Blyth Festival of Energy
Newcastle University at the heart of Blyth Festival of Energy
Published on: 26 February 2026
Newcastle University to showcase research and innovation at the inaugural Blyth Festival of Energy.
Researchers from Newcastle University will take centre stage as Blyth hosts the town’s first-ever Festival of Energy from 5–8 March 2026.
The event is a celebration of the town’s rich heritage, its people, and its growing reputation as a global leader in renewable energy. This free festival will fill the town’s streets, quayside, and public spaces with large-scale artworks, performances and immersive experiences inspired by the sea, wind, moon and earth.
The University will play an active role in the festival, showcasing cutting-edge research across Marine Science, Ecosystems, Engineering and Renewable Energy, as well creative arts and cultural practice.
Working with the Blyth community
On the first day of the festival, the University will open the Blyth Marine Station and the Emmerson Cavitation Tunnel to the public. Cavitation – the complex pressure changes over a propeller blade as it moves through water - was discovered in the North East by Sir Charles Parsons, who constructed the world’s first cavitation tunnel to test and improve the performance of the propellers on the SS Turbinia. The day will provide a unique opportunity to see first-hand how the Tunnel works and to meet some of the PhD students using it.
Later that evening (17:30–19:30), a panel discussion at Energy Central Campus, Quay Road, titled “Blyth Together: A People-Centred Green Energy Town” will focus on how renewable energy and culture are shaping Blyth’s future. The event will feature experts from the University’s School of Arts and Cultures, and School of Geography, Politics and Sociology alongside researchers from its School of Natural and Environmental Sciences and School of Engineering, who will join community leaders and industry figures to talk about the ways in which renewable energy and creativity are bringing about a new and inclusive direction for the town.
On Friday 6 March, up to 10 competition winners will take part in an exclusive trip to offshore wind farms aboard the University research vessel, RV Princess Royal, with onboard activities led by marine and engineering experts, supported by postgraduate researchers.
This is not the first time the University has supported community events in the Northumberland town. In 2025, Blyth residents worked with community arts organisation, Headway Arts, and researchers at Newcastle University to co-create the exhibition and develop recommendations for an arts-led, community-driven model for Net Zero innovation that listens to marginalised voices.
Professor Anthony Zito, Professor of European Public Policy, Newcastle University, said: “Blyth's Festival of Energy represents another exciting step in our work with the Blyth community to realising a shared future involving new energy technologies, cultural enrichment and civic engagement.”
Dr Clifton Evers, Senior Lecturer of Cultural Studies, added: “Our creative arts led project, as well as the strong University presence via the Marine Outstation and other local efforts, are helping to bring together the community’s experts and technical specialists.”
