In June 2026, the North East’s tech community came together once again for TechNExt, a week-long celebration of the ideas, people and partnerships driving innovation across the region. Building on the success of previous years, the festival delivered its most expansive programme yet, connecting businesses, entrepreneurs, educators and future talent through a packed schedule of events.
Working alongside Dynamo North East and Sunderland Software City as the festival’s delivery partner, BeaconHouse Events oversaw the end-to-end delivery of an exciting festival, coordinating every operational detail across five days of activity.
The return of the popular TechNExt Hubs brought the festival into communities across the North East, with dedicated programmes celebrating Tech for Good in North Tyneside, Tech Startups in Durham, Data & AI in Newcastle, and Creative Tech in Sunderland. Across all four locations, the Hubs attracted 2,110 attendees, creating spaces for connection, learning and innovation.
Opening the week, the Festival Launch at Hilton, Gateshead welcomed inspiring speakers including Rightbrain AI founder Pete Cheyne and Caroline Oswald from Adobe’s Innovation Team, with the Industry Dinner following on Tuesday evening, bringing together senior figures from across the sector at the BALTIC. On Wednesday, the Schools Challenge in Morpeth gave students aged between 9-13 from 5 schools the opportunity to explore careers in technology and gain valuable insight into the industry. Celebrations continued with the Festival Party at Revolución de Cuba before the week concluded with the Creative Tech Hub at Sheepfolds in Sunderland.
Supporting TechNExt’s Good Festival Ambition remained an important part of delivery. Food bank collection points were available throughout the festival, and, in partnership with Olio, 44 surplus meals were redistributed to 18 local families, helping reduce waste while creating a positive community impact.
TechNExt 2026 demonstrated the power of collaboration, innovation and community with its 3,885 delegates. BeaconHouse Events was proud to play a key role in delivering a festival that not only celebrated the North East’s thriving tech ecosystem but also left a meaningful legacy beyond the event itself.
