  We report on the discovery of over 50 strong Halpha emitting objects towards
the large OB association Cyg OB2 and the HII region DR 15 on its southern
periphery. This was achieved using the INT Photometric Halpha Survey of the
Northern Galactic Plane (IPHAS), combined with follow-up spectroscopy using the
MMT multi-object spectrometer HectoSpec. We present optical spectra,
supplemented with optical r', i' and Halpha photometry from IPHAS, and
near-infrared J, H, and K photometry from 2MASS. The position of the objects in
the (J - H) versus (H - K) diagram strongly suggests most of them are young.
Many show CaII IR triplet emission indicating that they are in a pre-main
sequence phase of evolution of T Tauri and Herbig Ae nature. Among these, we
have uncovered pronounced clustering of T Tauri stars roughly a degree south of
the centre of Cyg OB2, in an arc close to the HII region DR 15, and the radio
ring nebula G79.29+0.46, for which we discuss its candidacy as a luminous blue
variable (LBV). The emission line objects toward Cyg OB2 itself could be the
brightest most prominent component of a population of lower mass pre-main
sequence stars that has yet to be uncovered. Finally, we discuss the nature of
the ongoing star formation in Cyg OB2 and the possibility that the central OB
stars have triggered star formation in the periphery.
