events
Following the emotional conclusion of its 26-year run as a 4-day festival in 2024, the legendary, family-run Nozstock made a triumphant return to Rowden Paddocks farm with a highly praised, intimate grassroots reset: Into the Valley. Now a two-day, four-stage format, the event successfully scaled down the logistics of the legacy festival while perfectly retaining the eccentric soul, community magic, and independent identity that defined the brand for decades.
Responding directly to industry-wide cost pressures that have shuttered larger events, the team strategically pivoted from an 11-stage powerhouse into a curated 4-stage footprint. Building on 2025's sold-out one-day debut, the 2026 two-day edition drew thousands back to the farm for a roaring 20s theme.
Despite the intimate setting, Into the Valley punched above its weight, balancing local up-and-coming talent with pioneering headliners. The Orchard Stage welcomed electronic royalty Phil Hartnoll (Orbital), alongside Mungo's Hi Fi ft. Gardna, the Dub Pistols, and General Levy.
A major highlight of the 2026 edition was the debut of Haywire, a brand-new Drum & Bass area. It instantly became a festival focal point, hosting a formidable lineup featuring Hazard w/ IC3, Lens, TC, Crossy, Sexy Lady Massive, and Jenks.
Restricted Forest Festival, Restricted Events Ltd
Restricted Forest Festival is an independently run outdoor dance festival in Liverpool, built on passion, creativity and a genuine love of dance music.
Established in 2017, the festival has grown into a 5000 capacity event without sponsorship, corporate backing or outside investment. Behind the scenes is a small team of friends and family who spend the year planning, designing and building much of the festival themselves, including themed stages, entrances, decorations and installations.
Held at Orrell Hill Woods, Restricted Forest brings together the biggest dance anthems from the 1990s and 2000s alongside contemporary dance music.
The 2026 festival featured four immersive themed arenas: Factory Realm, Castle Realm, Pyramid Realm and Secret Garden Realm. Each has its own atmosphere and identity, with immersive actors and handmade production bringing the experience to life.
As Restricted Forest approaches its tenth anniversary in 2027, its focus remains on delivering an unforgettable experience while staying true to its independent roots.
Shambala Festival, Kambe Events Ltd
Shambala has always been fiercely independent - but in May, we took this one step further, when the founders handed ownership to the employee team - a UK first!
Unusual even amongst independents, Shambala remains sponsorship free. As one 2026 review put it: “A community that fiercely supports independence in an increasingly franchised landscape. Shambala is one independent still going strong. A true festival, in the oldest sense of the word”
Headliners included GOAT, Orchestra Baobab and Bob Vylan, though music is the tip of the iceberg at this big silly party, with 30+ venues covering everything from puppetry to politics. Participation is everything, with over 200 workshops and activities, from the anarchic chaos of The Shambolympic Games to the costume carnival.
2026 saw the debut of The Silver Factory, an immersive recreation of Warhol’s Manhattan factory. A new Spiegeltent hosted cabaret and circus. The Shambala Closing Ceremony utilised projection mapping on trees, bringing to life visionaries like Arundhati Roy and Greta Thunberg.
Sustainability is in our DNA. 2026 marked 10 years of being meat and fish free. We’re 100% renewably powered, single use plastic free and drone footage of our pristine campsites, shortly after the audience left, went viral.
The Big Retreat Festival
The Big Retreat is a female-founded, independently owned feel-good festival, built around one simple idea: Feel Good – Your Way.
In Pembrokeshire, more than 500 experiences across four days bring together music, comedy, talks, fitness, yoga, wild swimming, food, creativity, nature and adventure, with around 80% included in the ticket price. The aim is to give people the freedom to create their own version of feeling good, without judgement or prescription.
2026 was a big year. Pembrokeshire sold out, with attendance up 42%, and nearly 2,500 tickets for 2027 were snapped up before a single act was announced. The festival also opened the gates at a second home for the first time, at Abbots Ripton in Cambridgeshire, where 85% of guests were new to The Big Retreat.
Research at the 2025 Pembrokeshire festival with Professor Joyce Harper of University College London found that nearly 80% of guests surveyed reported feeling happier after attending, and more than 80% reported improved mental health.
Through all that growth, The Big Retreat remains rooted in independence, community, choice and connection, protecting the warmth, individuality and sense of freedom that make it so special.
Boomtown
At Boomtown Chapter Five, we set out to prove they don't have to. In 2026, Hydro XL, one of our main stages, ran entirely on green hydrogen. It hosted headline sets from Skrillex, Four Tet and Groove Armada in front of tens of thousands of people, with zero emissions at point of use, no generator noise and no compromise on the show. The technology was invisible in the best possible way. Hydro XL scaled up our 2025 hydrogen trial on the smaller Hydro stage. It's the boldest part of a programme that runs through the whole city. We proved zero-carbon main stage power works at scale. Now we're sharing what we learned so the whole industry can move faster.
Latitude Festival Terasort, Festival Republic
At Latitude Festival 2026, Festival Republic worked with Terasort to pilot an innovative robotic waste-sorting system, demonstrating how new technology can help transform waste management at festivals. The aim of the project was to understand how we can improve recycling performance and engage our customers with our sustainability commitments.
Using pre-programmed robotics, Terasort identified and separated recyclable materials from mixed festival waste streams, creating cleaner material outputs suitable for recycling with no contamination. Importantly, the installation was customer-facing, giving thousands of festivalgoers insight into what happens to waste after they put it in our bins, helping to build greater awareness of our recycling efforts.
The system successfully sorted approximately 25,000 recyclable items and processed 1.25 tonnes of material, while generating valuable data on waste composition and recovery rates. More than 1,000 attendees engaged directly with the project, demonstrating the value of opening up this otherwise hidden aspect of waste management with our audience.
As the first deployment of this technology at a UK festival, the project has shown how robotic sorting can support more efficient recycling systems while providing a scalable model that could benefit festivals, venues and live events across the UK.
Grid Faeries
Grid Faeries x Ecotricity exists to take diesel out of live events for good. Founded by Dale Vince OBE and Claire O’Neill, the small team of five provides large-scale battery power charged with 100% green energy, while working towards permanent grid connections and new renewable generation next to event sites.
In 2026, Grid Faeries took a major step up. After debuting on a smaller WOMAD stage in 2024, it powered WOMAD’s main stage with its full 3MWh battery, recharged onsite by wind and solar. It also powered the Love Saves The Day main stage in Bristol with wind and sun for the first time, and The Ballroom, Reading Festival’s first battery-powered stage. Grid Faeries is also a partner in the West of England Clean Power Pilot, a mobile clean power hub for music, culture and film and TV.
Building on a track record that includes Glastonbury’s Arcadia Dragonfly, Massive Attack’s world-record low-carbon show in Bristol, LIDO and All Points East, Grid Faeries is proving that festivals can run quieter, cleaner and fossil-free, without compromising on the show.
Roof Solar Project, London Stadium
London Stadium is redefining what a modern, sustainable major venue can be. In partnership with Ameresco and supported by the Mayor of London’s Green Finance Fund, the Stadium installed Europe’s largest stadium roof solar membrane system - 3,350 lightweight panels integrated directly into its iconic structure.
Since going live, the system has generated over 1 million kWh of clean electricity, enough to match the annual power demand of more than 350 homes and avoid 177 tonnes of carbon emissions. In June 2026 alone, the panels produced 140,000 kWh, meeting 21% of the venue’s energy needs that month.
This clean energy has powered some of the Stadium’s biggest moments, from Metallica and Take That to international athletics and West Ham United fixtures, showing that world class events and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand. More than two million spectators have attended events powered by renewable energy.
The solar project is part of a wider sustainability transformation that has delivered £1.3m+ annual cost savings and reduced energy use by 1.9m kWh across the venue.
London Stadium is now a leader in sustainable venue management, proving what’s possible when innovation meets ambition, and setting a benchmark for the future of live events.
Rubbish Portal, Rubbish Ideas
Rubbish Ideas is transforming how the live events industry understands and reduces its environmental impact through The Rubbish Portal, an innovative waste, carbon and circularity accounting platform.
Launched in 2019, the platform was created to make sophisticated sustainability measurement accessible to events of every size, removing the need for expensive consultants or dedicated in-house expertise.
Today, The Rubbish Portal empowers festival organisers, venues, waste contractors, caterers and suppliers to measure and share their environmental data, turning complex reporting into actionable insights.
The platform has helped European events save an estimated £680,000 in consultancy fees, including £230,000 in the UK.
In 2026, Rubbish Ideas introduced further innovations in AI-powered reporting, testing its menu scanning technology with 95 food vendors across Shambala, Medicine Festival and Valley Fest, alongside automated waste reporting tools trialled with seven of Live Nation's waste managers.
Working with leading UK events including Shambala and Boomtown, and supporting Live Nation's UK portfolio, Rubbish Ideas is demonstrating how accessible technology and industry collaboration can accelerate environmental progress.
Our mission is simple: make measuring and improving sustainability something everyone in the events industry can do.
Cleaner Power Across Festivals, Team Love Productions
In 2026, Team Love accelerated its transition towards cleaner festival power across Love Saves the Day and FORWARDS, using the events as real-world test beds for hydrogen, battery and hybrid technologies.
At Love Saves the Day, HVO consumption fell by approximately 22% year-on-year, from 12,446 litres to 9,764 litres, with 2,238 litres of savings attributed specifically to hybrid systems.
At FORWARDS, GeoPura green hydrogen powered the entirety of the West Stage, while Greener battery systems powered the East Stage and Zenobē batteries supported additional operational areas. Exact data from the show is currently being analyzed and is set to be released in the coming months.
Delivered through the West of England Clean Power Pilot, the initiative brought together event producers, public-sector partners, clean-energy providers and technical specialists.
The aim is bigger than one successful trial: to build a repeatable cleaner-power model across regions while contributing practical evidence and learning that can support change across the live-events industry.
Corner Corner, Broadwick
Corner Corner opened in April 2025 as a new cultural destination at the heart of Canada Water. Created by Broadwick in partnership with KERB, British Land and AustralianSuper, it transformed a former shopping centre unit into 55,000 sq ft of food, music, community and workspace.
Under one roof, visitors find a KERB food hall of independent traders, one of London’s largest indoor vertical farms run by Harvest London, co-working space and a live entertainment programme built around live music, ticketed shows and cultural events.
Designed with natural timber as a nod to the area’s timber trade heritage, Corner Corner was built to be accessible and welcoming for everyone, from local families and office workers to visitors from across London.
Since launch, over 600,000 guests have been welcomed through the doors. The venue has become a cultural anchor for Canada Water during a period of major regeneration, and a reason to visit a neighbourhood in transition.
Battersea Park Comedy Festival, Enable
Battersea Park Comedy Festival launched in 2026 as a brand-new addition to London’s cultural calendar, bringing major comedy names and emerging talent together for a weekend of live entertainment in the heart of Battersea.
The festival was conceived, branded, marketed, and delivered by our team in just a few months, from the end of February to the beginning of June. With no established audience or reputation to rely on, we built a distinctive proposition around the complete experience – live comedy alongside a festival garden, live music, DJs, street food and bars.
The programme featured Joe Lycett, Simon Brodkin, Sara Pascoe, Simon Amstell and Lucy Beaumont alongside emerging talent, with dedicated family programming and a collaboration with Wise Fools featuring Nabil Abdulrashid and Shazia Mizra broadening the festival’s cultural reach.
Community engagement was central to the launch. We delivered creative workshops with Polka Theatre in local primary schools, worked with community groups, provided free tickets and created volunteering opportunities for local residents. The festival also gave our team the opportunity to develop new skills and test new approaches to audience experience and delivery.
The Big Retreat Cambridgeshire
The Big Retreat Cambridgeshire held its first festival at Abbots Ripton in September 2026, bringing the festival’s Feel Good – Your Way philosophy to a new region and an almost entirely new audience.
Rather than copying the original Pembrokeshire festival, the team created an adults-only event with its own identity, shaped by guest feedback and set in the very different surroundings of the Abbots Ripton Estate. The programme brought together music, comedy, talks, fitness, yoga, food, creativity and plenty of opportunities to simply slow down, with headline names including Youngr, Hang Massive, Ruby Wax, Mother Pukka, Dr Joshua Wolrich, Anna Mathur and Mr Motivator appearing alongside local practitioners and emerging talent.
The first festival welcomed 1,438 guests, supported by 547 presenters, 104 volunteers, 29 exhibitors and Peloton as sponsor. Guests rated it 8.47/10, with a Net Promoter Score of +51.9, and 85% of those surveyed had never been to The Big Retreat before.
Demand for year two followed immediately, with more than 560 weekend tickets for 2027 sold within the first month.
Delivered just months after Pembrokeshire, Cambridgeshire has given this independent festival a second home, with its own audience, character and future.
Supermodified, Ultramodified Limited
In only its second year, Supermodified has become one of the UK’s most active independent outdoor concert promoters.
In 2026 the company independently programmed 11 concerts and festivals. It also partnered with Cuff & Taylor to market the Colchester Castle Summer Series, adding a further seven shows. Across 18 events Supermodified sold more than 125,000 tickets, with artists including McFly, The Libertines, JLS, Ministry of Sound Classical, Rudimental, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Fatboy Slim and Becky Hill.
The Association of Independent Festivals’ Outdoor Concerts 2026 tracker attributes 4.4% of this summer’s UK outdoor concerts to Supermodified. That places the company 10th nationally and 3rd among independent promoters.
Supermodified’s roots are in club nights and touring events, and with grassroots venues in decline, it is committed to supporting the scene. Every Supermodified show this year welcomed local artists from its region onto the bill, through partnerships with BBC Introducing in Kent for the Canterbury shows and with Three Wise Monkeys in Colchester.
