The Edinburgh Science Festival started in 1989 and was the first festival of its kind in the world. The event has continued to grow in size and popularity, becoming the UK’s largest science festival. The festival runs for two weeks, 01 Apr 2023 – 16 Apr 2023, and offers a diverse range of events and activities for people of all ages.
The 2023 edition of the festival has the theme of “Let’s Experiment” and aims to transform Edinburgh into a living laboratory. With over 31 venues across the city, there will be a jam-packed programme of hands-on science activities for people of all ages to enjoy. This year’s festival promises to be even more interactive than previous years, with a focus on immersive experiences that allow visitors to engage with science in a fun and exciting way.
Interactive Exhibitions and Workshops
The festival is known for its interactive exhibitions and workshops, which provide visitors with a hands-on approach to science education. The festival offers a range of activities for children and adults, from learning about the science behind spaceships, weather, dinosaurs, and the human body to serious and provocative debates on quantum physics and environmental ethics. Educators will be on hand to provide demonstrations and blow visitors’ minds with just how amazing the world can be.
Trees of Life: A Flagship Installation
One of the festival’s flagship venues, the National Museum of Scotland, will host Trees of Life in its Grand Gallery from the start of the festival. This interactive installation was created by Edinburgh-based We Throw Switches in collaboration with Berlin-based artist Robin Baumgarten and award-winning composer and artist Luci Holland. Trees of Life is a specially commissioned installation that explores Charles Darwin’s revolutionary theory of evolution through natural selection. Visitors will have the opportunity to play and interact with the installation, which is supported by Lumo and developed with support from Creative Scotland through The Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund.
Themed weekends for families
The National Museum of Scotland will also host two themed weekends for families at either end of the festival. The first weekend, FutureFest, will celebrate technology, robotics, artificial intelligence, coding, computers, and space. Families can take a moment to wonder at the stars in a pop-up planetarium and create their vision for the future with LEGO® Build the Change. The second weekend, EarthFest, is a celebration of the world around us, from prehistoric creatures to the cutting-edge of climate science. Visitors can learn about animal intelligence in the interactive Amazing Animals show and build their own dinosaur skeleton with giant bones.
