Programme launches for British Science Festival 2026 in Southampton

Why would a robot go to church? What happens at an autopsy? How can we better communicate with dogs? And what will AI’s role be in our future? Expect fascinating new research, debate and performances exploring these questions and more at the 195th British Science Festival this September.   

The British Science Association, founders of the British Science Festival, are today (Thursday 2 July) announcing the programme for their annual celebration of science, running in Southampton from Wednesday 16 – Sunday 20 September 2026. 

Tickets are free and available to book now at www.britishsciencefestival.org  

This year’s Festival is held in partnership with the University of Southampton, with events taking place across the university’s campus and city centre venues. These include top cultural attractions such as the Mayflower Studios, John Hansard Gallery, and Turner Sims – who have each co-commissioned new interdisciplinary theatre, installation and music pieces for the Festival.  

From comedy shows to art installations, dynamic performances to hands-on workshops, insightful talks to interactive experiences, the British Science Festival programme of more than 80 events is free and has something for everyone. 

The programme covers a huge range of subjects that encompass science in the broadest sense, and champions initiatives that blend the sciences and arts. 

Talks and experiences from the University of Southampton, and other Southampton partners include: 

An exhibition of artwork by medical students about their experience as junior doctors, identities and future hopes; a talk on how light pollution in Southampton is affecting local human and animal residents; plankton portrait painting; a workshop exploring the mathematics behind skating with live demonstrations from local skaters, a guided walk to rediscover the delicacies of Southampton through foraging; and a night of electronic music inspired by the sounds of the ocean.  

You can make cocktails with a marine twist, learn to grow mushrooms from kitchen waste and sing songs for a sustainable future; craft a slower city in a workshop with local authors who invite you to notice and embroider the nature around Southampton; explore the hidden reality of living with dementia; and yoga-pose your way to better health through just some of the events in the programme.   

Become a detective of the deep, discover and draw the artefacts left buried below with the archaeology team at Southampton City Council; build a new Southampton of your dreams through AI; and discover the talents of Ugandan designers in a catwalk fashion show highlighting the power of vaccines - developed in collaboration with Southampton-based Professor of Paediatric Immunity and Infection Chrissie Jones and artist Luke Jerram. 

Projects from Mayflower Studios, John Hansard Gallery, and Turner Sims connect world-class University of Southampton research with artistic practice:  

New musical work The Ocean Remembers brings together sound artist, composer and nature beatboxer Jason Singh, composer and trumpeter Yazz Ahmed and Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute; The Skate Equation, a dynamic public art and participation project from Skate Southampton and the University of Southampton’s Mathematics department; and Generate: Creative Responses to AI Research - an evening of work-in-progress performances at Mayflower Studios exploring the real-life, human impacts of AI from artists who have developed creative responses in conversation with researchers. 

Just some highlights from the rest of the programme are: 

Panel discussions and talks 

  • Dame Wendy Hall, Regius Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton and new British Science Association President will deliver her Presidential Address, a conversation with BBC Technology Editor Zoe Kleinman about the future of AI  

  • Ever talked to a terrier? Had a chat with a chihuahua? We might enjoy talking to our canine companions, but how much do they really understand? Juliane Kaminski, Associate Professor in Comparative Psychology, Dog Cognition Centre, University of Portsmouth explains all 

  • Evolutionary behavioural scientist Dr Rebecca Sear, Brunel University of London, will explore how the widely discredited and damaging ideology of eugenics has resurged throughout the 21st century 

  • What makes you, you? It’s been over 20 years since the first human genome was sequenced, but we’ve learned much more since. University of Oxford’s Yan Wong takes us on a journey through the human genome 

  • Andrew Blair, PhD Researcher at the University of Glasgow, explains what happened when he introduced a robot to a centuries-old cathedral, and you’ll get a chance to meet the robot for yourself 

  • Marine biologist Daniel Moore, University of Exeter, dissects how climate change has impacted on the sharks living in the deep seas, and how that in turn impacts us on dry land 

  • From Brexit to the US-China trade war, global trade is being reshaped. Economist Professor Meredith Crowley, University of Cambridge, explains real effects of trade wars and rising tariffs and the significant consequences for global welfare. 

Performances and experiences 

  • Experience CastAway by Highly Sprung, a breathtaking outdoor aerial performance exploring plastic pollution and climate change 

  • Watch an ‘autopsy’ with the Royal College of Pathologists and a – living! – actor, to discover what really happens during a post-mortem examination, and the vital role pathologists play 

  • Enjoy an energetic musical inspired by the true story of the Cambridge First All-Ladies Fire Brigade, celebrating friendship, rebellion and the power of speaking out 

  • Join sustainable farming researchers from across the UK for a show blending music, storytelling, and soil. From Dartmoor to the Highlands, go on a farming journey from Neolithic times to modern day through traditional folk music 

  • Meet maths in a new mode and make some mischief along the way with an improvised comedy workshop led by Katherine Holmes; Join Comedy Lab UK to explore humour as a tool for wellbeing, connection and better understanding of yourself; and get your glad rags on for a comedy-musical with puppets and participation from Bizaah Arts CIC, which gives voice to the environment  

 

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 with the public. 

The 2026 Festival is the first in Southampton since 1992. It builds on the University of Southampton’s strength for engaging people in science - in March, almost 5,000 people attended their annual Science and Engineering Day to see high-tech facilities and enjoy hands-on activities. 

For this year’s Festival, a panel of young people from Southampton have worked with the Festival team and LifeLab, the University of Southampton’s research-based educational project, to help curate the five-day programme. 

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 the full programme, more information and ticket booking 

Follow the British Science Association on Instagram and Bluesky and sign up to the newsletter for Festival updates 

Image from James Wylie’s immersive art installation Lateral lines. Lateral lines are the organs that fish use to detect water and noise - a previously unimaginable blend of sound and touch. At this year's British Science Festival, visit the John Hansard Gallery and step into these aquatic senses to experience how fish perceive the world around them.

 

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