Supermodified is a small, fully independent team. It has shown that an independent promoter can stage headline-scale shows, be active nationally and still give emerging artists a stage.
Union Jack Classic
The Union Jack Classic (UJC) was born out of years of planning in collaboration with the Big 12 Conference.
The inaugural UJC, the first American College Football game in the UK, between Arizona State and Kansas competing for the Union Jack Classic trophy, attracted 46,523 fans to Wembley Stadium, reflecting the historic importance and the longer-term ambitions of game between, the premier collegiate athletic league in the USA.
Over 15,000 fans travelled over from the States, and tickets to the game were sold in 39 countries, with a $70M economic impact according to Visit Britain.
1.96M viewers on Fox Broadcast in the US, the live Big Noon Kickoff broadcast brought its’ ‘roadshow’ overseas for the first time in the programme’s history.
Arena UK & Europe
Arena UK & Europe combines temporary structures, seating and event infrastructure with the expertise and dependable service needed to help live events succeed.
At Royal Ascot 2026, Arena delivered structures across the Royal and Queen Anne Enclosures, introducing three modular Showblock spaces to enhance hospitality, bars and live activation. For SailGP Portsmouth, it supplied more than 8,000 temporary shoreline seats at Southsea Common, creating substantial spectator capacity for live racing.
Arena also supplied obstacles and event infrastructure for 124 Cancer Research UK Pretty Muddy events across the UK in less than three months, demonstrating the coordination and reliability required to support a nationwide fundraising programme.
Client confidence is reflected in a ten-year renewal with the LTA for Queen’s Club tennis, five-year renewals with The Jockey Club and The R&A, and a new three-year contract with Royal Ascot.
Together, these projects and partnerships demonstrate Arena’s contribution to the industry: practical innovation, delivery at scale and trusted service that supports long-term event success.
Creative Structures Group
Creative Structures Group is an industry leading temporary structures expert, specialising in designing and delivering incredible temporary structures in the UK and beyond. Combining technical expertise, creative vision and a genuine passion for what we do, we help create exceptional live events that stand out. Our objective is to support clients through the planing and ideas stage through to installation and delivery. By bringing experienced people together with a solutions-focused approach, we are a supplier clients rely on.
What sets Creative Structures Group apart is our understanding of the challenges of live event delivery and our ability to respond to changing requirements, while always maintaining high standards. Collaboration is central to our work, with strong relationships, clear communication and teamwork underpinning every project.
We continue to grow year on year, which has provided opportunities for us to work alongside large festivals, respected horse shows and more. Our achievements reflect the trust we have built over the years with clients and industry partners. We take pride in the structures we deliver, the challenges we overcome and the contribution we make to successful live events.
First Sight Media
First Sight Media supports live events of every shape and size, combining reliable production with fresh approaches to content creation and audience engagement.
At NHS ConfedExpo 2026, our Podcast Arena and Speaker Studio produced 38 recordings across two days, attracting more than 8,000 unique on-demand page views and creating additional opportunities for sponsors and exhibitors.
At Open Banking Expo Canada, we filmed interviews in Toronto while our Oxfordshire team managed real-time vision mixing, delivering 13 interviews that attracted more than 1,000 views.
Our work also took us on the road with David the Medium and Live Nation UK. Across seven sold-out performances in six UK and Irish cities, we supported productions reaching more than 6,000 live audience members. Footage prepared for upload immediately after each performance has since attracted over 200,000 YouTube views.
Alongside university graduations, conferences and exhibitions, these projects demonstrate the range of our production expertise.
Whatever the event, we focus on delivering reliably, working closely with organisers and creating content that continues to reach audiences after the doors close.
Hire Frequencies
Hire Frequencies is a full-service AV and technical production company with an in-house team and its own inventory across LED, audio, lighting, staging and scenic fabrication. Clients include eBay, Vogue, Meta, KPMG and the Ministry of Defence.
Our lead case study is eBay Live’s Endless Runway, a circular fashion show in a glass-walled London venue. Martin Audio point-source speakers gave precise coverage in a tricky space. A curved in-house UR Pro 2.6 LED wall, with a 15,360Hz refresh rate and 1/16 scan, kept guests sighted on models and the live stream flicker-free. A dedicated focus puller captured close-ups of the clothes for viewers at home.
K4 Group
K4 Group supports live events across security, stewarding, crowd management, medical, traffic management and event safety, combining experienced teams with technology-led planning and operational control.
During the last 12 months, K4 Group delivered more than 600 event deployments for 165 active client accounts, achieving a 88% client retention and 90% repeat-booking rate.
Its approach is built around preparation, trained people and measurable operational improvements. Digital planning tools help teams identify security zones, search gates and crowd pinch points before events open, while geo-fenced rostering and NFC attendance systems helped in scheduling. Digital reporting, GPS tracking and body-worn cameras have helped improve incident reporting speed by 20%.
K4 Group has delivered across major sporting events, festivals, corporate gatherings and complex outdoor operations. At Summer Social 2026, a 7,000-attendee event, congestion was managed within 15 minutes and major incidents were controlled within 30 minutes. At Priory Festival, its AI supported CCTV and control-room operation achieved a three-minute average response time with zero police support requests and zero formal incidents.
With continued investment in training, technology and operational capability, K4 Group combines the scale to mobilise large teams with the systems needed to deliver consistently, safely and professionally.
Mojo Rental Entertee UK Ltd
Mojo Rental Entertee are delighted to have continued a successful relationship with SC Productions Ltd in 2026, providing comprehensive temporary infrastructure solutions for both Bloodstock Festival and Iron Maiden at Knebworth.
Drawing on the expertise of all five Mojo Rental UK divisions, our teams worked closely with SC Productions from the earliest planning stages through to on-site delivery and installation. Through detailed scheduling, logistical coordination and operational planning, we delivered essential event infrastructure including steel fencing, stage barrier, trackway, tower lighting, furniture and flooring systems.
At Bloodstock, we delivered an integrated infrastructure package supporting festival operations and premium guest areas. Our Furniture Division also created bespoke artist dressing rooms, combining practical furniture with carefully selected decorative elements to reflect the festival’s unique character and create welcoming spaces for artists and VIP guests.
For Iron Maiden at Knebworth, our teams delivered critical infrastructure across multiple specialist divisions, supporting site safety, security, crowd management and operational efficiency. The scope included extensive fencing and barrier systems, tower lighting, trackway and event furniture, carefully coordinated to meet the demands of a major live event.
Both projects demonstrate Mojo Entertee’s ability to deliver complex, multi-disciplinary infrastructure solutions through close collaboration, careful planning and seamless execution.
Weezevent
Weezevent brings together event technology and hands-on expertise to help organisers deliver outstanding live experiences. Its goal is simple: give organisers greater control while making life easier for audiences and the teams behind each event.
In 2026, Weezevent supported more than 600 events, with deployments including Boomtown, Lost Village and Tomorrowland. At Boomtown, a fifth year of partnership combined ticketing, access control and cashless payments, supporting the audience journey from booking to purchases on site. At Lost Village, Weezevent delivered ticketing, access control, cashless payments, crew management and accreditation as the festival introduced its first fully cashless edition. At Tomorrowland, 2,000 devices demonstrated the scale of its delivery capabilities.
What makes Weezevent stand out is the people behind its technology. Dedicated onsite teams work alongside organisers, adapting each deployment to the event’s needs and supporting operations throughout.
Combining connected systems, real-time operational insight and experienced teams, Weezevent helps organisers manage complex productions with confidence. From longstanding partnerships to major operational changes, its contribution reaches far beyond supplying technology.
Wise Parking
Wise Parking is redefining event parking by bringing the technology, convenience and operational intelligence of modern city-centre parking into temporary event environments.
Using rapidly deployable mobile ANPR, integrated pre-booking and familiar payment platforms including PayByPhone and RingGo, Wise Parking transforms temporary fields and event spaces into professional, data-led parking operations without the need for permanent infrastructure.
The approach has already been deployed across some of the UK’s best-known events, including Formula 1 and MotoGP activity at Silverstone, WOMAD, Rock Oyster Festival, CarFest, Ford Fair, Japfest, TRAX and events across the MSV race circuit network.
The objective is simple: keep vehicles moving, reduce friction at arrival and departure, and give organisers greater visibility over how temporary parking areas are actually performing.
Beyond improving the guest experience, Wise Parking’s technology provides insight into arrival peaks, dwell times, repeat movements and departure patterns, helping event teams make better operational decisions during and after an event.
Wise Parking believes great event parking should be almost forgettable.
Better arrivals. Better departures. Better data. A better guest experience.
Arena UK & Europe
Arena UK & Europe is investing in a workplace where people can develop, contribute and feel supported.
Its sponsorship of NOWIE’s Level Up mentoring programme for two consecutive years supports women’s professional development, confidence and industry connections.
An internal gender-equality Steering Group also gives employees a platform to contribute and engage with leadership.
Practical improvements include a women’s uniform, updated policies covering harassment, flexible working, maternity, menopause and periods, free period product stations, lighting audits and a toolkit to challenge inappropriate behaviour.
Through Get Set UK and New Futures Network, Arena has also created employment opportunities for people from hard-to-reach communities and ex-offenders returning to work.
Charitable partnerships and an in-house sustainability team reinforce its wider commitment to responsible business.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate Arena’s approach to building a positive culture: listening to employees, supporting progression, addressing everyday needs and broadening access to opportunity.
Black Orange Live
Black Orange Live has built a people-first workplace where employees are recognised, supported and given opportunities to grow. A diverse team representing 15+ nationalities benefits from structured development, international project exposure, comprehensive family benefits, wellbeing initiatives and profit-sharing that gives employees a direct stake in the company’s success.
With 87% employee engagement, 95%+ core-team retention, 25% internal mobility and 80% of employees receiving international project exposure annually, the results demonstrate a culture that translates investment in people into long-term loyalty and professional growth.
Employees receive individual development plans, mentorship and 15+ annual training hours, alongside mental health support and post-event recovery time. Regular team activities and an inclusive workplace help strengthen connections across departments and locations.
What distinguishes Black Orange Live is that its people-first philosophy extends beyond traditional benefits. Employee profit-sharing bonuses are distributed before partner distributions, reinforcing genuine ownership and recognition. By combining financial participation, development, wellbeing and inclusion, Black Orange Live demonstrates that exceptional event delivery starts with genuinely investing in the people behind it.
Chained Events
We are Chained Events! From Belladrum in the Scottish Highlands to Victorious in Portsmouth, we've staffed 120 events this year and created thousands of fair, flexible shifts for 447 people.
We're a young team, and for a lot of us this is a first job. We started out as the stock team at Parklife, so we know casual event work can make you feel like a number on a rota. We've always wanted Chained to feel different to that.
We have proudly been a real Living Wage employer since April 2023, and that covers everyone. Through Trak, our self-built event app, our team can see what a shift involves and what they'll earn before signing up, with training in one place. When someone has a great shift, we make sure they know about it, with Star of the Bar awards and prizes.
We make room for everyone, opening doors into event work through supported employment and accessibility adjustments.
Nobody has to come back to a casual job, but most of our team do. One told us: "Now I've worked at Chained Events, everywhere else looks rubbish."
We pay attention to the small things, to make the big things happen
Cornucopia Events
Cornucopia Events is an award-winning international event management company built around its people, their expertise and their ability to deliver exceptional experiences in a demanding global industry.
Our approach to employment focuses on creating a collaborative, respectful and supportive environment where individuals are encouraged to contribute ideas, develop their capabilities and take ownership of their work. Through practical learning, knowledge sharing, mentoring and exposure to international events, we support continuous professional development and encourage our team to grow alongside the business.
Our commitment to people has been recognised throughout Cornucopia’s history, including previous recognition for Best Business for Staff Training and Development and Best Company Culture at the Exhibition News Awards. The company and its leadership have also received numerous awards recognising excellence, innovation and business leadership.
What distinguishes Cornucopia is the combination of a people-focused culture with the high standards required to operate an internationally recognised event business. By empowering our team and encouraging creativity, collaboration and accountability, we create an environment where people can contribute meaningfully while helping Cornucopia continue to grow and evolve.
Far and Beyond
Far and Beyond believes extraordinary Live experiences start with the people who create them. For over a decade, we have delivered iconic events, driven by a commitment to valuing the talent behind every production.
Our goal is to build an inclusive workplace where people feel respected, supported and empowered to thrive. Our dedicated People & Culture team champions this through active listening, collaboration and investment in wellbeing.
Recognising the demands of the Live events industry, we provide annual Mental Health First Aid training with TLC Welfare, regular check-ins and accessible on-site support. As a certified Living Wage Employer, we champion fair pay and value every individual’s contribution. Freelancer feedback reinforces a culture where people feel welcomed, trusted and heard, regardless of background or experience.
Our commitment extends beyond the workplace through a year-long charity partnership with Sands, uniting colleagues to raise awareness and support bereaved families.
By prioritising wellbeing, fairness and inclusion, we create an environment where talent flourishes and teams deliver exceptional experiences. We believe those who create unforgettable moments deserve a workplace where they feel equally valued.
Phoenix Events (East) Ltd
Phoenix Events (East) Ltd is proud to put people at the heart of its success. As a growing events, security and stewarding company, we are committed to creating a supportive, inclusive workplace where employees feel valued and have opportunities to develop rewarding careers.
As a Living Wage Employer, we champion fair pay, equal opportunities and high employment standards. We invest in our workforce by supporting staff to gain industry qualifications, including SIA Door Supervisor training, helping individuals develop confidence, build essential skills and progress within the security industry.
Our employees play a vital role in delivering safe and successful events, from local community occasions to large-scale public gatherings. Their professionalism, teamwork and dedication enable us to build strong client relationships and maintain high standards across our operations.
