Beyond Festival '24 - Retrospective — Manchester Game Centre

Last November, Adinda van’t Klooster attended the Beyond Festival at MediaCity in Salford. Over three days, delegates explored how culture, innovation, and policy can shape the future of urban life.

The programme combined keynote talks, panels and workshops with two major showcases: the Immersive Futures Lab, where visitors experienced prototypes in XR, AR/VR, spatial audio and AI, and the first-ever Creative R&D Expo, spotlighting innovation across the creative industries. MediaCity itself became both venue and case study, with sessions reflecting on how Salford has grown into a global creative hub and what lessons other cities might draw.

Speakers included policymakers, researchers, cultural leaders and entrepreneurs, from Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to international experts. The mix of local and global perspectives highlighted how cities can balance infrastructure, policy, and culture to support creative ecosystems.

BEYOND 2024 was notable for its scale and reach, with record attendance and engagement. It showcased not only the possibilities of new technologies but also the need for sustainable strategies, talent pipelines, and inclusive growth. More than a conference, BEYOND reaffirmed Salford’s place at the heart of the UK’s creative innovation landscape.

Adinda notes that “it was very useful to attend the Beyond Festival, as I could network and see and experience a lot of immersive work in a fairly short period of time. I particularly liked Natalie Sharp's sound bed (images below), where the user had to don a vest that captured their breathing and then lie down on the bed to view video on the drapery suspended from the ceiling as well as hear sound all around you.
I liked being able to see other work commissioned by cultural accelerator as well. Being at the festival also provided me with more information on funding calls coming out for businesses and academics.”