Cheltenham Science Festival

About

The annual Cheltenham Science Festival by Cheltenham Festivals will take place Tuesday 6 – Sunday 11 June 2023, in Imperial Gardens and various venues around Cheltenham. Members' Priority Booking from 18 April 2023.

Asking the most important questions about the world today, Cheltenham Science Festival hosts six days of spectacular science in Imperial Gardens. Bringing together the UK’s most respected scientists, favourite science communicators, writers, and artists to talk about today’s hottest topics. 

Celebrate Cheltenham Science Festival's 21st birthday with 138 events and 270 of the best scientists, thinkers, writers and creators, promising something for every curious mind of every age.

2023 Programme Highlights

This year’s Guest Curators will be focusing on everything from mental wellbeing to social change and human behaviours. The line-up comprises: BBC Radio 4 – All in the Mind presenter and author, Claudia Hammond (mental and physical health, psychology and neuroscience); doctor, BBC broadcaster and children’s television presenter, Chris van Tulleken (human health, food and nutrition); award-winning documentary and podcast maker, creative director and writer, Hana Walker-Brown (social science, neuroscience, human behaviour, how we respond to the ever-changing world); award-winning mental health and wellbeing campaigner, Sophia Kaur Badhan (mental wellbeing, women’s health, changemaking); and the return of the Festival's AI Guest Curator, AIDA, who has curated an (Art)ificial Intelligence event.

Kaur Badhan also leads a group of Young Changemakers who are making a difference in their communities, sure to inspire audiences far and wide. These include: Charlie Fogarty, an aspiring footballer who suffered a severe brain injury in 2012; Claudia MacGregor, who founded Soil Snack in 2022 with a mission to reimagine urban land usage; Cerys Bradley, who focuses on the link between the medicalisation of queerness and neurodiversity; and Alfie Bowen, a wildlife campaigner and photographer who raises awareness for both wildlife and autism. They will be telling their stories at We Make Tomorrow, a free event on the Apollo Stage.

What is Cheltenham Science Festival?

This popular annual festival has attracted some of the world’s greatest scientists, big thinkers and comedy geniuses to help answer some pretty big questions.

With past speakers including Brian Cox, Robert Winston, Alice Roberts and Richard Dawkins, the festival is the perfect place to pose your most burning questions and expand your mind. We recommend you attend this year for six jam-packed-days of debate, discovery, experiments, enjoyment and hands on fun and take a fresh look at the world around you.

For more unmissable events in Cheltenham check out our helpful guides - Cheltenham Festivals Guide & Cheltenham What's On Guide. To plan your stay in Cheltenham visit our Cheltenham Hotels Guide, Cheltenham Restaurants, Cheltenham Shops & Cheltenham Staycations.