We believe our success is measured not only by the events we deliver, but also by the people we support and the opportunities we create. As Phoenix Events continues to grow, we remain committed to employee development, inclusion and recognising the contribution every team member makes.
Employer of the Year would celebrate the dedication of our workforce and our continued commitment to being an employer that puts its people first.
EnTEEtainment
In July 2026, EnTEEtainment delivered Nelson Mandela Day at Trafalgar Square for Change Architects, a South African client. The event brought South African performances to central London and drew over 15,000 people.
As production agency, EnTEEtainment managed the full budget and delivered under it. A core team of around 10 handled production, site management and licensing, supported by 30 supplier partners across staging, audio, visuals, technical production and artist liaison. The team worked closely with the Greater London Authority and Westminster City Council to secure approvals in one of London’s most tightly regulated spaces, and kept decisions moving across time zones.
The programme, featuring South African singer-songwriter Jesse Clegg, brought Londoners and visitors together to honour Nelson Mandela. Social coverage reached the millions, with pick-up across media too.
Far and Beyond
Far and Beyond is an independent, award-winning global production and creative agency with offices in London, the East Midlands and Dubai. We deliver live music, sport, public events and brand experiences across four pillars: Strategy, Creation, Curation and Production.
Between October 2025 and October 2026, our 29-strong team delivered 67 productions, supported by over 100 permalancers and 4,000 freelancers.
UK growth strengthened our portfolio. Download Festival remained a highlight, alongside three-year appointments to produce BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend and BBC Radio 2 in the Park. Internationally, we delivered major projects for UEFA, the Ballon d’Or and NFL teams the Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Commanders.
We expanded into immersive experiences, operating the Gladiators Experience at Birmingham’s NEC. At The Big Retreat, we took on operations, guest experience and sponsorship, helping expand the festival into Cambridgeshire.
Strong client relationships underpin our growth. We retained 11 of 17 clients and welcomed six new ones, with repeat commissions from the BBC, UEFA and Live Nation. Our Live Nation partnership is driving plans for a local office in Asia.
With growing creative and strategic capabilities, trusted partnerships and an expanding pipeline, we are positioned for continued growth.
Field & Stage
Field & Stage delivers exceptional event production expertise, seamlessly balancing creativity and innovation with rigorous health and safety standards. Led by an agile core team, our objective is to provide the atmosphere and professionalism of major outdoor music festivals within strict financial constraints, ensuring ambitious ideas become safe, extraordinary realities.
Our collaborative approach centres on meticulous planning, creative problem-solving, and robust supplier relationships. Faced with a major challenge last season after losing 12 event contracts due to a customer collapse, we strategically chose to consolidate rather than chase rapid growth. We focused heavily on supporting existing partners, such as Back Doune the Rabbit Hole, maximising their budgets to deliver outstanding audience experiences.
This dedicated strategy yielded remarkable achievements, including a 100% client retention rate and significant ticket growth. Notably, our long-standing partner, Lindisfarne Festival, won Best Small Festival at the Festival Awards 2025, and we successfully launched Jukebox Festival to provide a high-quality, exceptional value show for the local community.
What makes Field & Stage stand out is our ability to deliver more with less. Entering the Access All Areas Best Production Agency Award is an opportunity to showcase how our small team proves smaller budgets never mean smaller experiences.
Heart Productions
Heart is an independent strategic and creative experience agency, blending creative edge with operational excellence. From one of Britain’s biggest sporting celebrations to the first F1 car launch at sea, in 2026 Heart delivered experiences spanning sport, culture, entertainment and brand.
The agency combines the operational expertise to deliver nationally significant events with the strategic and creative thinking that turns brand experiences into cultural moments.
Our culture is built on shared ownership. Creatives stay with the build. Producers shape the idea. Clients get one team, invested from initial thoughts to final audience experience.
In May we were appointed by Arsenal to design, produce and manage the team’s Premier League Victory Parade, alongside public agencies and delivery partners to unite generations and communities.
The challenge was to create an open, joyful and memorable experience while keeping the city functioning. We coordinated planning, production, crowd management and live communications for the reported 1m+ crowd.
We brought the same discipline to London’s Chinese New Year, welcoming 30,000+. Community consultation and engagement shaped every production decision.
Our brand and entertainment portfolio expanded - every design started with the same mindset: the next superlative.
On city streets, at sea and on screens around the world, throughout 2026 we turned ambitious ideas into incredible moments.
The Intrepid Collective
The Intrepid Collective brings places to life through imaginative events, expert production and measurable commercial impact.
Our six-person core team delivered 61 productions, all on or under budget. From residential launches to flagship placemaking programmes, we managed every stage, connecting creative ambition with meticulous operational delivery.
A six-day summer programme transformed a London garden square into a thriving destination, engaging 19 local businesses, attracting 17,000 visitors and generating over £100,000 in onsite spend. A VIP Christmas lights launch combined immersive festive production with complex logistics, securing national media coverage. Elsewhere, a neon pink telephone box turned research into an engaging public experience, generating 453 survey scans and 68 interviews.
When heatwaves challenged outdoor delivery, we adapted communications, welfare provisions, staffing and programming to support audiences and crews while sustaining the experience.
Our results demonstrate consistent quality. 9.2/10 for achieving client objectives, 10/10 for likelihood to recommend and 80% annual client retention. Across nine onsite surveys, audiences rated their overall experience 9/10, with 91% reporting spending at local businesses because they attended.
Our team creates memorable events that give people compelling reasons to visit, stay and spend, delivering lasting value for our clients, communities and the places we bring to life.
Unlimited Productions
In 2026, Unlimited Productions – the independent, full-service production company from the Netherlands and part of 360 Experience Group – took its boldest step yet: launching a dedicated US entity with its own office in New York City.
Back home, the Dutch office keeps delivering at full speed: a 30-strong team producing events across Europe and beyond, from one-off spectacles such as Tiësto at the Pyramids of Giza to corporate productions for Adyen.
The objective was clear: bring that same hands-on, single-point-of-contact approach to the American market and build long-term partnerships rather than one-off gigs.
The results came fast. In its very first year, the US team delivered a series of corporate events, four stages at Elements Music & Arts Festival and Martin Garrix's North America tour. Next up: strengthening the bridge between Europe and the US, with a clear eye on LA28 and the brand activations that will surround it.
What makes it stand out is the spirit behind it. Unlimited Productions combines top-notch delivery with a down-to-earth culture. The team is driven and direct, and always delivers as one team. The US launch proves that "unlimited" isn't just a name. It's how this company works.
We Group
Passion, determination, plenty of Diet Coke and a cracking sense of humour: We Group’s recipe for surviving on site in 2026 – while delivering live events at increasing scale.
In the sweaty summer sun, they delivered 25 events in just 16 days, welcoming more than 250,000 people. At Burgess Park alone, six different shows across five stages meant 30 technical, creative and brand briefs on one site. As Director Millie Devereux put it, it was “bloody complicated!” – but making complex projects feel seamless is what great production is all about.
Elsewhere, the independent agency delivered Winter Music Conference in Miami, sold-out shows at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Old Royal Naval College, and helped brands like Halo build their first festival. Other new events included Boa Nova Festival, Forward Motion in the Park and the Pride in the Quarter - a lion sculpture trail celebrating football, community and culture across Westminster.
From huge crowds to community events, our approach remained the same: experienced people, meticulous planning, problem-solving and genuine partnership.
Some long days and more radios than we’d care to count later (all accounted for, obviously), we’re incredibly proud of what we have delivered. Let's go again!
Attitude is Everything
Attitude is Everything are specialists in live events access for audiences, artists, professionals and volunteers. We listen to the voices of disabled artists, audiences, professionals and volunteers. Their feedback informs and directs our work with the sector; supporting live events spaces and music industry organisations to remove the barriers that prevent disabled people from participating and succeeding. Through our work we empower the industry to make equity, inclusion and connection a reality.
The State of Access Report is our first major report on UK Live events industry in eight years, the first since the COVID19 pandemic, and a major step forward in setting standards for national progress, providing the guidance and assurance around events accessibility for which are championed in the DCMS Music Plan: Turn it Up.
Bristol Beacon
Bristol Beacon is driving meaningful change in the live events industry through a sustained commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Recognising the underrepresentation of people from diverse backgrounds in technical, production and leadership roles, we have developed targeted initiatives that remove barriers to entry, create progression opportunities and build a more representative workforce.
At the heart of this work is Festival & Carnival Lab, a professional development programme tackling the underrepresentation of Black professionals in the sector. Through industry-led training,
networking and mentoring, the programme creates clear routes into employment, with participants progressing into paid Event Control, advancing and coordination roles across the sector.
Our approach extends beyond a single programme. Through paid placements, work experience opportunities, community outreach and recruitment reform, we support young people who face the most barriers to access sustainable careers. We have expanded access through community referrals and financial support, ensuring talent is not excluded by circumstance.
By combining practical skills development with employment opportunities, mentoring and industry partnerships, we are helping to transform the talent pipeline and create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive future for live events. This commitment delivers lasting pathways into the industry for those who have historically been underrepresented.
Continental Drifts
Launched in March 2026, UnMute is the UK's first music roster dedicated to disabled artists, developed by Continental Drifts through its Arts Council England-funded Global Local programme in partnership with Andrew Lansley.
Created in collaboration with disabled artists and industry partners, including the Musicians' Union and Attitude is Everything, UnMute tackles some of the barriers disabled performers face in accessing professional opportunities, fair pay and appropriate support.
Rather than focusing solely on representation, UnMute is creating real change through paid bookings, career development and practical accessibility support.
In its first six months, the initiative secured over 30 bookings, delivered 18 performances and generated more than £5,000 in artist fees. Its 12 represented artists have accessed opportunities at major festivals and events, including The Great Escape, Shambala and Camp Bestival.
With 97 applications from six countries, growing international partnerships and national media coverage, UnMute is already making an impact beyond its original roster.
By working directly with artists, agents, promoters and festivals, UnMute is helping demonstrate that accessibility and professional excellence go hand in hand, creating a more inclusive and equitable future for live music.
Cuffe and Taylor
Cuffe and Taylor is committed to making live music accessible, welcoming and enjoyable for everyone. Across our outdoor concerts and festivals, we have embedded diversity and inclusion throughout the event journey, from booking to backstage wellbeing.
Our approach combines consistent provision with practical, customer led improvements. Every show features BSL interpretation, promoted at the point of purchase so Deaf audiences can book confidently. Dedicated Access Managers are present to provide support, coordinate reasonable adjustments and resolve issues sensitively on site.
We have also strengthened the everyday details that shape a guest’s experience. Customers using accessible viewing platforms can order food, drink and merchandise directly, supported by priority service lanes and large-print menus. Sensory spaces at larger events and sensory packs at smaller venues provide calm, supportive options for guests who may feel overwhelmed, with specialist input from partners.
Accessibility maps and pre event guides help customers plan confidently. Our commitment extends behind the scenes to support the mental health and wellbeing of artists and crew.
By making access a standard part of every event, Cuffe and Taylor is helping more people experience the shared joy of live music.
Darlington Borough Council
Making Sense Together was created around a simple principle: everyone should be able to feel that Darlington town centre and its events are for them.
In addition to putting in place accessibility and inclusive measures throughout the council's annual events programme, a new event was developed in 2025 specifically supporting people with learning disabilities, autistic and neurodivergent people and their families. Making Sense Together is specifically programmed for neurodivergent families, is held in Darlington town centre and free to attend. Making Sense Together creates a welcoming environment where families can participate in their own way and at their own pace.
Sensory, creative and learning activities sit alongside inclusive movement, bubble play, crafts and interactive experiences. Crucially, participation is never the expectation. Visitors can engage, observe or take time away from activities, recognising that inclusion looks different for different people.
Glasgow's Pride, G Pride SCIO
Glasgow’s Pride 2026 set a high benchmark for inclusive event design by co-creating its festival alongside disability advocates, neurodivergent leaders, and minority collectives. Physical provisions included Changing Places facilities, step-free access, hearing loops, multi-lingual signage, BSL translation, and low-sensory quiet spaces. Combined with a free community admission policy, the event removed physical, sensory, and financial barriers, ensuring a truly accessible celebration for all.
Live to your Living Room
Shared live cultural experiences bring people together, forge connections, improve well-being and help us cope and thrive. But for many fans and artists with access requirements, in-person arts and culture events aren’t an option. From Disabled and Neurodivergent people through to caregivers and those living rurally or abroad, a huge number of people are excluded from the arts because their access requirements aren’t served.
Live to your Living Room is here to change that.
We stand for belonging. Our events connect you with a community of like-minded people where you can enjoy shared and meaningful experiences, and feel safe and welcome.
We stand for inclusivity. We’re committed to making live music and the arts accessible to all. No matter your reason for being unable or unwilling to attend a show in person, we’ll bring the experience to you.
We stand for quality. As a team of experts across entertainment, tech and accessibility, we book top-class talent and deliver excellent sound and user experience.
We stand for progress. We champion the importance and benefits of making live music and arts accessible to a wider audience, and share our knowledge and experience so that others are empowered to do the same.
Sassy Records LTD
Saskhia Menendez is a music creator, executive producer, podcast host and speaker working across music, live entertainment and the wider creative industries.
In 2025, she founded the Global Trans Charter for Music & Entertainment, a grassroots initiative supporting greater inclusion, safety and representation for trans and non-binary people across the industry. The Charter provides practical guidance around representation, anti-discrimination, contracts and riders, workplace policies, education and safer working environments.
The initiative has grown internationally, with 1,456 sign-ups across 35 countries, alongside presentations, workshops and industry discussions in the UK and internationally.
