The British Science Association, founders of the British Science Festival, are today (Thursday 3 July) announcing the programme for the 194th annual celebration of science, running in Liverpool from 10-14 September 2025.

From comedy shows to art installations, dynamic performances to hands-on workshops, insightful talks to interactive experiences, the British Science Festival programme of over 100 events is FREE and has something for everyone.

Booking is open now at www.britishsciencefestival.org

Talks by influencer and Bionic Arm ambassador Tilly Lockey, leading geneticist Giles Yeo, and Time Team genealogist Sophie Kay; artwork made from thousands of human teeth; and a carnival style dance performance on the theme of migratory birds are just some of the highlights of this year’s Festival.

Earth Scientist Anjana Khatwa, mathematician Kit Yates, and engineer Robin Saxby are also among the speakers lined up for this year’s event.

Working in partnership with the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University, the British Science Association is bringing its flagship event to the city of Liverpool for the first time since 2008.

The Festival celebrates science in all its varied forms, including health and sport, space, forensics, animals and nature, psychology and lots more.

The British Science Festival is one of Europe’s longest-running science festivals and is hosted at a different location each year. The Festival provides a platform for scientists and social scientists, innovators and inventors, researchers and artists, to share their work to the public.

From the 10 – 14 September 2025, the Festival takes place at cultural venues across Liverpool city centre, the docks and university campuses.

Many of the Festival’s events sees scientists working in collaboration with local community groups, collectives and creatives. This year’s Festival also includes two co-commissioned performances in partnership with the Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Art exploring the theme of ‘BEDROCK’.

Talks and experiences from Liverpool’s host universities include:

A city centre walking tour uncovering connections between science and slavery in Liverpool; a collaborative mapping of Liverpool’s music scene; a talk and creative workshop exploring the beginnings of human language and how this might help us in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence; a panel discussion and ‘zine making activity giving voice to refugee stories; and an evening of performances on perceptions and illusions at Quirky Quarter.

Just some highlights from the rest of the programme are:

Panel discussions and talks

· Can the science of death help us find new ways to mourn? Join anthropologist and playwright Naomi Westerman and panellists for a frank discussion on dying and what happens after.

· 11 talks or panels led by the Festival’s Scientific Section Presidents, with subjects including autistic joy, the school to prison pipeline, trees’ communication networks, the ethics of at-home ancestry testing, and science’s hidden women.

· Talks by the Festival’s Award Lecturers - seven innovative early-career researchers, chosen for their commitment to sharing their work with non-specialist audiences. This year’s subjects range from junk food advertising in digital gaming to defeating tuberculosis to the past, present and future of prosthetics.

· As part of the UN Year of Quantum, a series of discussions including Mark Thompson, Director of CERN, and a public artwork exploring all things particle physics and quantum.

Performances and experiences

· Taking Flight, dance company Movema’s exploration of freedom and flight will explore both human and birds’ desires and take place beneath an installation by visual artist Maria Loizidou, which responds to the architecture of Liverpool Cathedral.

· Jon Chase, rapper and science communicator, street busking with a dinosaur theme to coincide with the new Jurassic World movie.

· Wake up and rave! A morning dance experience at the Museum of Liverpool

· MOONFACE, a clowning performance that explores the space-race and colonial, capitalist mining of the solar system.

· Geophonic: A rock and walk performance. Geology, sci-fi and rave culture come together in a guided tour through the fascinating geological processes that continually shape Liverpool’s landscape.

· An exploration of astronomy, space and the planets through film, painting and drawing, tailored to learning disabled and neurodivergent adults.

· Self preservation - Create your own DNA jewellery. A creative workshop, that invites visitors to extract their own DNA using a simple, safe method then suspend it in resin to create a bespoke piece of jewellery.

Hannah Russell, Chief Executive of the British Science Association, says:

“We’re delighted to be bringing the British Science Festival to the city of Liverpool in 2025. The vibrant and diverse culture of Liverpool make it the ideal setting for our Festival, and I know that as a result the programme will be spectacular. It is a real honour for the British Science Association to be working alongside not just one, but two, world-leading research institutions in 2025, and I feel confident that we will achieve our shared goals of showcasing the transformative research and innovation taking place at Liverpool John Moores University and University of Liverpool.”

Professor Anthony Hollander, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Impact at the University of Liverpool, says:

“Liverpool is a vibrant centre of research, education, science, and storytelling which will provide a fantastic setting for the festival. Engaging all our people and communities in the transformative power of scientific research and innovation is vitally important to address many key issues in the Liverpool city region, and stays true to our mission to advance learning and ennoble life.

As a world-leading Russell Group University embedded in our wonderful city, we have a cutting-edge research and science portfolio with both local and global impact. We look forward to collaborating with Liverpool John Moores University and wider regional partners to deliver a brilliant Festival programme for everyone to enjoy.”

Professor Keith George, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at Liverpool John Moores University, says:

“As anchor institutions for Liverpool and the city region we are proud that both Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Liverpool are joining forces to host the British Science Festival in 2025.

The Festival will showcase the impactful and transformational work the universities and others undertake to promote innovation, social responsibility and a change for good.

A festival of celebration that brings people and science together for mutual benefit and learning is going to be a flagship event for Liverpool and the city region.”

All events are free and open to all – most require booking in advance, with some drop-in events and performances also taking place.

Visit www.britishsciencefestival.org for more information and tickets

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Main Image - MOONFACE - Photo by Charley Williams

Second Image - Taking Flight - Photo by Trev Green