British Science Festival 2026 to take place in Southampton

The British Science Association (BSA) and the University of Southampton have announced that the 2026 festival will be held in the city.

The festival will take place over five days from September 16 to 20, with around 100 free events, exhibitions, performances and installations.

The festival will celebrate the 195th anniversary of the event, which is one of Europe's longest-established science festivals.

The programme will be curated by the British Science Association, the University of Southampton and festival partners (Image: University of Southampton) Hannah Russell, chief executive of the British Science Association, said: "We’re delighted to be bringing the British Science Festival to Southampton in September 2026.

"The city has a long-established connection to engineering, discovery and endeavour, making it a perfect place to host our annual festival.

"It is a great privilege for the BSA to be working alongside our partners at the University of Southampton on this event, given the institution’s outstanding reputation for cutting-edge research and innovation, and I feel confident that together we will develop an events programme you won’t want to miss."

The University of Southampton, founded in 1952, combines academic excellence with an innovative approach to research and knowledge exchange.

Professor Mark Spearing has welcomed the announcement (Image: University of Southampton) Professor Mark Spearing, vice-president for research and enterprise at the University of Southampton, said: "The British Science Festival is a wonderful opportunity to bring people and science together.

"It’s a celebration of the impactful and transformational role universities like ours play in creating real change that can lead to positive outcomes for people and our planet.

"We’re delighted to be hosting the 2026 festival and look forward to being able to showcase all that our university has to offer and welcoming people to our fantastic city."

The festival, which travels to a different part of the UK each year, aims to engage audiences with world-class research in an accessible manner.

It provides a platform for people who may not necessarily have an interest in science to learn more about subjects from space and food to wildlife and health.

The programme will be curated by the BSA, the University of Southampton and festival partners over the next two years.