Saskhia also hosts Music Industry Insights Worldwide: Shaping Equality & Diversity in Music & Entertainment, an international podcast exploring music business, creativity, equality and diversity. The podcast has reached audiences across more than 135 countries and territories, with more than 600,000 YouTube views and over 180 episodes.
Together, these platforms combine practical action with international conversation, creating space for underrepresented voices and encouraging the music and live entertainment industries to build more inclusive and sustainable environments for everyone.
Abbie Dove, The University of Southampton
In just four years working in higher education events, Abbie has made an exceptional impact at the University of Southampton, demonstrating the ambition, creativity and leadership of a true Rising Star. As lead event organiser for the landmark opening of the first UK university campus in India under the country's new regulatory framework, Abbie played a pivotal role in bringing this historic occasion to life. Navigating international complexities, she ensured the event celebrated Southampton's global ambitions while making a campus thousands of miles away feel unmistakably like Southampton. Her achievements extend across the Middle East, delivering alumni networking events and high-profile lectures in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, strengthening international relationships and showcasing the University's research and expertise.
Closer to home, Abbie also leads the prestigious corporate University programme of celebrations, in 2026 achieving an outstanding 100% overall guest satisfaction rating. Abbie doesn't just plan events; she creates memorable experiences for every person who walks through the door. Her passion, attention to detail and ability to make people feel valued set her apart.
Emily Cutts, ShedFest
Emily brings creative flair, ambition and a love of car culture to Food&Fuel and ShedFest, creating automotive events with an emphasis on atmosphere and customer experience.
After growing local gatherings into some of Gloucestershire's largest car events, she joined the AutoAlex YouTube Multiverse to work on automotive events full time in November 2024.
Her first brief was to launch a show where great cars came with great food and coffee. Emily led Food&Fuel's brand creation and inaugural event at Bicester Motion, welcoming 2,000 people just 42 days after tickets went on sale. In 2026, all three shows sold out, attracting over 15,000 people.
She led ShedFest's rebrand and 2026 event at Bolesworth Castle, helping it grow from a YouTuber's community show towards a staple of the UK's automotive calendar. Nearly 12,000 people attended, with a live-action sprint track running through the heart of the show.
Inspired by music, arts and food festivals, Emily gives both events their character. From Food&Fuel's free, created newspapers to the respect and care she shows her event crew, her attention to detail extends throughout the shows. Her work celebrates accessible car culture while making the experience special for the people who bring it to life.
Hugo Gerbrandij, AMG
Hugo's been riding a fast track at AMG – and it’s a track he has well and truly placed himself on.
A music graduate at Southampton Solent University, followed by seven years graft in bars – Hugo got his industry break in 2022 at O2 Guildhall Southampton.
Aptly Bars Manager, it just took 18 months – and the odd Sugababes prosecco tower idea later – for Hugo to progress. He learnt at such pace and with such quality that he was promoted to Deputy GM.
For two years and ten months, Hugo delivered over 250 events fostering a welcoming environment for everyone.
He never stood still either – lending his hand to Southampton Summer Sessions, the box office for Live Nation festivals and even campsite manager.
Recognised by you as part of your 30under30, Hugo jumped at the chance when the GM vacancy at O2 Academy Bournemouth became available – able to demonstrate why he’s the perfect leader.
The fact that it took him less than three years to move up from No.2 speaks to Hugo’s quality, passion, commitment and character.
He’s a rising star. O2 Academy Bournemouth has a bright future under him and, as proven, so does Hugo.
Kelly Hamilton
In under four years, Kelly Hamilton has built an exciting career as a freelance Producer and Event Manager, progressing from community-led cultural events to some of the UK's most recognised festivals and live productions. Driven by curiosity, determination and a passion for creating memorable experiences, she has continually embraced new challenges and opportunities to grow.
Beginning as a Co-Producer for LEEDS 2023 Year of Culture, Kelly developed her foundations in cultural production before strengthening her technical skills at Sheffield Theatres. A turning point came through Continental Drifts’ Festival & Carnival Lab, opening doors to working across Glastonbury, Shambala, Love Supreme and other major festivals.
Her career reached new heights in 2026 when she joined The Production Department as a Producer for American Express activations at the inaugural Roundhay Festival and BST Hyde Park. Her expanding experience also saw her take on roles at the BRIT Awards and the MOBO Awards, before joining TESTBED Leeds as Event Manager.
Named Festival Production Newcomer of the Year at the 2025 Production Futures Breakthrough Talent Awards, Kelly's progression reflects her versatility, ambition and commitment to continuous learning as she builds her future in live event production.
Kenny Bromley, Sheffield City Hall
At just two-and-a-half years into his career as a Maintenance Technician, Kenny has made an exceptional contribution to Sheffield City Hall.
Kenny has taken on responsibilities well beyond his role, supporting legal compliance, planned preventative maintenance, contractor management and a programme of venue improvement projects.
His work spans heritage restoration, safety, security, infrastructure, customer experience and commercial improvements. Achievements include the refurbishment of the 1932 Ballroom lighting and restoration of the illuminated glass dance floor, alongside CCTV, access control, fire safety, flooring, roofing, heating and infrastructure projects.
When the venue's facilities management provision changed with less than two weeks' notice, Kenny stepped forward to help onboard contractors and strengthen compliance and record-keeping systems.
He regularly supports events at Sheffield City Hall and Utilita Arena Sheffield and has assisted colleagues in similar venues when expertise was needed.
Kenny's technical achievements are matched by his attitude. He is known for his “can-do, will-do” approach, willingness to help colleagues and determination to find solutions.
Alongside his achievements, Kenny has achieved a Triple Distinction in his Property Maintenance Operative apprenticeship, demonstrating his commitment to developing his skills.
Kenny is a rising star… ambitious, capable, collaborative, and making an impact beyond his experience.
Nadya Bent, Bongo's Bingo
Nadya Bent is proudly head of Bongo’s Bingo’s bespoke events division and is the focal point for 100s of businesses and brands who have booked private shows for a more personal, tailored show for their staff. Nadya’s role is to manage the entire process, from the initial enquiry through to the show’s execution and everything inbetween, working with large-scale blue-chip companies, independent brands, household names and more. Nadya also manages 19 UK venues which host regular Bongo’s Bingo shows, working closely with each management team to ensure best practise and to ensure the customer experience is always the best it can be. In addition, Nadya has successfully launched weekly shows in Albuferia this summer which has been a great success and all shows sold out. Nadya has also been pivotal in Bongo’s Bingo’s large-scale events, including the XL shows, furthering her experience in these critical areas which makes her a key employee at Bongo’s Bingo.
Bongo’s Bingo has reinvented bingo in the UK and internationally and Nadya helps bring it to new audiences. Her work is part of the market-leading immersive show featuring rave rounds, dance-offs, audience participation and crazy prizes in nights of unadulterated escapism.
Ophelia Francis, AEG Presents
Ophelia has established herself as one of the most promising rising talents within the UK's Comedy & Entertainment scene. Combining a deep understanding of the comedy landscape with strong commercial instincts and genuine passion for live entertainment, she has consistently demonstrated a level of maturity and leadership.
Joining the business during a period of significant growth, Ophelia quickly adapted to the fast-paced world of comedy promotion. From activity at the Edinburgh Festival to progressing into a full promoter role, she has earned a reputation as a trusted, proactive and highly capable team member.
What distinguishes Ophelia is her entrepreneurial mindset. Before joining AEG, she founded and programmed Falmouth Cringe, a multi-venue comedy festival highlighting her ability to identify opportunities and curate compelling live experiences.
Since joining AEG, she has worked across a broad range of projects spanning stand-up comedy, podcasts, musical comedy, drag, character acts and emerging talent. A major milestone was promoting Trisha Paytas' sold-out show at the Royal Albert Hall, demonstrating her ability to deliver high-profile events at scale.
Beyond her individual achievements, Ophelia is a valued contributor to the wider team, known for her collaborative approach, creative thinking and willingness to take ownership.
Plamena Zlateva, CapLink Group
With under five years in the industry, Plamena has rapidly progressed from Event Operations Executive to Head of Operations & Client Management, delivering more than fifty high‑level events across the UK, Europe, USA and the Middle East. Her career reflects a clear rise in responsibility, ownership and impact, shaped by her ability to lead complex projects end‑to‑end with precision and confidence.
She began at Progressive Media International, supporting multi‑publication B2B events and developing strong foundations in supplier management, budgeting, venue sourcing and onsite delivery. She advanced to Real Deals Media, where she independently managed conferences, summits, awards ceremonies and international events, negotiating contracts, controlling budgets and leading logistics across multiple teams. Her work strengthened client relationships and elevated operational standards.
In 2026, she stepped into a senior leadership role at CapLink Group, overseeing all operational aspects of global private capital events and managing key client and sponsor relationships. Her portfolio includes major summits, private dinners and international gatherings, all delivered with exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to high‑quality experiences.
Plamena’s journey demonstrates ambition, capability and a clear trajectory toward becoming a leading figure in event operations. Her achievements highlight why she stands out as a Rising Star.
Byron Ainsworth
With seven years of experience in the live events industry, Byron Ainsworth has established himself as a dedicated, reliable and highly motivated freelance event management and safety professional.
Holding a BSc (Hons) in Events Management and a Level 5 qualification in Crowd Management, Byron has undertaken a variety of key operational and safety roles, including Event Safety Manager, Event Safety Advisor, Gate Manager and Campsite Manager. His experience spans festivals, live music events and large-scale public gatherings, where he consistently demonstrates strong leadership, professionalism and a proactive approach to safety.
Alongside my freelance career, I have established Ainsworth Event Management (AEM-UK), providing specialist event management, event safety and crowd management services to organisers across the UK.
Recognised for his adaptability, commitment and ability to perform under pressure, I take pride in going above and beyond to support event organisers, colleagues and stakeholders.
My passion for the industry, commitment to professional development and ambition to raise standards in event safety and management make him a deserving candidate for the AAA Freelancer of the Year Award.
Francesca Bortolotto
Graduated in 2023 in in Event Management from BIMM London, I started my career in events by volunteering with Sofar Sounds as Show Lead, Artist Liaison, and Social Media Assistant for around 70 shows, from December 2018 to February 2020.
So far, I've worked at multiple festivals such as BST Hyde Park, Download Festival, The Great Escape, Neighbourhood Weekender, Secret Garden Party, and Victorious Festival.
At the beginning of this year I was selected as Event Venue Supervisor for the Winter Olympics and Paralymics 2026; I worked on the opening and closing ceremonies at San Siro Stadium and Arena di Verona (Italy), dealing with volunteers, athletes, delegates, sponsors, and spectators.
In March I joined MKTG Sports & Entertainment as Hospitality and Events Assistant, and I am currently working on the EU races of Formula 1 and the UEFA Champions League Season 2026-27.
My aim is to deliver great customer service through events and build strong relationships with artists, their managements, and other stakeholders.
I do love events and make people happy so they can have the best time and create memories, escaping from their day-to-day activities, any problems or stress!
John Venier
Freelance technical draughtsman John Venier works behind the scenes of ambitious live events, turning complex creative and technical information into accurate, practical drawings and digital workflows.
Across ten projects for nine clients during the qualifying period, John's work has spanned international broadcasts and ceremonies, sporting events, brand experiences, festivals, live entertainment and venue documentation.
At the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna, John joined the Stage Management team in a specialist digital stage-marking role. Across 196 staging looks, the workflow managed 2,474 individual stage marks, helping translate constantly evolving staging information into precise references for rehearsals.
His work has also included serving as Lead CAD Draughtsman for the FIFA Arab Cup 2025 Opening Ceremony in Qatar, alongside projects for the Roundhouse, Identity, Illusion Design & Construct and others.
Despite the variety of projects, John's approach remains consistent: combine detailed technical draughting with practical production understanding to make complicated information clear and useful.
Working between creative design, technical production and on-site delivery, his contribution provides part of the often-unseen technical framework that helps turn ambitious ideas into live experiences.
Kirsty Reid
Kirsty Reid is a freelance Production Manager whose career spans touring, venue work, festivals and major events. In 2026 she took on her biggest challenge: leading technical and production delivery of the Commonwealth Games across the Scottish Event Campus.
Delivering a pared-down Games, following Victoria’s late withdrawal as hosts, there was no blueprint to follow. Kirsty worked with the organising committee, suppliers, partners and SEC teams, building strong relationships early, with her scope extending far beyond a ‘typical' production role, covering logistics, rigging, facilities and client liaison.
Under her leadership, three SEC venues hosted over 100 athletes from 74 nations and territories across 11 days and over 100 sessions. It was the only Games venue to deliver six sports, as well as opening and closing ceremonies. For the latter, the OVO Hydro was transformed from an elite sporting arena to an event space within a matter of hours.
Calm, solution-focused and warm, Kirsty inspired everyone around her. The people we worked with could not believe she was a freelancer, such was her knowledge of the venue and her relationships with the wider team. Her work was invisible by design, and it made one of Scotland’s most complex events look effortless.
Thomas James Franklin
Delivering practical solutions across event security management and operations, this year has been about adaptability, problem solving and making a difference to the events and organisations supported.
As a freelance Event Operations Manager, experience across security management, event control and live event delivery brings a people focused approach to creating safe, unforgettable experiences. Whether managing teams, coordinating site operations or responding to unexpected challenges, the focus remains on finding practical solutions that keep events running smoothly.
A standout achievement this year was resolving a critical drinking water supply challenge at a major public event. With the usual water tanker unavailable just one week before opening, arranging a safe alternative and avoiding significant operational disruption. This contribution and commitment to effective decision making have since led to promotion to Chief of Operations for the event.
