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Les Girafes perform in Bradford, with PA system powered by Instagrid

Powering events sustainably: How Instagrid's portable power is supporting Bradford 2025, UK city of culture

Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture is hosting a year-long celebration of creativity, community, and culture. With a packed programme of events planned across the city, towns villages and surrounding countryside, delivering this ambitious vision requires more than just imagination – it demands reliable, portable, and sustainable power.

To meet this challenge, Bradford 2025 invested in three Instagrid ONE units and a LINK device to support off-grid events with clean, efficient energy.

Instagrid in Action

Les Girafes – Touring the City

When the internationally renowned street theatre production Les Girafes came to Bradford, the original plan was to use petrol generators to power the PA system. But Bradford 2025 had a better idea.

They deployed the Instagrid units instead – and the results were impressive. The three units powered the supporting PA systems for over an hour as the 7-metre-tall giraffes paraded through the city, returning to base with over 50% battery still remaining. The performance was delivered silently, cleanly, a perfect example of sustainable innovation in action.

Instagrid brings silent power to Bradfords City of Culture event programme

Wild Uplands – Lighting Up the Moors

Set in the stunning Penistone Moors near Haworth, Wild Uplands is a series of sculptures and installations designed to draw people into Bradford district’s natural beauty. With no access to mains power – and generators at odds with the event’s ethos – Instagrid provided the ideal solution to power equipment during the build phase.

The Beacon – A Touring Cultural Venue

The Beacon is a 300-capacity mobile performance venue designed to pop-up in parks throughout the year in collaboration with communities across the district. While it already features a 150kWh onboard battery, Instagrid units are used to support smaller-scale power needs – offering flexibility and efficiency without overcommitting larger systems.

The Bradford Progress

The Bradford Progress celebrated the variety of music made in Bradford – and the people who make it. Created in collaboration by Paraorchestra, Charles Hazlewood, Jeremy Deller and the people of Bradford District, The Bradford Progress brought the district to life with free performances, concerts and happenings in parks, mills and malls, and on boats, buses, trains and more.

Instagrid units powered canal boats that travelled with live bands down the Leeds & Liverpool canal, as well a vintage open-top bus driving across the district carrying brass bands.

Les Girafes perform to thousands in Bradford with PA system power by Instagrid

Expert Insight: Tom Langford on Instagrid

“We’ve used the units to support a wide range of events across the district – a testament to their versatility. With simple calculations, we can quickly determine what Instagrid can power and where it fits best.

The Instagrid app has also been invaluable – not just for tracking location, but for monitoring energy usage and battery status in real time.”

Instagrid has already proven its value – and will continue to power events across Bradford well beyond 2025. Their success is helping set a new standard for how the events industry can sustainably power remote and off-grid cultural experiences.

Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture events run throughout 2025. To find out more, visit https://bradford2025.co.uk

To bring silent, portable power to your next event get in touch