The world’s first renewable energy hub of its kind, guaranteeing clean power to major festivals and film/television shoots at scale.

The West of England Clean Power Pilot aims to reduce pollution and help provide cleaner air to those who attend, live near, work on, or perform at this summer's events.

Clean energy is a major growth sector for the region, with an ambition through this pilot to raise awareness of related training and employment opportunities.

There will be further announcements on the programme later this summer.

crowds in front of stage with rainbow confetti flying up into the sky Image credit: Dan Weill

Clean power takes centre stage

Delivered by West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, Bristol City Council, the UN and C40-affiliated ACT 1.5 project and multiple clean power providers, the pilot is now underway and will power this summer's festivals, cultural events and film and TV productions across the region with 100% renewable electricity.  

The programme has been established based on the evolving legacy of the ACT 1.5/Massive Attack music festival, staged in Bristol in August 2024, which broke the world record for producing the lowest ever carbon emissions. It aims to remove barriers for major live events, TV and film productions to meet their environmental ambitions. By bringing the sectors together, they can share the same clean energy technologies and expertise during the four months of the year that see peak activity for both industries (June – September). 

Pilot milestones

This Summer will see the pilot meet a number of milestones, and news about each one will be released in partnership with our many partners across the region. Head to our news page or follow us on social media to get the latest updates.

Visit news page
close up of large battery and wires

A dedicated Battery Storage and Recharging Depot and Power Feeder Pillars installed on site at Bristol’s award-winning Bottle Yard Studios, the largest film and TV studio in South West England.

a person in front of a deflated rainbow hot air balloon Image credit: Bristol International Balloon Fiesta / Paul Box

19 major music festival and cultural events participating clean mobile power provision experiments at a significant scale, many for the first time.

behind the scenes of the filming of 'The Outlaws' Image credit: Big Talk Studios / BBC

A range of television and film productions using clean mobile power for unit bases and location filming over a 4 to 5 month period, supported by Bristol Film Office.

a visualisation of a report

A first phase report providing sectoral and policy recommendations, published by industrial analysts and climate scientists from The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and the UK Government’s “A Green Future” 25 Year Environment Plan, supported by Arts Council England.

close up of hands holding a phone with a map on it

Launch of a new power locations map, making it easier for events and film crews to plug in to existing supplies.

People across the West love culture and love our environment, so this new partnership with ACT 1.5 is really exciting. Clean energy and the creative industries are both key growth sectors for us over the coming decade.

Mayor Helen Godwin

The West of England is one of the UK’s top five creative clusters

A premier festival hub, we are home to a thriving, eclectic music and cultural events calendar that boasts several of the UK’s largest live music events, attracting hundreds of thousands of people each year.

We are also at the forefront of UK film and TV production, consistently attracting some of the country’s biggest screen productions to its studios and locations. Bristol is an internationally recognised UNESCO City of Film, and Bristol & Bath is one of seven UK Production Hubs identified by the British Film Commission due to the depth of its filming eco-system, encompassing studios, crew, support and supply chain.

This programme reflects the ambitions in the West of England Growth Strategy to make the creative industries sector a leader in green cultural production and to deliver a clean energy revolution – which is about more than generating clean energy, it’s about implementing innovations in its use. 

A group of people wearing high vis, standing around a large battery Image credit: Loves Saves The Day / Green Energy / Giulia Spadafora

A world first

While other initiatives have trialled part-battery power, the model sees the first collaboration between a Mayoral Combined Authority and City Council that will guarantee renewably-powered mobile energy and charging for an entire season of major outdoor music festivals and film/television production activity. The health and environmental benefits of this collaboration, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and air particle pollution, will be significant. 

Key principles

  • Improving air quality for those who live near, work on, or perform at festivals and major events
  • Meeting greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets at rates compatible with the Paris Agreement
  • Building meaningful relationships between productions and communities
  • Emphasising the role of nature, rewilding and the treatment of land

Core partners

Pilot partners

Battery partners

Event partners

A selection of events partners participating in the pilot this Summer