Alongside this, joining a farm to support its pumpkin patch has demonstrated the versatility of freelance event operations. Welcoming more than 1,000 visitors per day each weekend in October so far, the project brings fresh challenges in visitor flow, site organisation and customer experience.
Through Revel Events Management, the ambition remains to enable creativity, support teams and deliver safe, inclusive and memorable experiences, whatever challenges arise.
Wendy North
For over 20 years, Wendy North has built an outstanding freelance career delivering complex sporting events and live experiences for some of the world’s biggest brands. Trusted by organisations including PepsiCo, Enterprise, FedEx, Microsoft and UEFA, Wendy is the senior project leader brought in to turn ambitious ideas into successful reality.
During the 2025–26 period, Wendy supported the launch of PepsiCo’s new Formula 1 partnership, helping establish its guest programme and delivering operational planning across the race calendar, including onsite leadership at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. She led delivery for Enterprise’s UEFA Europa League Final programme, managing multiple workstreams and stakeholders to create a seamless experience around one of European football’s biggest occasions.
Known for her calm leadership, commercial awareness and exceptional attention to operational detail, Wendy brings clarity to complex projects and confidence to the teams around her. Her ability to quickly integrate into new organisations, build trusted relationships and take ownership of challenging projects has made her a sought-after freelance Event Project Director.
Wendy’s greatest achievement is the trust she continues to earn. She doesn’t simply fill a role she brings experience, judgement and leadership exactly where they are needed, helping teams deliver exceptional events under pressure.
The Open Masters Games 2026 Abu Dhabi Community Hubs, Black Orange Live
The Open Masters Games 2026 Abu Dhabi Community Hubs transformed three locations across Abu Dhabi into vibrant spaces celebrating sport, culture, wellbeing and human connection. Across eight live days, the hubs welcomed more than 50,000 visitors and delivered 57 interactive activations, creating opportunities for athletes, families, school groups and the wider community to participate, connect and experience the spirit of the Games.
From climbing challenges, fitness and yoga sessions to kayaking simulators and cultural experiences, the programme encouraged active participation for different ages and abilities. Emirati heritage was celebrated through traditional experiences, while intergenerational engagement brought former athletes and younger visitors together through shared sporting stories.
Social impact was embedded throughout the experience, including school engagement and the Make-A-Wish Foundation Wishing Tree, where visitors shared messages of encouragement and supported the cause through donations.
By bringing together sport, culture, wellness and social responsibility, the Community Hubs extended the Games beyond competition and created inclusive gathering spaces that strengthened community connection and promoted lifelong participation in sport.
Boomtown Chapter Five: Radical Redesign, Boomtown
Boomtown Chapter Five: Radical Redesign set out to rebuild the festival around its citizens: to deepen the story, remove friction and protect people. Our approach joined narrative, technology and welfare. The Boomtown app quests made Boomtown's story playable. Cash free RFID wristbands, loaded online or on site, took queues and handling cash out of the experience. Upgraded Orchid and Skylark camping gave citizens who wanted more comfort a better place to come home to. It is a festival that is imaginative, seamless and comfortable, and that treats protecting citizens and minimising harm as part of the experience itself.
Battersea Park in Concert, Enable
Battersea Park in Concert delivers world-class live music in one of London’s most beloved green spaces, combining exceptional performances with a welcoming, picnic-led experience. Built around the idea that a great concert should also feel like a great day out, every aspect of the visitor journey is carefully considered, from arrival and site navigation to comfort and hospitality.
The event’s distinctive picnic format allows guests to bring their own food and drink, creating a relaxed, affordable experience for families and friends. Thoughtful site layouts provide space to picnic comfortably, while performance areas are adapted to suit different audiences, including a dedicated dancefloor for the Sounds of South Africa show. Complimentary programmes ensure guests can enjoy the event without additional costs once inside.
In 2026, new experiences included pre-bookable wine tastings with Domaine Des Jeanne and bespoke South African food rom The Savanna. Staff and volunteers across all roles are briefed to deliver proactive, friendly customer services, welcoming guests and thanking them as they leave.
Audience feedback also plays a central role in shaping the event. BPIC’s Superfan community helps inform improvements, while 200 loyal attendees received a complimentary VIP upgrade or gift hamper in recognition of their support.
Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival, Falmouth Town Team
Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival transforms an entire harbourside town into one extraordinary live experience. In 2026, more than 90 groups from around the world filled
Falmouth’s streets, pubs, squares and waterfront with music, creating one of Europe’s largest free maritime music festivals.
A record-breaking weekend saw town-centre footfall rise 9.2% year-on-year, while a new festival app achieved 9,500 downloads and reached users in 53 countries. Performers and volunteers also raised more than £31,000 for the RNLI.
But the festival’s success is about more than numbers. Businesses, venues, volunteers, performers, residents and visitors come together to create an atmosphere that one performer described as making Falmouth feel “alive, joyful and together”.
Visitors don’t simply come to watch the festival; they become part of it.
Raver Tots
Raver Tots brings families together through dance music, colourful production and shared moments of joy. Led by independent organisers Mike and Saoirse, parents to three boys including their new addition baby Alfie, every event is shaped by an understanding of what families need to enjoy a day out.
Their passion for live music creates a safe, welcoming space where children can experience the excitement of a rave alongside their parents. Legendary DJs, huge special effects and entertainment help families make memories together.
With caring customer service and families returning year after year, Raver Tots celebrates a belief: raving is truly for everyone - throw shapes not toys!
Rock N Roll Circus, AGN Concerts
At Rock N Roll Circus (RNRC), every customer touchpoint is designed, from the box office to the main stage under the Big Top to the journey home. We choose sites that are easy to reach by public transport, work with local train companies and official taxi partners to make the journey as seamless as possible.
Fans arrive in a fully themed world: independent local traders in the Rings of Flavour food village, fairground games from Ping Pong with the Devil to Madame Mystique's Tarot Parlour, roaming circus performers and two stages on alternating sets so nobody misses a moment.
Circus runs all day. Aerialists, high-wire artists, fire breathers and stilt walkers roam the site, the Circus Spectacle Show builds towards each headliner, and Jagger, our resident life-size elephant, meets guests along the way. The Norwich Evening News gave it 5 stars, noting there was "barely a lull all day."
Accessible viewing platforms, step-free routes, an accessible entrance and carer tickets open the day to disabled guests, while reduced child pricing, free under-5s, baby changing and free circus workshops suit families. Three dates sold out across Sheffield and Norwich and customers rated the performance and experience an incredible 4.8/5.
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games
Over 11 days of competition, Glasgow welcomed the 74 nations and territories of the Commonwealth for a celebration of culture, sport and community like no other. 434,000 ticketed spectators enjoyed 10 sports in four iconic venues, across a compact eight-mile corridor.
However, Glasgow also has a long-established reputation as one of Europe's great cultural cities. Glasgow 2026 built on that foundation decisively, treating culture and art as just as integral to the event as the sport, with a 10 week festival programme which reached every corner of the city.
All of this went into achieving Glasgow 2026’s overall objective of creating a vibrant host city, alive with sport and culture while welcoming the world. With some of the success measures are highlighted below:
- 90% overall customer satisfaction score
- 86% would recommend attending the event to a friend or family member
- Overall organisation of the event scored 8.9/10
- 8.6/10 agreed that hosting the event made them proud of Glasgow and/or Scotland
- 9/10 agreed Glasgow was a welcoming city
- 8.3/10 agreed that Glasgow 2026 brought people and communities together
SlayBus at FORWARDS Festival, FlixBus
Travel brand FlixBus brought its viral social media character SlayBus to FORWARDS festival in Bristol over the August 2026 bank holiday weekend, in a world exclusive. Turning a coach into the meeting point of one of the UK's most purpose-led festivals was a huge hit with a highly engaged audience.
"Connecting the Lines" gave 60,000 festival-goers a place to relax and enjoy free Wi-Fi to find each other across the site, a sheltered place to regroup, giant games, photo opportunities and 30% off their next FlixBus journey. Millions of impressions across social media, online and in person were achieved through the activation.
FORWARDS' organiser Team Love called it "brilliant and engaging activity", and the SlayBus now has a World Tour planned for 2027!
Innovate2025, LCI Productions
Innovate2025 transformed Mastercard’s senior stakeholder event into an immersive journey through the future of technology, using the McLaren Technology Centre as its stage.
Created by big group and delivered in partnership with LCI Productions, the experience connected Mastercard’s innovation strategy with McLaren’s engineering heritage, turning complex propositions into physical, sensory experiences.
Five McLaren cars spanning 1990 to 2025 created the framework for the journey, with each becoming an anchor for a different innovation story.
A five-sense creative concept brought Mastercard’s technology to life through sight, sound, touch, scent and taste. Delegates experienced an AI-led commerce demonstration, immersive threat intelligence soundscapes, a biometric digital identity interaction, personalised fragrance profiling and a taste-led exploration of stablecoin innovation.
Behind the experience was a complex technical infrastructure incorporating large-format LED, eight 4K projectors, interactive touchscreens, projection mapping, biometric technology, spatial audio and live show control.
The result was an event where senior stakeholders were invited to experience Mastercard’s innovation rather than simply hear about it.
By combining purposeful technology, sensory storytelling and the world of McLaren Formula 1, Innovate2025 created a distinctive and memorable controlled-audience experience that demonstrated the potential of immersive events to make complex ideas tangible.
Salomon × Sammy Virji, Magic Number
The idea was simple: step inside the Salomon × Sammy Virji world.
We created a 12m × 10m raised, multi-layered structure opposite the main stage, bringing together music, product, creativity and fan interaction.
The industrial, stripped-back design featured striking 1.5m red LED batons, internal LED panels and hanging greenery, creating a space that felt unmistakably Sammy.
Rather than building a standard branded activation, we started with Sammy and built the experience around him.
Fans could explore a curated vinyl collection celebrating his musical influences, discover Salomon footwear, win exclusive prizes through a bespoke claw machine, and leave personal messages on an ever-growing instant photo wall.
A separate branded Airstream housed live screen-printing, where Sammy personally printed exclusive T-shirts and bandanas featuring artwork created for the collaboration.
Every element was designed to encourage participation, create genuine connections and place Salomon naturally within Sammy's world.
Magic Number delivered the entire experience, from initial concept and creative design through fabrication, installation and live delivery.
Oatly Matcha Monochrome, Positive Experience
Taking its cue from the distinctive green of Matcha, Monochrome by Oatly transformed Goodhood’s Shoreditch store into a world of fashion, flavour and design. This immersive pop-up, delivered by Positive Experience, brought a playful ambition to life: discovering just how much creativity could exist within a single colour.
At the heart of the experience, a conveyor belt served up complimentary drinks alongside green products exclusive to the pop-up. Visitors could explore new flavours while discovering a collection of objects travelling through the vibrant green installation. For an especially personal twist, a Colour Matching Matcha Bar paired visitors with their perfect shade of green. Following a professional colour assessment, a barista prepared a specially developed matcha drink in their recommended shade.
Brand experience agency Positive Experience worked with long-time partner Oatly to deliver the experience, taking responsibility for turning everything green; needing to take into account the differences in the colour when reproduced across a number of different surfaces and materials.
Bringing together the pleasures of a café, the discovery of a gift shop and the visual adventure of an art installation, Monochrome gave Oatly’s matcha green a world of possibilities.
Tia Maria House Party, Sense
A little 90s nostalgia. A lot of real-world connection.
To introduce Tia Maria to a new generation of drinkers, Sense created the Tia Maria House Party: an immersive festival experience inspired by the growing desire to switch off from digital noise and rediscover the joy of being together.
Touring Neighbourhood Weekender, Latitude and Wilderness, the House Party invited guests to explore a kitchen, living room, bathroom and garden, each filled with unexpected details and playful discoveries.
There were Espresso Martinis, 360° DJ sets, disco bucket hats and plenty of surprises. At Wilderness, Jake Shears even dropped in for an intimate Q&A and secret DJ set ahead of his headline performance with Scissor Sisters.
The results? 20,500 visitors, an average dwell time of 25 minutes, over 5.3 million media impressions and more than 500,000 engagements.
And the party isn't over. Tia Maria House Party returns in 2027.
Proof that sometimes the most powerful way to introduce a brand to a new audience is simply to give them somewhere they genuinely want to be.
Vertu Car Giveaway, Vertu
National automotive retailer Vertu takes its brand directly to audiences at motorsport events, county shows, partnership activations and festivals through a flexible mobile experience. A purpose-built race trailer anchors the activation, while bold branding, an innovative canopy and an integrated LED screen create a highly visible, welcoming destination.
The experience combines hospitality, family activities, product discovery and digital media, alongside access to one of Vertu’s flagship campaigns, the Vertu Car Giveaway. Engaging activities entertain children while parents relax, explore established and emerging vehicle brands, and speak with the team, giving the whole family a welcome break from busy event crowds.
The activation also extends beyond the on-site visitor experience. Production and editing facilities within the race trailer enable content teams to capture, edit and publish reactive material on the same day, expanding its reach beyond the physical footprint.
By combining standout design with genuine audience value, the set-up adapts successfully to very different event environments while creating memorable, recognisably Vertu connections wherever it goes.
O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Academy Music Group
There are arguably few more beautiful venues than O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. But this Grade II listed, 123-year-old venue isn’t just beauty. It’s brains. It’s brawn. It’s booming.
Invested in by AMG, it has made sure its major technical upgrade across audio, lighting and seating has been felt by artists, promoters and audiences alike.
Its programming is varied and diverse. Its new d&b Audiotechnik sound system delivers across all productions, all genres.
Foo Fighters could have chosen any venue in the UK to host their album launch back in February. The fact they chose O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire speaks volumes for the cultural importance of the venue, its history, its legacy but also that at 123-years-old it can rock like a stadium.
