PowerUp Festival Powering the Future Together
A one-day climate & energy transition festival where young people, innovators and organizations team up to shape a cleaner, fairer and fully renewable future for the Netherlands.
From climate anxiety to climate action
PowerUp Festival blends keynotes, workshops, live music and hands-on labs to help you turn your climate concern into practical impact at home, in your street and in your study or work.
What is PowerUp Festival?
PowerUp Festival is a climate and energy transition festival in the Netherlands that mixes inspiring talks, practical workshops and festival vibes. Our mission is simple: empower the next generation to speed up the transition to a just, fossil‑free society.
Instead of another conference or protest, PowerUp is designed as a space where you can learn, experiment, celebrate and connect. We bring together youth movements, climate organizations, municipalities, companies and makers that are already building the future — and invite you to join them.
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✓Deep‑dive sessions on the Dutch energy transition, from heat pumps and home insulation to community energy and grid challenges.
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✓Action labs where you co‑create concrete projects: neighborhood campaigns, campus initiatives, youth participation tracks and more.
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✓An evening program with live music, DJs and storytelling to celebrate activism, resilience and imagination.
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✓Partners from politics, NGOs and companies who are ready to listen, collaborate and open doors for your ideas.
From big-picture keynotes to hands‑on labs
The PowerUp program is designed so you can move between inspiration, skills and action. Mornings focus on understanding the system, afternoons on building solutions and the evening on celebrating our collective power.
Doors open & climate breakfast
Meet other participants over fair-trade coffee and plant‑based snacks.Opening keynote: Powering up the energy transition
How can the Netherlands realistically be fossil‑free in time, and what role can young people play in politics, business and their own neighborhoods?Breakout round 1: Choose your track
Energy at home, green jobs & skills, climate justice, sustainable mobility or activism & democracy.Lunch & maker market
Try plant‑based dishes, visit stands from climate initiatives and explore maker demos.Action labs: Build your own project
Guided sessions to design real initiatives for your school, campus, association or municipality — with support from partners.Pitch & connect session
Share your ideas on stage, match with mentors and organizations, and find people who want to join your project.Dinner break & chill zones
Recharge in quiet zones, join informal circles or grab food from sustainable caterers.Evening show: Stories & sound for the future
Spoken word, climate storytelling and live music acts that celebrate resistance, joy and imagination.Closing circle & afterglow
We wrap up with collective reflection and a last chance to connect with new friends and partners.This is an indicative schedule. The final timetable and speakers will be published closer to the festival date on powerupfestival.nl.
Tracks & labs
Dive deep into the topics that matter most to you. Each track combines short inputs with practical group work led by experienced facilitators.
Heat pumps, insulation, energy poverty & co‑ops.
Future‑proof careers, reskilling and climate‑smart studies.
Fair transitions, global justice & inclusion.
Policy influence, campaigns & creative action.
Meet some of the people powering up the program
PowerUp Festival brings together a mix of youth activists, scientists, policy‑makers, social entrepreneurs and artists. Below is an indicative selection – the final line‑up will be announced later.
Explains what a realistic Dutch fossil‑free pathway looks like, and how big systemic changes connect to everyday life choices.
Shares lessons from youth-led campaigns in Dutch cities and offers tools for building strong, diverse local movements.
Helps you map how your studies, side jobs and talents can plug into the fast‑growing world of green jobs and climate work.
Opens up how decisions around housing, energy and mobility are really made in municipalities – and how young people can influence them.
Fuses live music, spoken word and storytelling into an evening show that celebrates resistance, care and joy in climate action.
The day is guided by a diverse moderation team of young people with experience in climate activism, energy innovation and community organizing.
A historic factory turned climate playground
PowerUp Festival takes place in an industrial venue in the Netherlands that is well connected by public transport and offers plenty of space for stages, labs and chill zones.
Venue & accessibility
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Public transport first
Short travel time by train from major Dutch cities, plus clear walking & biking routes from the station. -
Accessible setup
Step-free access to main areas, accessible toilets, quiet zones and a dedicated team for on‑site support. -
Low‑impact choices
Preference for plant‑based food, re‑usable cups, circular signage and renewable energy sources. -
Neighborhood connections
We work closely with local initiatives and residents to ensure the festival adds value to the area.
PowerUp Festival aims to be as accessible as possible while remaining financially sustainable. We use a sliding scale to match different budgets.
Limited stock · Valid for full day & evening
For everyone able to pay regular price
Help fund reduced‑price tickets
A number of sponsored tickets will be made available through youth organizations and community partners. No one should stay home purely because of money.
- Full access to all daytime sessions & the evening show
- Access to action labs, co‑working & quiet spaces
- Drinking water points (bring your own reusable bottle)
- On‑site support team for accessibility & well‑being
Walking the talk on climate & justice
PowerUp Festival is not just about climate messaging; it’s about practicing the future we talk about. From energy use and materials to inclusion and mental health, we carefully design the festival experience.
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Energy & logistics
We prioritize renewable electricity, minimize generator use and work with the venue and partners to keep energy consumption transparent and efficient. -
Food & materials
Menus are mainly plant‑based, waste streams are separated and wherever possible we use circular materials, second‑hand furniture and reusable cups. -
Inclusion & accessibility
We strive for a diverse line‑up, accessible communication, clear codes of conduct, and multiple ways to participate — on stage, in workshops or behind the scenes. -
Mental health & care
Climate work can be heavy. That’s why we include quiet zones, reflection spaces and sessions focused on grief, hope and resilience. -
Follow‑up, not just a moment
After the festival you’ll receive concrete follow‑up: project mentoring opportunities, local groups to join and updates on how your ideas move forward.
We measure success not only in visitors and media hits, but in how many real projects, coalitions and mindset shifts PowerUp helps spark.
These are target numbers; we’ll transparently publish the real impact data after each edition on powerupfestival.nl.
Frequently asked questions & updates
Below you’ll find answers to some common questions. Final and detailed practical information will be communicated to all registered participants by e‑mail in the weeks before the festival.
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Who is PowerUp Festival for?
Primarily for young people roughly between 16 and 35 who care about the climate and energy transition — whether you are already active or just starting to explore. Educators, policymakers, professionals and parents are also welcome, as long as they respect that the spotlight is on youth.
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Do I need prior knowledge about climate or energy?
No. We design the program so both newcomers and experienced activists or professionals can get something out of it. Some sessions are