Cheltenham Science Festival (2-7 June) returns with a 2026 programme that delves headfirst into the questions shaping life today.

Over 100 events will transform Cheltenham into a meeting place for curious minds, with talks, demonstrations and workshops, science, sports, wellbeing, tech, AI, money, politics and more.
Cheltenham Festivals is launching The Next Chapter, a charity-wide, year-round focus across Science, Music, Jazz and Literature on the power of storytelling to shape our collective futures.
Visitors can enjoy three free zones: The Arcade for cryptic challenges; Maker Shack for creative crafting and the Discover Zone for cutting-edge exploration.
Booking opens to Cheltenham Festivals Members on Wednesday 15 April and Wednesday 22 April for general booking.

Cheltenham Science Festival (2-7 June) returns with a 2026 programme that delves headfirst into the questions shaping life today. From the hidden science behind our true‑crime fascination, the geopolitics of the Arctic, the science driving teams towards World Cup 2026 victory and what neuroscience reveals about what it means to be human.

The 2026 programme casts a sharp spotlight on the forces reshaping modern life - from the rise of AI to the realities of climate change, the mysteries of the brain, the psychology of crime and the science behind everyday pleasures. In AI and technology, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and David Runciman explore the future of online trust and knowledge; James Muldoon and Anna Machin examine relationships in the age of AI; Sarah O’Connor and Richard Susskind look at how automation is transforming how we work; and Guest Curator Adele Zeynep Walton leads a major conversation on whether rapid technological change can ever be governed for the common good.

The Festival’s climate and environment strand brings together Julia King and Hugh Montgomery with a practical roadmap for climate action, while Inga Doak, Kat Corbett and Mark Miodownik champion a new era of circularity and repair. Stephen Rutt and Russell Arnott trace the fragile politics of water, and James Canton shows how small actions can shape a healthier planet.

A powerful wellbeing thread runs through the programme, with leading sleep physiologist Stephanie Romiszewski on myth busting sleep science, Hannah Critchlow and Paul Goldsmith on how our brains cope with modern life, Claudia Hammond on easing overwhelm, and Saira Hameed on the hormonal rhythms driving mood, health and behaviour. Crime, conflict and human psychology collide as Angela Gallop and Chris Gregg uncover the forensic breakthroughs behind major cases, Ben Giles reveals the realities of crime scene cleaning, Julia Shaw, Ria Lina and Kathryn Paige Harden unpick our obsession with true crime, and Nicholas Wright and former GCHQ Director David Omand explore the neuroscience of power and threat.

The Festival offers science served with playfulness and flavour:Great British Bake Offstar Josh Smalley breaks down the chemistry of perfect pizza, Jon Chase returns with a Jurassic-inspired adventure, Simon Mole and Gecko celebrate the secret life of bugs, Mark Miodownik shakes up Marvellous Mocktails and a cider science masterclass uncovers the alchemy of apples. Across the site, The Arcade, MakerShack and the Discover Zone bring hands-on experiments, puzzles and making to life all day long, and all zones are free to enter.

This year’s Festival will be alive with free pop-up moments across the site. VOICEBOX returns with a takeover of the Jetstream stage, featuring talks, poetry, music, quizzes and more, inviting audiences of all ages to wander, listen, join in and discover something new at every turn.

This year also marks the launch of The Next Chapter, a new Cheltenham Festivals initiative celebrating the power of storytelling to spark imagination and help us navigate the future. Building on its record-breaking 80th anniversary year in 2025, which reached more than 80,000 children, the arts charity is renewing its commitment to access, creativity and wellbeing. Part of the National Year of Reading, The Next Chapter celebrates how stories across science, literature, music and the arts help us understand the world, inspire curiosity and support wellbeing.

The Festival is also expanding FameLab Academy,empowering secondary school students to be the next generation of science storytellers. Part of the Festival's FameLabprogramme, now in its 21st year, the world’s longest‑running and farthest‑reaching science communication competition continues to champion emerging science communicators while celebrating alumni such as BBC’s The Sky at Night Presenter Maggie Aderin and CBBC Operation Ouch presenter, Daniel Olaiya.

Guiding this year’s themes are five Guest Curators whose perspectives stretch from digital justice to cutting-edge physics and youth led repair culture: Adele Zeynep Walton, Jeff Forshaw, AIDA - the world’s first AI guest curator - and Megan Hale and Anaïs Engelmen,two of the co-founders of Team Repair.

Booking opens to Members on 15 April, with general booking from 22 April.

This year’s full programme can be viewed here.

Marieke Navin, Head of Programming at Cheltenham Science Festival, said:

“This year Cheltenham Science Festival is back with a bang as we delve into how science is shaping our collective futures. What makes our Festival so unique is that there really is something for everyone, whether you're interested in the relationship between AI and human connection, the hidden science behind our fascination with true-crime, or how science can predict the outcome of the World Cup, and so much more.

Our Festival Village is a vibrant and welcoming space bursting with big ideas, where Festival-goers are invited to be curious, explore, create and discover more about the topics that matter to them.”

Images of speakers

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS:

AI & technology

Illicit trade expert Anja Shortland, cyber threat intelligence specialist Sophia McCall and investigative journalist Geoff White lift the lid on the criminal underworld of the Cyber Hack Epidemic, taking you inside the dark economy of hacking and ransomware and provide expert analysis on how to prepare for the future.

David Runciman is joined by the founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, for a special live episode of the Past Present Future podcast, asking what we can learn from Wikipedia's example about democracy, trust and knowledge.