A month earlier, Hilary Duff chose the venue for her first live performance in 18 years. Proof again that it’s large enough to feel significant but intimate enough to create a genuine connection between artist and audience.
Mid-sized venues are the backbone of the UK touring circuit and O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire is one of its strongest vertebrae.
It has perfectly mixed old with new, heritage with modernity, creating the rare combination of historic character and contemporary relevance.
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is one of Britain’s most distinctive cultural landmarks and the UK’s largest independent live music venue. The Grade II* listed ‘People’s Palace’ combines extraordinary character with enormous production capabilities.
During October 2025 to October 2026, 303 Great Hall and Theatre events attracted 785,000 attendees. Four Tet created a communal dancefloor, Fatboy Slim introduced a 48-metre-wide video wall and Fred again.. delivered four sold-out nights culminating in Thomas Bangalter’s first London DJ set in more than 16 years.
The restored Victorian Theatre welcomed Melanie Martinez’s intimate underplay, Blood Orange’s in-the-round residency, theatre and comedy, while continuing as the recording home of BBC Two’s Later… with Jools Holland.
The PDC World Darts Championship and Johnstone’s Paint Masters snooker brought passionate audiences and major global broadcast partners. Exhibition organisers returned alongside new arrivals.
Across these formats we have collaborative teams, adaptable spaces and a commitment to accessibility underpinning the experience.
Independently owned and a charitable trust, commercial programming helps care for the Palace and its 196-acre Park and supports its Creative Learning Programme, engaging over 13,500 people annually through arts, culture, heritage and skills development.
Exceptional events sustain an extraordinary place, fulfilling our purpose to enrich lives through great experiences, forever.
Co-op Live
In 2026, Co-op Live has further strengthened its position as one of the world’s leading indoor venues, delivering a year defined by game changing cultural events, international sporting ambitions and innovation across the live entertainment industry.
The 23,500-capacity arena made history by hosting The BRIT Awards 2026, marking the first time that the ceremony had moved outside London. Just weeks later, it hosted the 30th anniversary of the MOBO Awards, bringing another major celebration of music and culture to the city. Together, 2026 has seen Co-op Live host two of the UK’s most prominent music award ceremonies in quick succession, underlining the venue’s ever-growing versatility and standing within the industry.
Its international ambitions were further recognised with the announcement that Co-op Live will host the NBA’s first regular-season game in Manchester in 2027. The venue’s growing international reputation is also reflected in its global rankings.
In 2026, Co-op Live introduced Europe’s first AiFi and self-service collaboration. Rounding out its first full year of operation, the adidas Originals Recording Studio by Abbey Road continues to connect live performance with music creation, providing a dedicated creative space within the arena and extending its contribution to the wider music industry.
Troxy
In 2026, Troxy completed a £1.5m transformation that increased capacity to 3,600 and made one of London’s most distinctive historic venues significantly easier to use for promoters, organisers and guests.
The redevelopment reopened previously disused areas, more than doubled toilet provision, introduced a permanent digital cloakroom and improved circulation throughout the Grade II-listed venue. Guests can now drop off belongings in around one to five minutes, helping events start with a smoother audience journey.
Over the last 12 months, Troxy hosted over 100 events, including 71 live music shows and 30 corporate events, welcoming 160k guests. Highlights included major sell-out shows with hot artists like Geese and Angine de Poitrine and the return of long-standing clients including Amazon, the The Music Producers Guild, ITV bCreator Awards, RISE Awards, UK Bus Awards, and more.
Troxy combines permanent concert-grade production infrastructure, flexible event formats and distinctive Art Deco architecture, supported by an experienced in-house team and Broadwick's wider commercial and operational network.
For promoters and organisers, the result is simple: more capacity, smoother operations, stronger commercial potential and a venue with real personality and an experienced team from technology through to operations, bar and food service.
Utilita Arena Cardiff
The Utilita Arena Cardiff does not sit back on 33 years of history but strives to push the story forward. From hosting some of the biggest names in music, from Metallica to Dolly Parton and also hosting comedy shows, sporting events, podcasts and 'An Evening with'-style events, every year brings new & fresh ideas to make sure the arena remains the number-one choice for events in Wales.
From new & improved premium event spaces to first-class customer service, The Utilita Arena Cardiff strives to offer the perfect location for not only the best tours and shows but excellent corporate events, graduations and sporting events, amongst others.
The current management team strives hard to ensure each year builds on what has come before - improving standards, creating opportunities and exceeding targets. This is a venue that works hard to ensure whatever door someone walks through into the arena, they are going to have the best experience.
Utilita Arena Newcastle
Utilita Arena Newcastle set out to prove that nationally significant culture belongs in the North East, and to make sure the region's own talent shares the spotlight.
In 2025, the arena became the first venue outside London to host the Mercury Prize. Broadcast on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer, the night ended with a home-city win for Sam Fender and generated £1.4 million in local economic impact. The Mercury Prize returns in October 2026, making Newcastle its home for two consecutive years.
The arena used that platform to open doors. Newcastle College students are working alongside the BPI and venue teams on the 2026 ceremony, from cooking for crews and the awards dinner to welcoming guests on the night. Through the Grassroots Artist Programme with Utilita Energy, emerging North East musicians are paid to perform in the Utilita Lounge before major shows, with professional dressing rooms, catering and venue support.
Add community events like Sunday for Sammy and exclusive regional dates from artists such as Sonny Fodera, and the result is a venue operating at national scale while staying rooted in its community: not just hosting the region's culture, but helping to build it.
Cartmel Steeplechase Ltd
Cartmel Racecourse is an iconic jump-racing venue on the Holker Estate, at the southern edge of the Lake District, where the event footprint is rebuilt for each fixture. In 2026 it hosted 9 events for more than 70,000 racegoers, pairing top-class racing and hospitality with care for its village setting.
Battersea Park, Enable
Battersea Park is a much-loved public green space and versatile outdoor events venue, bringing together culture, wellbeing and community in the heart of London. The park welcomes residents, families, sports groups and visitors throughout the year, while also providing a setting for events that attract audiences from across London and beyond.
Its varied programme ranges from grassroots sport, community activities and charity initiatives to major cultural events and large-scale events. Flagship events such as Battersea Park in Concert, Battersea Park Comedy Festival and Battersea Park Fireworks showcase the park’s ability to host diverse experiences, welcoming thousands of people while creating opportunities for communities to come together.
The park also supports a wide range of sporting and wellbeing activities, from organised running events to outdoor fitness and recreation. Partnerships with charities, community organisations and event organisers help broaden participation and deliver benefits beyond the park itself.
Safety and accessibility and the protection of the park’s natural character remain key priorities when planning and delivering events. Through careful coordination with Wandsworth Council, event partners and local stakeholders, Enable works to ensure the park remains a successful destination for major events and a welcoming green space for everyone to enjoy.
Marvel Stadium
From October 2025 to October 2026, Marvel Stadium reinforced its position as one of the world's leading outdoor venues, welcoming 2.4 million patrons across a diverse calendar of sport, music, entertainment and community events. The stadium hosted 50 football matches, attracting more than 1.5 million AFL fans and delivering approximately 22% of all AFL matches played nationally. It also welcomed global superstars including Oasis, Ed Sheeran, Metallica, Lady Gaga, Fridayz Live and Dom Dolla, whose 60,000-attendee performance established the largest single-headline electronic music event in Australian history.
Beyond its event calendar, Marvel Stadium demonstrated industry-leading innovation through new experiences that expanded the venue beyond traditional event-day operations. The launch of Marvel Stadium 365 introduced a year-round attractions platform, headlined by the immersive Marvel Stadium 365 Tour, which combines exclusive venue access, cutting-edge digital technology, AI-powered storytelling and personalised fan experiences. The Pulse by Coca-Cola redefined match-day engagement, transforming a stadium concourse into a social destination, while wellness experiences such as yoga and pilates on the turf showcased new ways to activate the arena.
Combining scale, versatility, innovation and unforgettable experiences, Marvel Stadium continues to set the benchmark for modern venue operations and demonstrate progressive stadium practices.
Norfolk Showground Limited
Norfolk Showground is East Anglia’s largest and most versatile event destination. Set within 150 acres of beautiful parkland and mature woodland, its expansive outdoor space creates the perfect backdrop for festivals, concerts, sporting fixtures and major public events. As the proud home of the Royal Norfolk Show, an event which alone welcomes more than 80,000 visitors each year and plays a key role in celebrating Norfolk’s rural heritage, innovation and community spirit.
The Norfolk Showground offers outstanding infrastructure, including three‑phase external power and water points across the site, giving you the flexibility to deliver ambitious, large‑scale productions with confidence. At the heart of the site is the Norfolk Events Centre, a modern, 3,000sqm pillar‑free space for up to 4,000 guests. Powered by solar panels that generate 103% of the Showground’s energy needs, it showcases our commitment to sustainable, future‑focused event delivery.
With excellent transport links, extensive parking and a layout built for smooth logistics, the Showground supports a vibrant calendar of exhibitions, corporate events, community celebrations and seasonal attractions. Our dedicated site team ensures exceptional standards and responsive support throughout. Norfolk Showground remains a trusted, accessible and much‑loved venue, offering memorable experiences for organisers, visitors and the wider community.
The Bath & West Showground
The Bath & West Showground is one of the UK's most versatile outdoor event venues, combining extensive event infrastructure with a unique charitable purpose. Set within 240 acres of countryside, the venue hosts a diverse programme of shows, festivals, exhibitions, conferences, community events and educational experiences, welcoming audiences ranging from small specialist groups to major public gatherings. The site offers adaptable outdoor spaces, permanent road infrastructure, extensive parking and a range of supporting facilities, enabling organisers to deliver successful events of all sizes.
The venue's core purpose is to create exceptional experiences for organisers, exhibitors and visitors while supporting rural communities and championing British agriculture. Through flagship events including the Royal Bath & West Show, the Dairy Show and the Food & Drink Festival, alongside year-round commercial events, the team delivers memorable, high-quality experiences.
A collaborative approach has helped the venue build strong relationships with event organisers, resulting in repeat bookings and long-term partnerships. With contracts secured through to 2030, the venue continues to be a trusted and dependable destination. Beyond commercial success, it generates significant social value through education, community engagement and support for the rural economy, making it a worthy contender for the Best Outdoor Venue Award.
O2 Institute Birmingham, Academy Music Group
Quality or quantity – can the two coexist? O2 Institute Birmingham is proof that you can programme big acts alongside rising talent, nostalgia and clubs, month-to-month, week-to-week and day-to-day.
It delivers across three unique rooms near nightly.
Over the past year the venue has hosted 242 gigs, with 18 promoters across 15 genres.
Promoters are given flexibility to take artists from an intimate first show of 250 to a 1,500-strong headline, with a 500 capacity room in between.
The strength of O2 Institute Birmingham's programming is its personality. It is curated. It is hungry for new music. It has history and credibility that bring established artists into an intimate setting.
Just ask Mumford & Sons on the latter, they played three album launch shows in a single night in February.
In one night they’ve had Chris Moyles 90s Hangover play the main room, the Skinner Brothers bring indie rock to Institute2 and rising country star Laura Aston hit Institute3.
Similarly they’ve given rising Midlands indie band Post 255 an opportunity in Institute2 while 21-year-old Sofia Isella plays her debut sold-out headline show, ending the night with the afterparty of DanceOnArrival’s summer opening festival.
Quality and quantity coexisting.
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is one of Britain’s most distinctive cultural landmarks and the UK’s largest independent live music venue. Its Grade II* listed Palace combines extraordinary character with production freedom and experienced teams who help artists and promoters realise their ambitions.
The 10,250-capacity Great Hall gives productions room to transform the entire space. During October 2025 - October 2026, Four Tet created a communal dancefloor, Fatboy Slim introduced a 48-metre-wide video wall and Fred again.. delivered four sold-out nights culminating in Thomas Bangalter’s first London DJ set in more than 16 years.
The restored Victorian Theatre offers another scale of possibility, from Melanie Martinez’s intimate underplay and Blood Orange’s in-the-round residency to theatre, comedy and BBC Two’s Later… with Jools Holland.
The PDC World Darts Championship and Johnstone’s Paint Masters Snooker bring tens of thousands of passionate audiences and major broadcast productions, while exhibition organisers return annually.
A charitable trust, commercial programming helps support the Palace and its 196-acre Park and its Creative Learning Programme for over 13,500 people annually.
Exceptional events sustain an extraordinary place, fulfilling our purpose, to enrich lives through great experiences, forever.
Boomtown
Boomtown's programme aims to serve musical quality and world-building at the same time. For Chapter Five, we asked what a bill looks like when it chases curiosity rather than genre. The answer was more than 800 acts across 12 stages and seven themed districts. Artists including Skrillex, Kneecap, Madness, Faithless, Scissor Sisters, Four Tet and Shy FX ft. Rage reached new audiences without losing the loyal citizens of Boomtown. We want our audience to view our program like a journey of discovery, not a row of similar stages. Independent promoters and grassroots collectives programmed our street venues, creating a genuine pathway from street corner to main stage. Everyone on our line up belongs in the world we're building.
Rock N Roll Circus
Rock N Roll Circus (RNRC) Sheffield set out to prove its programming could compete with far bigger festivals, and Saturday 29 August delivered exactly that. The team secured Wunderhorse for their only outdoor UK headline show, one of just two outdoor dates the band played anywhere in the country this year, by collaborating directly with the band on the wider bill rather than offering a standard slot.
Baxter Dury joined as main support, with Fat Dog, Gurriers, Basht., The Molotovs, Bleech 9:3, The North, Theatre, Heidi Curtis and Goo completing a lineup built entirely around artists shaping the current conversation in guitar music. When a support act withdrawal forced a late change, the team moved fast to bring in Westside Cowboy, a band already being tipped as one of Britain's most exciting rising acts, without losing momentum.
