MAD//Fest has today announced further expansion in the north of England, with the launch of MAD//Toon, which will be held in Newcastle on 1 April 2027. MAD//Toon will chart the shift from AI to YI in 2027.

MAD//Fest has today announced further expansion in the north of England, with the launch of MAD//Toon, which will be held in Newcastle on 1 April 2027. 

The launch event will focus on the theme, YI: the next frontier. Newcastle has emerged as a world leader in the emerging field of Youthful Intelligence or YI (pronounced why-aye), which involves overcoming age bias in AI models to provide technological assistance to Gen Z. 

The launch of MAD//Toon, which will take place as a bar crawl in Newcastle legendary Bigg Market, follows the successful introduction of MAD//North to Manchester in 2025. 

MAD//Toon is a response to the booming North East marketing and advertising industry, where agency players like Drummond Central, Dentsu and EPAM (which we’ll always think of as TH_NK) have earned their black and white stripes producing exceptional work for clients. 

Stayed Tooned for more information about this launch!

MAD//North has welcomed thousands of brands and agencies from across the North - including Greggs. MAD//Fest co-founder Dan Brain also owns at least two Barbour jackets and has a penchant for a Greggs Steak Bake and Brown Ale on a sunny day when holidaying in Whitley Bay. 

Possible MAD//Toon speakers include Jimmy Nail on ‘Demystify the Fog on the Tyne’, and a headliner from Geordie and TV’s most successful double act, Ant & Dec, on ‘Let’s Get Ready To Rumble: why the future is YI is not to be missed’.  

When pushed on who is actually speaking, Brain said: “We’ll be in Dire Straits if we don't sign a Local Hero soon.” 

“Of course this article is complete nonsense but I lived in Newcastle and am married to a Geordie, so I know what a magnificent city it is. On a serious note, The team will be in Newcastle in 2026 as part of a series of roadshows to bring marketers from across the North together at MAD//North. We can't wait to meet the city's movers and shakers,” he added.