Ballard and GeoPura Put Clean Energy Center Stage in a Hydrogen-Powered Summer of Music and Sport

­This year, GeoPura, a UK-based hydrogen power provider, recently acquired by Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ: BLDP) (TSX: BLDP), made hydrogen integral to live entertainment.

Powered by Ballard fuel cells, Hydrogen Power Units (HPU) deliver reliable electricity while cutting harmful air pollution near stages, production areas and crowds, protecting the health of artists, crews and attendees and improving air quality for surrounding communities. 

The Energy-as-a-Service offering combines equipment, hydrogen supply, transport, on-site storage and operational support, thereby giving organisers a fully managed power solution that meets production standards, while supporting a cleaner, healthier event environment. 

Having powered the HYDRO stage at Boomtown in 2025, GeoPura's HPU2 systems supplied the 20,000-capacity stage throughout the build and live festival in 2026, supporting the sound, lighting and visual production behind performances from Skrillex, Four Tet and Groove Armada. At Edinburgh Summer Sessions, HPUs were used to supply main-stage power and site infrastructure, embedding hydrogen into the delivery of a major concert series. These projects built on previous deployments at American Express presents BST Hyde Park, LIDO Festival and the Isle of Wight Festival. 

In sport, the Solheim Cup in the Netherlands (GeoPura's first continental European golf deployment) received critical power – without CO₂, nitrogen oxides or particulate emissions at the point of use – from hydrogen, which also powered infrastructure at the Genesis Scottish Open.  

This was the summer that saw even more repeat deployments, larger festival commitments and further integration into event power planning. Alongside GeoPura's established work in film, television and live broadcasting, GeoPura provided the combined business with an operating model for expansion into the US, Canada, Europe and wider international markets. 

Andrew Cunningham, President of Ballard, said: "This summer, hydrogen powered the performances, production and infrastructure that major events depended on. Organisers are incorporating it into their plans, returning for subsequent seasons and increasing the scale of their deployments. 

"Boomtown's move from HYDRO to HYDRO XL captures that progress. We're seeing the same shift in film and television, where customers need reliable power on location and want to reduce diesel use, noise and air pollution - clean power has become a requirement across these industries.

"Our ambition is for clean power to become the default across these industries. With Ballard's fuel cell expertise and international reach alongside our hydrogen supply and operational capabilities, we can expand this approach to more customers and markets." 

Marty Neese, Chief Executive Officer of Ballard, said: "GeoPura is already delivering power to customers, supplying the hydrogen and managing the service. Combining these capabilities with Ballard's technology and global reach broadens our offering and creates opportunities to capture value across equipment, fuel and operations. 

"The US and Canada offer exciting potential, from festivals and major sporting events, to film and television production. We can build on our UK experience to develop a complete service for these markets, while selectively expanding across Europe and North America. The same capabilities also serve construction, infrastructure and other customers facing grid constraints, alongside our established business in heavy-duty mobility." 

The combined business aims to make managed hydrogen power a mainstream choice across more sectors and markets. Its growing operations in events and screen production provide a base for international expansion, alongside longer-duration applications in construction, grid support and critical power, where customers need dependable electricity beyond the capacity of existing connections.