The result spoke for itself. The show sold out, Bleech 9:3 drew the biggest crowd stage two has ever seen, and the whole bill was backed by a bespoke artwork campaign built specifically for the occasion. It's a lineup that shows RNRC doesn't just book headliners, it builds moments around them.
Swans Events
Swans Events is a female-led events company bringing a fresh perspective to large-scale free outdoor programming across the UK. We’ve built a portfolio of work that champions local talent, celebrates communities and makes arts accessible to all.
We create programmes that reflect the places they take over. Working closely with local artists, performers and communities, we celebrate each location’s history while embracing the people and ideas shaping its future. We believe big stages should be open to more than the high profile names, and live events should reach beyond the audiences who already attend them. Our programming spans artforms and experiences, giving emerging and local talent opportunities to reach new audiences while inviting people to discover something unexpected.
Our work also extends beyond the event itself, with training and workshops supporting the next generation of producers and helping open up the events industry to new talent.
With more than half a million attendees across our programmes, we’re proud to create events that bring people together, put local talent in the spotlight and make culture part of everyday public life. We founded Swans Events to do things differently, and to make sure there’s room for everyone.
The Big Retreat Festival
The Big Retreat’s programming is built around one simple idea: Feel Good – Your Way. Across four days in Pembrokeshire, guests create their own festival from more than 500 experiences spanning live music, comedy, headline talks, fitness, yoga, wild swimming, paddleboarding, cookery, arts and crafts, nature, adventure and personal development.
This year Gail Porter joined us in Pembrokeshire and Ruby Wax brought her humour to Cambridgeshire, while Main Stage artists Rebecca Ferguson, Rick Parfitt Jnr and Fat Tony, and Peloton’s Ben Alldis and Bradley Rose, shared the real humans behind the performance in the Talk Tent.
Distinct areas, from the Main Stage, Soul Space and the Woodland Spa to the Fitness Field, On the Water, Tangled Woods, Darwin’s Den, the Chef’s Kitchen and Little Retreaters, offer completely different ways to experience the same festival. Around 80% of experiences are included in the ticket price, encouraging guests to get curious and try something new.
A dedicated festival app built by VIKIN sits alongside the printed programme, so guests can explore schedules and presenters, build their own timetable, find their way around and get reminders before sessions begin.
Halifax Jazz Festival
For 40 years, Halifax Jazz Festival has been bringing people together through the power of live music, becoming one of Atlantic Canada’s most enduring cultural institutions. The festival has evolved from its jazz roots into a multi-genre celebration featuring local, national, and international artists across Halifax’s waterfront, parks, and performance venues.
As Atlantic Canada’s oldest jazz festival, HJF has built a lasting legacy through artistic excellence, accessible community programming, music education, and opportunities for generations of musicians. Its free concerts have helped make live music an essential and welcoming part of Halifax’s cultural identity. Behind the performances is an extraordinary community of volunteers, staff, artists, suppliers, and partners whose dedication has sustained the festival across four decades.
The organization continues to evolve, championing accessibility, community engagement, event safety, and knowledge sharing within the live-events industry. Celebrating its 40th edition in 2026, Halifax Jazz Festival continues to honour the generations who built its legacy while investing in the artists, audiences, and event professionals who will shape its future. Its enduring impact is measured not only in performances, but in the connections, opportunities, and cultural experiences it has created for its community.
The Green Gathering
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Troxy
For 93 years, Troxy has been a fixture of East London's cultural landscape. Opening in 1933 as the UK's largest cinema, the Grade II-listed Art Deco building has since been a Royal Opera House rehearsal space, bingo hall and one of London's best-loved live event venues.
In 2026, a £1.5m investment marked a major new chapter. Capacity increased from 3,100 to 3,600, with significant improvements to facilities and audience experience, while ongoing restoration continues to protect the building's historic character.
Troxy's stage has welcomed everyone from Nick Cave and Patti Smith to The Cure, Jack White and Skrillex. Its diverse programme continues to attract major artists, awards ceremonies and corporate events, cementing its reputation as one of London's most versatile venues.
Beyond the building, Troxy remains committed to supporting artists through its No Merch Fees policy, alongside ongoing work in sustainability and inclusion. A new partnership with Broadwick in 2026 has also opened up further opportunities.
Nearly a century on, Troxy continues to evolve without losing what makes it special: protecting its history while creating more opportunities for artists, audiences and the wider events industry.
Utilita Arena Sheffield
For 35 years, Sheffield Arena has been part of the fabric of the city.
Since opening in 1991 as the UK’s first purpose-built arena, it has welcomed generations of audiences to world-class concerts, major sporting occasions, televised entertainment and events that celebrate the people and spirit of Yorkshire.
Its legacy is measured not only in 16 million attendees, but in the role it has played in making Sheffield a destination for major live experiences. Every event brings audiences into the city, supporting local businesses, employment and the wider visitor economy.
The past year has demonstrated that this legacy is still evolving. The arena welcomed the ISU Figure Skating Championships, bringing elite international sport to Sheffield; hosting the Pride of Yorkshire preview event, celebrating the achievements and identity of the region; and welcomed Gladiators for the fourth consecutive year, demonstrating its ability to deliver major televised entertainment alongside live audience experiences.
Alongside this diverse program, continued investment in the venue is enhancing the experience for audiences and ensuring Sheffield Arena remains fit for the future.
After 35 years, Sheffield Arena continues to be a place where people come together, where Sheffield welcomes the world and where new memories are made.
Victorious Festival
Victorious Festival has grown into one of the UK's leading music festivals while remaining proudly rooted in the city it calls home.
Beyond bringing world-class music to Southsea Seafront, Victorious is committed to making a lasting positive difference to Portsmouth and its people.
Through Victorious in the Community, the festival has contributed over £1 million to charities and good causes since 2014, supporting local organisations, community projects and opportunities for young people.
Championing homegrown talent remains central to its ethos, with more than 2,170 performance slots provided for local artists. Its Road to Victorious competition takes this further, offering emerging musicians invaluable industry experience and opportunities to perform at major UK festivals.
Victorious also champions the city's cultural scene, local businesses and workforce, contributing an estimated £159 million to Portsmouth's economy since 2014. From improving accessibility and supporting mental health initiatives to reducing food waste, the festival continues to find meaningful ways to give back.
Victorious demonstrates how a major music festival can achieve national recognition while keeping its community at the heart of everything it does, creating a lasting legacy for Portsmouth.
All Points East, AEG
Since launching in 2018, All Points East has established itself as an essential fixture in London’s festival calendar, with line-ups defined by ambition, depth and an instinct for artists at pivotal moments in their careers. Its inaugural edition set the tone, bringing together The xx, LCD Soundsystem, Björk, Lorde, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and The National.
That programming philosophy has continued to evolve, from Stormzy, The Strokes, Jungle and HAIM in 2023, and an eclectic 2024 spanning Kaytranada, Loyle Carner, Mitski, LCD Soundsystem and The Postal Service. In 2025, the lineup included an incredible lineup of genre-varying headline acts such as Cleo Sol, Chase & Status, Barry Can’t Swim, RAYE and The Maccabees.
In 2026, APE delivered its biggest edition with Lorde, Jorja Smith and Tems, Tyler, The Creator delivering a two-day UK-exclusive residency, Deftones via Outbreak London and Twenty One Pilots made their APE debut.
The line-up’s impact was reflected in critical acclaim. NME reported Lorde calling it “the best I’ve ever been part of”, while The Standard praised All Points East as “the grande dame of London festivals”. Together, the programming and response demonstrate a festival that consistently sets the benchmark for ambitious, culturally relevant line-ups.
Boomtown
Boomtown is a five day fictional city, built from scratch each August at Matterley Estate in the South Downs National Park. Its citizens don't just watch live music they wander through it, district by district, inside a world with its own history, characters and storylines. For Chapter Five: Radical Redesign, our goal was a bigger, more varied and more mature live experience. We reimagined the site by repositioning stages, welcoming back stages from 7 years ago, rebuilding districts and adding space for audiences to pause between sets. The result was a line up of over 800 acts across 12 stages and 50+ theatrical venues. Scissor Sisters, Skrillex, Faithless, Kneecap and Madness shared the bill with emerging UK talent on our smallest street corners. Dub, reggae, punk, techno, garage, drum and bass, grime and jungle sat alongside pop, hip-hop and live performance. At the centre stood Hydro XL, a fully hydrogen-powered main stage with a 20,000+ capacity footprint. It shows that headline-scale live music can run on cleaner infrastructure. Values-led booking, grassroots support and care for every citizen make Boomtown unlike any other UK festival.
Glasgow's Pride, G Pride SCIO
The main stage live music showcase at Glasgow’s Pride 2026 delivered a concert-grade production within a busy urban footprint. Featuring high-spec line array sound, dynamic LED lighting, and precise stage turnarounds, the music stage presented a high-energy lineup of Scottish and international artists. Strict acoustic management and efficient crowd control created an electric, safe, and unforgettable live music experience in the heart of the city.
Madonna: Confessions II Album Launch Party, Magazine London, Broadwick
On 2 July 2026, Magazine London became Club Confessions for one night only, hosting Madonna’s official UK launch party for Confessions II, her first studio album in seven years.
Broadwick and Magazine London delivered the event operationally for Warner Records and Grindr, with a brief to create a genuine club night rather than an industry event, for artist, fans and invited guests.
Around 2,000 guests filled the room, split evenly between fans and an invited audience of Grindr guests, press, influencers, VIPs and celebrities. Fan tickets, available only to those who pre-ordered the album and priced at £25 with complimentary drinks, sold out within minutes.
DJ sets from Honey Dijon, Jodie Harsh, Horse Meat Disco and Stuart Price built the night, before Madonna took to the decks at midnight with Price and her daughter Lourdes Leon. Moving Venue operated the bars and Vibration Production provided sound and lighting.
The night was covered by British Vogue, Rolling Stone, NME, BBC News and The New York Times, and named event of the year by Capital Radio. It showed how Magazine London can host global music moments, putting fans on the same dancefloor as an icon.
Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, PRK DreamHaus GmbH
One line-up, one weekend, two completely different festival worlds. Rock am Ring and Rock im Park bring the same international artists to two iconic locations more than 400 kilometres apart – creating two independent major festivals united by one musical identity.
For 41 years, Rock am Ring has transformed the legendary Nürburgring into a festival city, where the Eifel landscape, motorsport history and an intense camping culture shape the experience. For 31 years, Rock im Park has brought that same musical DNA into the heart of Nuremberg, combining a major international festival with the energy and accessibility of an urban setting.
In 2026, the two festivals welcomed more than 170,000 fans – around 90,000 at Rock am Ring and 80,000 at Rock im Park – and both sold out earlier than ever before. A world-class line-up including Linkin Park, Iron Maiden, Volbeat and Limp Bizkit performed across both locations.
A live link between the two Utopia Stages captured what makes this concept so special: two crowds, hundreds of kilometres apart, becoming one shared audience.
Two iconic locations. Two distinctive experiences. One line-up and one community – creating an extraordinary live music experience across Germany.
Great British Festivals, The Brit Fest
The Brit Fest 2026 brought over 35,000 festivalgoers together for four unforgettable days of live music, entertainment and community spirit, cementing its reputation as one of the UK's most exciting independent festivals.
Founded by brothers Anthony and Edward Prophet, this multi-award-winning event returned to Ashley Hall Showground, Cheshire, with an ambitious programme of over 120 performances, combining legendary artists, rising talent and exceptional festival experiences.
An extraordinary line-up featured Happy Mondays, Holly Johnson, Wet Wet Wet, Jason Donovan, ABC, Peter Hook & The Light, Cast and Symphonic Ibiza, alongside themed celebrations, VIP experiences, camping, independent traders and family-friendly entertainment.
Created to deliver the excitement of a major music festival with the warmth and personality of an independent event, The Brit Fest achieved an impressive 4.5/5 customer review rating, whilst maintaining a strong commitment to sustainability, with approximately 87% of waste recycled.
Beyond the music, the festival supported local businesses, charitable initiatives and emerging performers, making a meaningful contribution to Cheshire's cultural and visitor economy.
The Brit Fest 2026 proved that independent ambition, exceptional production and genuine community spirit can create a truly outstanding live event.
Victorious Festival
Victorious Festival 2026 welcomed more than 150,000 festivalgoers to Southsea Seafront for an unforgettable August Bank Holiday weekend, combining world-class music, family entertainment and a real sense of Portsmouth pride.
Richard Ashcroft, The Black Keys and Kasabian headlined a spectacular line-up featuring Rudimental, Dizzee Rascal, Sigrid, Scissor Sisters, Nile Rodgers & CHIC and Basement Jaxx. The Streets performing 'A Grand Don’t Come for Free' in full was another standout moment.
Beyond the main stages, festivalgoers sang their hearts out at Massaoke, danced at Henry’s House in historic Southsea Castle and discovered exciting new spaces, including Little Johnny Russell’s and the Wightlink Bandstand. The Kids Arena offered free entertainment for families, while thoughtful facilities helped make the weekend welcoming to all generations.
Accessibility remained a priority, with Gold status on Attitude is Everything’s Charter of Best Practice reflecting Victorious’ commitment to removing barriers to live music.
Proudly run by a local team, Victorious championed emerging Portsmouth artists and contributed more than £78,000 to good causes in 2026, taking its total charitable giving beyond £1 million.
Victorious proved that outstanding live music and unforgettable experiences can go hand in hand with genuine community impact, keeping Portsmouth at the heart of everything.
