Cheltenham Science Festival announces unmissable programme

Cheltenham Science Festival, taking place from 3-8 June, is delighted to announce its 2025 programme, showcasing the transformative power of science to inspire new ideas and enrich everyday lives.

Set against the background of Regency Cheltenham, the Festival will host 114 ticketed events spanning the worlds of tech and innovation, politics and society, criminology, health and wellbeing and much more, illuminating the ability science has to influence global issues in an accessible way. As part of the Festivals’ vibrant offering, visitors will be offered the chance to discover and explore a range of captivating topics, including the impact of Trump's second term on the scientific community, the methods used to bring criminals to justice and the real effects of weight loss drugs including Ozempic.

This year's Cheltenham Science Festival is particularly special as it coincides with the 80th anniversary of Cheltenham Festivals. As part of a campaign to bring arts and culture to 80,000 children, Cheltenham Festivals is partnering with funders, businesses, and communities to inspire lifelong curiosity in science, literature and music. The year-round initiative honours the arts charity’s legacy as a pioneer of the post-war arts festival movement.

The annual Festival will be embracing the inspiring theme of ‘Be The Change’ for its fifth and final year, empowering audiences as individuals and as a collective to enact positive change across a range of crucial global issues. In this final year, Cheltenham Science Festival will reflect on the sub-theme Being the Change, which will focus on celebrating impact.

Additionally, the Festival will be celebrating 20 Young Changemakers the Festival has worked with over the 5-year theme, with a series of events which celebrate their progress since 2021, as well as share their impact and explore how the role of changemaking in society has evolved over time. Former Young Changemakers speaking at this year’s Festival include activist and writer Charli Clement, cybersecurity expert Sophia McCall, recipient of Dark Sky Defender award Dani Robertson, climate justice activist Daze Aghaji and awardwinning mental health campaigner and speaker Sophia Kaur Badhan.

Collage (left to right) Charli Clement, Dani Robertson, Daze Aghaji

This year, the Festival will also celebrate two more significant anniversaries: 20 years of FameLab, the world's longest running and farthest-reaching science communication competition, which recently ventured to Antarctica; and 10 years of FameLab Academy, which empowers secondary school students to develop their science communication skills through a blend of research, performance, and public speaking. Through empowering and developing science communication skills in the UK, Famelab has empowered scientists to share their research globally, with notable alumni including space scientist Maggie Aderin Pocock and CBBC Presenter Daniel Olayia.

Cheltenham Science Festival will be working with three esteemed Guest Curators: Chantelle Lindsay, wildlife conservationist and presenter of CBeebies show Chantelle and Rory’s Teeny Tiny Creatures, Helen Czerski, physicist, oceanographer, television presenter and associate professor in the department of mechanical engineering at University College London and Mark Langtry, theoretical physicist, former professional footballer, TV presenter and Head of Science and Sport at Explorium, Ireland’s National Science Centre.

Booking for Cheltenham Science Festival opens to Cheltenham Festivals Members on Wednesday 16 April and general booking opens on Wednesday 23 April. This year’s full programme can be viewed here.

Dr Marieke Navin, Head of Programming at Cheltenham Science Festival comments:

“Cheltenham Science Festival promises a captivating week filled with events and discussions that highlight the profound impact of science on our everyday lives, as well as on a global scale. This year’s Festival seeks to explore and analyse a variety of crucial issues, including the role of women in STEM, the impact of science on politics, quantum physics and neuroscience, as well as the legacy of the scientific world as we look to the past. At the heart of the Festival is the mission to bring people together, fostering connections between the scientific community and the wider public of all ages. As Cheltenham Festivals celebrates its 80th year, there is no better time to embrace this spirit".

Collage (left to right) Adam Kucharski, Akshat Rathi by Sofia Yang Martinez, Tammy Horton

Programme Highlights:

The Discovery of a New Species

Tammy Horton and Russell Arnott explore how scientists identify and name a new species, as they unravel the process of discovery, from first sightings to classification. They explore how DNA, anatomy, and ecology help distinguish one species from another, and uncover the challenges of recording and naming something entirely new.

Politics and Current Affairs

As the political landscape becomes increasingly turbulent, this year's Festival speakers are poised to explore some of the most intriguing political questions. Professor and author Adam Kucharski, climate journalist Akshat Rathi and climate activist Daze Aghaji explore what President Donald Trump’s second term means for science, our planet and society over the next four years, against the backdrop of sweeping funding cuts and a withdrawal from the Paris Agreement weeks into his second term. As science shows that the effects of racism are far-reaching, impacting relationships, healthcare and the justice system, psychologist Keon West examines the data that reveals truths about racism that are shocking and tragic, in conversation with author and activist Annabel Sowemimo.

Health and Wellbeing

How do we know how to listen to our bodies? Radio host Claudia Hammond, broadcaster and obesity specialist Giles Yeo, neurophysiologist Simon Cork and GP Graham Easton ask if putting our faith in Ozempic as a cure-for-all risks shifting the focus away from preventing causes of disease. Poppy Okotcha explores the deep connection between tending the land and living in harmony with nature, whilst blending practical advice with personal stories.

