That's a Wrap! Norwich Science Festival 2026 Highlights

8 days, 290+ events and over 77,000 visitors - our milestone 10th Norwich Science Festival was nothing short of epic!

We're so grateful to everyone who joined our city-wide celebration of science - our brilliant partners, funders, speakers, performers, exhibitors, volunteers...and of course, you, our amazing audience! Just at The Forum, we welcomed an average of 9,600 visitors through the doors each day!

A huge thank you must go to our generous sponsors too, whose support enables us to keep delivering free and low-cost science events for Norwich and Norfolk.

With the banners coming down, and The Atom Stage packed away, we wanted to take a look back at the highlights, and share some of our favourite moments from Norwich Science Festival 2026!

An epic celebration of science

From kombucha and the cosmos to health, medicine and the human body, our 2026 programme showcased the many sides of STEMM. We invited visitors of all ages to explore science that empowers change with eight unforgettable days of shows, workshops, talks and performances.

Celebrating 10 Years at The Explorium Lates!

We kicked off our birthday celebrations in style with the first-ever late-night opening of The Explorium! Exclusively for big kids (18+), we were joined by Norwich Light Lab, Parallel Point, Bubble Inc, LUSH Norwich, the wonderful team at Norfolk & Norwich Science Association, and more as we explored science after dark.

From robot wars and dazzling bubble shows to food tasting and even a trip to a Microbe Zoo, it was the perfect way to celebrate 10 incredible years of the Festival.

Free performances on The Atom Stage!

Also a new addition for 2026 was our outdoor performance area - The Atom Stage! As part of our free programme, it hosted daily performances and live shows throughout the Festival.

We stepped into the Mesozoic era with Ranger Chris and his gang of roar-some dinos, tucked into the science of taste with Dr Duncan Gaskin and learned about the life-saving work of East Anglian Air Ambulance. The Science Dude brought his gravity-defying experiments to the city, we uncovered the science behind bubbles with Bubble Inc, and travelled back to the dawn of time with the Crab Museum.

We even managed to squeeze in a little of every season - sunshine, showers and snow included! A huge thank you to our Atom Stage sponsors, CIM, RWE, and Aviva, for helping make it all possible and to our visitors for braving the weather and joining us!

Dino Duel at Epic Studios

Dinomania's Ranger Chris and NSF Patron Prof Ben Garrod teamed up for a show-stopping event at Epic Studios. Going head-to-head in the ultimate dinosaur knowledge showdown, the dynamic duo delivered two sell-out shows to packed audiences.

A definite team favourite, we met adorable baby velociraptors and triceratops, alongside the fearsome Spinosaurus and Utahraptor, while learning more about these incredible prehistoric creatures. It truly was an epic show - thank you, Ben and Ranger Chris!

The Great Science Time Tour

Hundreds of you joined us for a time-twisting adventure in our free, family play The Great Science Time Tour!

After touring Norfolk primary schools as part of our 2026 Learning Programme, the show arrived at the Festival, where audiences met inspirational scientists who changed the world - including Mae Jemison, Marie Curie, and Charles Darwin. (Not forgetting his cheeky companion, Finchy!)

This project was made possible thanks to the generous support of Norfolk Community Foundation, Dudgeon Offshore Windfarm, the John Jarrold Trust, The Paul Bassham Charitable Trust, The R C Snelling Charitable Trust, Norfolk Consolidated Charities and The Forum Trust.

Hands-On fun at The Explorium

The Explorium is where science really comes to life! We call it the heart of Norwich Science Festival, and for eight days it transformed the Forum’s impressive Atrium into a free, hands-on STEMM hub.

Thousands of you came through the doors to meet our exhibitors, take a trip to the Microbe Zoo, visit the Festival Bookshop and discover something new along the way.

A Festival for everyone

It’s important to us that Norwich Science Festival is as accessible and inclusive as possible. For 2026 we brought back our Quiet Hour in The Explorium, giving visitors who needed it a calmer, more relaxed start to their Festival experience.

We also introduced the Sunflower Snug in the Millennium Library at The Forum, offering a sensory space to pause, recharge and enjoy the Festival at a gentler pace.

With friendly team members on hand, activities available, and ear defenders and fidget toys to borrow, we were proud to be able to further support visitors - and we’ll keep listening and learning as we plan future Festivals.

Your World, Reimagined

Our 2026 Festival theme focussed on spotlighting bold ideas to inspire the next generation of thinkers and doers. We wanted to show our visitors that reimagining the world begins with reimaging what's possible.

Across the programme, our incredible speakers, performers and exhibitors explored how science is shaping our future - from animal conservation and artificial intelligence to medical culture and missions to Mars.

Thank you for being part of it. Your curiosity and excitement help make Norwich Science Festival what it is, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year.

See you soon!

We'd love to know your experiences of Norwich Science Festival! By filling in our visitor survey at the link below, you’ll help us understand what worked well and where we can improve for future Festivals.

As a thank you, you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a £50 voucher for Norwich Theatre and a two-course meal for four at Pizza Express at The Forum, Norwich!