Zach Bryan "With Heaven On Tour", AEG Presents
Zach Bryan's historic "With Heaven On Tour" 2026 stadium tour saw the country music icon play 25 international stadiums across The UK, Europe and North America.
European Athletics Championships, Athletic Ventures
In August 2026, Birmingham hosted the biggest European Athletics Championships in history. Over seven days at Alexander Stadium, 1,645 athletes from all 49 federations competed across a record 50 disciplines.
Our aim was to fill the stadium and use a home Championships to grow the sport. Opening sales a year out we built momentum in phases, each with its own creative: priority access for the athletics community, a Christmas gifting push, £5 group tickets and extra seat releases as demand grew. A broad "Catch Greatness" campaign became targeted messages for local people and families, such as "Brum Is Calling" and "The Ultimate Day Out". A £6.31 "World Record Ticket" celebrated Mondo Duplantis.
The result was 218,135 spectators, capacity crowds for the closing evening sessions and more than 43,000 children in the stands. Beyond the stadium, 39,000 people visited the Champions Square Fan Zone and more than 5,000 ran the Unity Challenge mass participation race. BBC coverage reached 17.3 million, and our social channels earned 132 million impressions.
As European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov put it: "Our sport is bigger & better today because of you."
The Islamic Solidarity Games Riyadh 2025, Black Orange Live
The Islamic Solidarity Games Riyadh 2025 brought together 57 nations, more than 4,000 athletes and officials, and 23 sports across 10 venues, creating one of the largest multi-sport events ever hosted in the region. As Event Delivery Partner, Black Orange delivered a complete Games ecosystem, managing venue operations, transport, hospitality, branding, workforce services, and the creation of a purpose-built Athletes Village.
Designed as a vibrant "mini-city," the Athletes Village provided accommodation, training facilities, medical services, recreation spaces, and 24-hour dining, supporting athlete wellbeing throughout the Games. The event delivered more than 153,000 meals, managed 8,624 coach transfers, installed over 530 branding assets, and coordinated operations across a complex multi-venue footprint.
Broadcast to 51 countries and generating over 141 million social media impressions, the Games showcased Saudi Arabia's growing capability to host world-class international sporting events. Through operational excellence, cultural hospitality, sustainability initiatives, and an athlete-first approach, Riyadh 2025 created a memorable experience that united communities, celebrated sporting achievement, and strengthened connections across the Islamic world
The NextGen ATP Finals 2025, Black Orange Live
The NextGen ATP Finals 2025 transformed Jeddah into a stage for the future of tennis, bringing together the world's top under-21 players for a sold-out tournament that combined elite competition, innovation, and entertainment. Delivered by Black Orange in partnership with the Saudi Tennis Federation and Ministry of Sport, the event introduced progressive match formats, immersive fan experiences, and cutting-edge production designed to engage a new generation of sports fans.
Across five days, the tournament achieved sold-out sessions, full-capacity fan zones, more than 5 million social media impressions, and a 25% increase in viewership. A standout Island Media Day on a Red Sea island generated global attention, while 800sqm of LED experiences and interactive fan activations created a dynamic Sportainment environment.
Despite significant operational challenges, including extreme humidity and last-minute player withdrawals, Black Orange delivered a seamless experience through rapid rebranding, advanced climate-control systems, and world-class event operations. Players awarded the event an 85% satisfaction rating and described it as the best edition yet.
By combining sporting excellence, technological innovation, sustainability initiatives, and unforgettable fan engagement, the NextGen ATP Finals 2025 established a new benchmark for tennis events and reinforced Saudi Arabia's position as a destination for world-class sport.
The WTA Riyadh Finals 2025, Black Orange Live
The WTA Riyadh Finals 2025 brought the world’s top eight singles players and doubles teams to Riyadh for the prestigious season-ending championship, combining elite competition with immersive fan experiences and meaningful community impact.
Building on the inaugural edition, the 2025 tournament delivered an enhanced experience through expanded fan zones, interactive activations, improved player services, upgraded training facilities and stronger operational planning. High venue occupancy, repeat visitation and increased audience engagement demonstrated the tournament’s continued growth, while a more knowledgeable and passionate local crowd created an authentic international tennis atmosphere.
Beyond the court, community and social initiatives extended the event’s legacy through grassroots programmes, school outreach, youth engagement and women’s health awareness in partnership with the Zahra Foundation. Sustainability was also integrated through the reuse of selected event structures, reduced production materials and increased use of digital platforms.
By combining world-class sport, community engagement, cultural impact and operational excellence, the WTA Riyadh Finals 2025 strengthened the visibility of women’s tennis and reinforced Riyadh’s position on the global sporting calendar.
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is one of sport's great gatherings - athletes from 74 nations and territories, disabled and non-disabled competitors on the same stage, under the same flag, as equals. Glasgow 2026 was 99% privately funded, staged across four world-class venues, and delivered the largest Para sport programme in the history of the Games. It was, by any measure, a game-changing moment for sport.
This time around, Glasgow stepped up like no other host city could.
A Games delivered at record speed. At a fraction of the cost of the previous model. Glasgow 2026 has proved the blueprint for the future of the Commonwealth movement, already safeguarding the future of the Games.
An 11 day festival of culture, sport and community like no other unfolded over July and August. These numbers tell one story of success:
● 434,000 spectator tickets taken up
● 370 million social media views across Games and Games Family channels
● 164,000 people attended the Game On Live Site and Merchant City Festival
● 4,000 volunteers completed 156,110 hours of service
● 600+ hours of live broadcast on TNT Sports and HBO Max alone
● 2,521 educators accessed Glasgow 2026 digital learning resources
Beyond the Pale
In 2025, Beyond the Pale's future was in doubt. In 2026, its first full year under FUEL, it delivered the biggest edition in its history.
Set in the valley at Glendalough Estate in the Wicklow Mountains, Beyond the Pale is a boutique festival of music, arts, wellness and food. For 2026, FUEL kept its creative core – the original programmers and artistic directors – and rebuilt everything around it: a new identity, a new website, and a site expanded to 14 stages.
Four new areas delivered what the festival had long promised: Outpost, a new-music stage with RTÉ 2FM; sit-down dining from three of Dublin's best restaurants; the Roundtower, a premium hospitality space; and Lakeside, a new area of installations and places to slow down.
Caribou, Soulwax, Father John Misty, Honey Dijon and Sister Sledge led the bill. Daithí played a surprise Saturday-night headline set, announced first through the festival app to the people already in the valley.
15,000 people came, and 96% say they'll be back. They meant it: within hours of 2027 going on sale, more than 3,000 tickets were gone. Twelve months on from people asking whether there would be a festival, they're booking a year out.
Kaleidoscope Presented by Glenveagh
Kaleidoscope Presented by Glenveagh is Ireland's largest family festival: three days at Russborough House, Co. Wicklow, delivered by FUEL with Live Nation, Festival Republic and MCD, with more than 100 family activities and shows across 15 areas and stages.
After 2025, families told us exactly what needed fixing. For 2026, we made eight site upgrades. Fully flushing toilets arrived, a first for an Irish festival. The campsite split in two, with a family field closer to the arena and a quieter one for babies and toddlers, plus a campsite quiet-time curfew, kitchens and BBQ zones. Waste management, day-ticket access and arena hospitality were all upgraded, and the main stage got bigger.
It worked. Of those surveyed, 96% were satisfied and 80% said the weekend beat their expectations, both up on 2025 and above Live Nation's benchmark across 41 events.
With Natasha Bedingfield, Pete Tong Ibiza Classics and The Saw Doctors headlining, the sixth edition welcomed a record number of families. Parents and children, same field, equally good time.
"My Kinda Saturday Night Tour" Luke Combs, AEG Presents
On his "My Kinda Saturday Night Tour" Luke Combs became the first country solo artist to headline Wembley Stadium; he was the first to ever sell out back-to-back nights at Ireland’s Slane Castle; he was the first country star to sell out Accor Arena in Paris; and his stops at Amsterdam’s John Crujff ArenA and Sweden’s Ullevi Stadium were the largest country shows in their respective countries.
Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, PRK DreamHaus GmbH
One line-up, one weekend, two completely different festival worlds. Rock am Ring and Rock im Park bring the same international artists to two iconic locations more than 400 kilometres apart – creating two independent major festivals united by one musical identity.
For 41 years, Rock am Ring has transformed the legendary Nürburgring into a festival city, where the Eifel landscape, motorsport history and an intense camping culture shape the experience. For 31 years, Rock im Park has brought that same musical DNA into the heart of Nuremberg, combining a major international festival with the energy and accessibility of an urban setting.
In 2026, the two festivals welcomed more than 170,000 fans – around 90,000 at Rock am Ring and 80,000 at Rock im Park – and both sold out earlier than ever before. A world-class line-up including Linkin Park, Iron Maiden, Volbeat and Limp Bizkit performed across both locations.
A live link between the two Utopia Stages captured what makes this concept so special: two crowds, hundreds of kilometres apart, becoming one shared audience.
Two iconic locations. Two distinctive experiences. One line-up and one community – creating an extraordinary live music experience across Germany.
U2 50th Anniversary Homecoming, Universal Music Group & Full Stop Management
On 25 September 2026, fifty years to the day since U2 formed, the band came home. For Universal Music Group and Full Stop Management, FUEL produced the media day and surprise street performance that launched the campaign for Carnaval De Luz, U2’s first album of new material in nearly a decade.
After a gig at Mount Temple, where it all began, we turned Twenty Two Dublin back into McGonagle’s, the club that gave U2 one of their earliest stages, for a press-exclusive event.
Then came Grafton Street. Just before 7pm, U2 stepped out onto the balcony of Bewley’s, picked for iconic sightlines that carry the length of the street, and played to the city. It was Dublin’s best worst-kept secret, and the plan was built for it: ingress and egress through the side streets, crowd breaks throughout, and 70 stewards working with the Gardaí from a dedicated event control.
Delivering a licensed live event in a working city centre took real collaboration: U2 and their team, Dublin City Council, An Garda Síochána, Dublin Fire Brigade, Bewley’s and a brilliant supplier family.
A homecoming that made headlines at home and across the international music press.
UAE’s 54th National Day Celebration, Artnovi
For one evening, the walls of Al Dhafra Fort became a sea, a village and a window into the future.
For the UAE’s 54th National Day, Artnovi created a thirty-minute journey through the memories and aspirations of a community. It began with archival photographs, local stories and carefully researched details. Al Dhafra poets gave the story its words; an Emirati composer gave it music.
Performers stepped into landscapes that flowed across the fort and onto a specially designed stage. A sculptural boat and sea creatures brought the imagery into physical space. Children’s shadows played across the walls, while above them, drones became a luminous loom weaving the national flag.
Behind these moments stood a team of 300, more than 150 performers, over 250 specially made costumes, 20 projectors and 700 drones, all working towards one shared story.
The celebration welcomed 750 invited guests, including members of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family. National television and official media carried it beyond the fort. It received two Eventex Awards in 2026: Set Design Solution and Municipal Event.
Rooted in the place and its people, the show brought heritage into the present through a living encounter with space, music and performance.
The Islamic Solidarity Games Riyadh 2025, Black Orange Live
The Islamic Solidarity Games Riyadh 2025 brought together 57 nations and more than 4,000 athletes and officials across 23 sports and 10 venues, creating a major live event experience spanning Riyadh. Black Orange delivered an integrated Games environment connecting competition, hospitality, transport, branding and athlete services at remarkable scale.
At its heart was a purpose-built Athletes Village designed as a complete mini-city, providing accommodation, training facilities, medical services, 24-hour dining, recreation and cultural experiences. Across the Games, more than 153,000 meals were served, 8,624 coach trips were delivered and 530 branding units created a unified identity across venues.
The team demonstrated exceptional agility under live-event pressure, including relocating a boxing final to a new venue in under five hours and managing compressed installation schedules without disrupting delivery.
Broadcast across 51 countries and generating 141.6 million social impressions, the Games combined operational precision, Saudi hospitality and cultural identity to create a cohesive experience that demonstrated the power and ambition of major live events in the Middle East.
Andrea Bocelli's Romanza 30th Anniversary Tour Cairo, Live Nation Middle East
On 5 June 2026, Andrea Bocelli opened a new chapter for live music in Egypt, performing at the brand new New Cairo Opera House, the landmark venue at the heart of the City of Arts & Culture in the New Administrative Capital. Celebrating 30 years of Romanza, the concert marked Bocelli’s return to Egypt for the first time since his performances at the Giza Plateau in 2003 and 2010. Live Nation Middle East introduced Cairo audiences to a new destination for world-class live entertainment, and when illness meant a rare postponement, moved the show by just ten days while keeping fans with us.
Pitbull: I'm Back Tour in Dubai, Live Nation Middle East
Live Nation Middle East sold out Pitbull's I'm Back World Tour, featuring Lil Jon, at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai, welcoming over 13,000 fans on 14 December 2025. In a 60-day campaign in the busiest month of Dubai's live calendar, we combined partner media, a Lil Jon interview on Virgin Radio's Kris Fade Show and tightly managed paid social with the global trend of fans dressing up as Pitbull. The campaign generated more than 2 million views across media and social, and demand kept building right up to show day, proving that a short, data-led campaign can sell out an arena in a crowded market.
Linkin Park: From Zero World Tour in Abu Dhabi, Live Nation Middle East
Linkin Park returned to the UAE for the first time since 2010 and sold out Etihad Arena, Yas Island, within three days of general on-sale, with 14,750 fans on 20 January 2026. Working with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, Miral and the region's leading media and radio partners, Live Nation Middle East built demand before tickets went on sale. Presale sold out before general sale opened, and the campaign generated 9.6 million impressions and more than 160,000 social interactions, confirming Abu Dhabi as a destination for global rock tours.