Collage (left to right) Genevieve Liveley, Michael Wooldridge, Thomas Hertog

AI and Technology

With artificial intelligence becoming part of our everyday lives, what do we need to know? AI expert Michael Wooldridge, AI advisor to the Government Laura Gilbert and consultant surgeon James Kinross ask whether AI can create a healthcare revolution amid increasing pressure on A&E departments, extensive waiting lists, training gaps and unhappy patients. Meanwhile, Stephen Fleming and Christopher Summerfield explore whether AI tools like ChatGPT might impact our ability to think critically and creatively. Football referee Bobby Madley and former cricketer Simon Hughes as discuss whether technology is ruining sport or saving it.

Quantum Physics

Thomas Hertog discusses a bold new take on some of the universe's fundamentals – the discovery of holography in theoretical physics, which tells us that gravity and quantum theory can work together after all. Writer and former astronomer Marcus Chown tells the story of how black holes came in from the cold and took cosmic central stage. Meanwhile, the Festival celebrates the centenary of Heisenberg's discovery of the key rules of quantum physics, with Vlatko Vedral making the case for purging physics of classical notions to pave the way for a new physical theory.

Reflection

Science offers humanity remarkable insights into the future while also unveiling unique perspectives on the past. The Festival will this year be collaborating with the British Museum for the first time, as British Museum scientist Capucine Korenberg illuminates how scientific methods can help us uncover the original, vibrant scenes captured by Hiroshige, and explores how his global legacy lives on through artists including Vincent van Gogh. Evolutionary biologist Nathan Lents takes visitors on a fascinating journey through 500 million years of sex, gender, and sexuality. As society redefines gender and attraction, science reveals these concepts aren’t new—they’re deeply rooted in evolution and nature.

Sustainability and the Planet

The Festival places sustainability at the heart of its programme. Tim Birkhead, a worldleading expert in evolutionary biology, and conservationist Hannah Bourne-Taylor explore how lessons from the past can inform conservation efforts and help protect the planet’s most vulnerable species. Acclaimed author Philip Marsden journeys through the minerals that have shaped human history, offering a fresh perspective on our ever-evolving relationship with the natural world.

Forensics and Criminology

What are the tactics to catch a killer? Forensic scientists Gillian Fowler, Nathan Lents, Jose Gonzalez-Rodriguez and Nikolas Lemos uncover evidence and techniques that have helped bring Britain’s most notorious murderers to justice. Crime scene investigator and BBC’s Forensics: The Real CSI’s Jo Ward offers a rare glimpse into the world of forensics, chronicling some of her toughest and most groundbreaking cases.

Collage (left to right) Hannah Bourne-Taylor, Tim Peake, Sophia Kaur Badhan by Paul Stringer 

Psychology and Neuroscience

This year’s Festival hosts a variety of ways to learn more about the brain and mind. Consultant neuropsychiatrist Alastair Santhouse draws on decades of clinical experience to explore the consequences of the new climate of diagnosis and propose an alternative solution. Astronaut Tim Peake is joined by psychologists Matthias Gruber and Gosia Goclowska to reveal what a curious brain can do for memories and moods for a live recording of BBC Radio 4’s All in the Mind, hosted by Claudia Hammond. Guy Leschziner investigates if gluttony, sloth and pride might in fact help humans thrive, asking: is it really a sin if it’s hardwired in?

Numbers

Join author and mathematician Kit Yates to discover how understanding why predictions go wrong is the key to getting them right, from economic downturns to preventing terrorist attacks. Statistician David Spiegelhalter shares his essential guide to navigating risk, chance, and probability, revealing why roughly 40% of football results come down to luck rather than talent, and why two properly shuffled packs of cards have never been in the exact same order. The Times puzzle editor Mick Hodgkin and author Alex Bellos give expert insight into the world of puzzles, from crosswords to brainteasers, exploring how they are created and the minds behind them.

Family Programme

TikTok star Big Manny is back with more amazing experiments that he'll perform on stage and that visitors can try at home, from sound waves to circuits and mad magnetism to sparky electricity. TV engineer and author, Fran Scott takes readers on a crash course in rocket science, through fire, forces and fun-filled demonstrations. TV scientist and food physicist Chris Clarke explores the science behind our favourite sweet treats, from explosive sugar, the world’s sourest sweet and plenty more sensory experiences to tickle visitors' tastebuds.

Free Interactive Zones for All Ages

The Festival will not only be inviting visitors to over 114 ticketed events, but also to three Interactive Zones which are free to enter: MakerShack, celebrating all things material and making; The Discover Zone, offering a world of fun and interactive science; and The Arcade, where visitors can test their skills and be inspired to become change-makers in cyber.

Jetstream, a brand-new free stage venue on Imperial Gardens will feature a series of events, including a takeover of Cheltenham Festivals’ free programme for 18-30s, VOICEBOX, on Saturday 7 June featuring music, poetry, comedy, meditation and a science ‘pop quiz’.

Inspiring the Next Generation

Cheltenham Festivals’ DataFace programme, created in response to the data skills gap, will be showcased at the Festival. 2500 young people have interrogated data on topics from gender equality to environmental protection in order to find and communicate the stories they care about. The best of these visualisations will be exhibited in the Festival’s Discover Zone. Science for Schools is also back this year at Cheltenham Science Festival, offering a diverse range of events, free activities and hands-on workshops for pupils to enjoy.