In a world where internet medical opinions are fast and often dodgy, journalist Deborah Cohen, GP Graham Easton and doctor and women’s health campaigner Victoria Kinkaid separate fact from fiction and offer an essential guide to navigating health in the digital age.

Shifting from the world of medicine to the languages of love, James Muldoon (Love Machines) and Anna Machin (Why We Love) in conversation with Charli Clement will explore whether people can really form friendships, or even fall in love, with artificial intelligence, highlighting the future risks and rewards on human relationships.

Continuing the conversation about how technology is reshaping everyday life, financial journalist Sarah O’Connor and leading AI expert Richard Susskind ask what the age of AI and automation really means for working life. From fears of jobs becoming more isolated and automated to examples where new tools enhance safety, creativity and control, they explore how emerging technologies could transform jobs, professions and the way we work.

Climate & environment

Sometimes these global viewpoints can make individuals feel powerless to do their bit for the planet. If you’re wondering whether one person can make a difference, join author James Canton (Renaturing) as he explores how we can all help to build a better collective green future.

Investigative journalist Rachel Donald and climate justice activist Daze Aghaji join Festival Guest Curator and journalist Adele Zeynep Walton, to examine how we can ensure the net impact of AI on the planet is positive.

Julia King, Chair of the Adaptation Committee, and Hugh Montgomery, Professor of Medicine, join Fred Pearce for a vital conversation on what we can all do in response to the climate crisis. Audience members will walk away inspired with practical steps to make a real difference.

Wellbeing & lifestyle

Leading sleep expert Stephanie Romiszewski joins Julia Wheeler to discuss how science can help unlock the secrets to a good night’s sleep. Recognising how vital sleep is for all of us, Helen L. Ball, Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre and neuroscience expert Ginny Smith cut through the noise, debunk myths and share practical tips for sleep-deprived parents.

For anyone looking to boost their wellbeing, Claudia Hammond leads a guided ‘awe walk’ through Cheltenham to help participants notice the extraordinary in the everyday. For sports fans, physicist and former professional footballer Mark Langtry, aka Mark the Science Guy uncovers the science and technology giving teams the competitive edge at World Cup 2026.

Across the Festival, there are also plenty of tantalising opportunities to learn more about what tickles the tastebuds, from the delights of making the perfect pizza to a deep dive into the surprising and deliciously drinkable science of wine with Great British Bake Off finalist Dr Josh Smalley and John Manley.

Politics & society

As ever, the Festival programme strikes up conversations on some of the biggest questions about the world today. Asking what role God plays in a universe ruled by science, particle physicist Jeff Forshaw and humanist Alice Roberts, author of Domination: the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of Christianity, psychologist Kathryn Paige Harden and theologian David Wilkinson explore the relationship between scientific discovery and spiritual belief, challenging how people think, feel and make sense of the world around them.

Gain insights into the rising tensions at the fissures of climate politics in a discussion between journalist and author Tim Marshall and geopolitics and security expert Duncan Depledge, as they discuss why the Arctic has become one of our most fragile strategic frontiers.

Delving into the science of war, Neuroscientist and adviser to the Pentagon Nicholas Wright and intelligence and security expert David Omand, former Director of GCHQ, explore how the brain shapes the way people perceive threats, trust allies and make high-stakes choices in moments of crisis.

Exploring what it really takes to run the economy, award-winning Bloomberg reporter Joe Mayes leads an interactive event that reveals whether participants have what it takes to run the nation’s finances.

Crime & forensics

Inviting audiences to test their detective instincts, a murder mystery event led by author Antony Johnston and mortician Carla Valentine marks 50 years since Agatha Christie’s death.

Exploring the roots of society’s fascination with crimes, fraudsters and serial killers, psychologist and Bad People podcast cohost Julia Shaw, former forensic scientist turned comedian Ria Lina, and psychologist and behavioural geneticist Kathryn Paige Harden examine humanity’s darker impulses.

Leading forensic scientist Angela Gallop, who has been involved in cases including the murder of Stephen Lawrence, and Chris Gregg, former head of West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide team, lift the lid on what it takes to catch a killer.

Collage of speakers including Deborah Meadon

Family programme

For families, the Festival makes learning fun, helping you and your kids to discover how science can unlock everyday adventures.

Musical theatre and science collide in a free family workshop hosted by STEM musical theatre writers Helen Arney, Brian Mackenwells and Jenni Pinnock.

Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden shares her wisdom in an interactive event explaining where money comes from, how it shapes the world we live in today, and how we can empower children to become money experts.

Step inside the universe of Guinness World Records, as the team reveals all about the Gamer's Edition. Meet a record breaker and hear the story behind their achievement, witness world record attempts live on stage and even get the chance to take part yourself.

Big on bugs? Ins(p)ect the secret world beneath our feet in a bug-infested show with poet Simon Mole and musician Gecko.

Free interactive zones for all ages

The Festival programme extends beyond its 100 plus ticketed events to include three free Interactive Zones. From the creative, materialled experiences of MakerShack, to the playful hands-on science of the Discover Zone, and the cyber challenges of The Arcade, there are plenty of ways to explore, experiment and get inspired.

Music & poetry

Audiences can also enjoy music and poetry throughout the Festival, with performances from artists including Sometimes Eleanor and David Larbi, author of Frequently Happy, as VOICEBOX takes over the Jetstream stage. Visitors can pick up a free drink from DEYA Brewery and enjoy a vibrant mix of talks, poetry, music and more. Artwork by Juice NazNaz will also be on display in the Project Grow Kitchen Garden, a living installation celebrating community, food and the planet.