Curious Minds
Be The Change
Welcome
Cut through the noise and open your mind at Cheltenham Science Festival as our carefully curated panels of experts untangle the overload of information and misinformation we’re exposed to daily. Determine fact from fad and explore what lies ahead in the next chapter of scientific discovery.
Leave equipped with tips and tricks to improve your daily life, uncover the secret science behind your favourite foods and drinks (and maybe sample a few of them, too) and get hands on with creative art and nature workshops. There’s so much to discover in our programme and vibrant Festival Village.
Get excited for the Festival with ...around town events in collaboration with Cheltenham BID the weekend before it all kicks off.
30 – 31 May
Contents Plan Your Festival
4
Festival Programme
9
Family Programme
47
Day Planners
50
Our Partners
56
Our Patrons
59
Your Visit and Access 63 How to Book
65
Festival Map
66
A Day in Motion Our Festival Village is packed with free activities and events along with street food stalls, art and nature workshops and live music.
MakerShack
The Arcade
Celebrate all things materials and making in MakerShack. Hone your crafting skills with expert makers, crafters, scientists and engineers. Watch as art and science collide.
Get your game face on and put your skills to the test in The Arcade. Make, break and create with industry experts and discover what's next in the world of innovation, tech and cyber.
Discover Zone Journey through Discover Zone and get hands-on with science. Quiz scientists on their cutting-edge research and become a future changemaker. Who knows what you might discover…
4
With thanks to our supporters
Jetstream Free Stage Free, science-fuelled fun takes centre stage at Jetstream. With family fun, live music and cocktails.
Enjoy Relaxed Sessions in our Interactive Zones at the weekend, 10–11am For more details, turn to p63
More than a Festival… every ticket purchased, book bought or meal savoured helps us ensure everyone can explore and create culture
VOICEBOX TAKEOVER Soak up the start of summer as VOICEBOX takes over our Jetstream stage. Pick up a free drink from DEYA Brewery and enjoy a mix of talks, poetry, music and more. FRE E Full details on p38.
Food and Drink Refuel between events with some of our street food options or visit the Imperial Garden Bar or Regency Cafe.
Waterstones Bookshop Enjoy book signings with your favourite authors while browsing the bookshelves. Every book purchased on site supports Cheltenham Festivals as a charity.
Eat the Rainbow: Kitchen Garden It’s not just a garden – it’s a live, edible colour laboratory brought to you by Project Grow. Be inspired by our sensory kitchen garden.
5
See your future take flight! At GE Aerospace, we believe the world works better when it flies. As a worldleading provider of jet engines, components, and integrated systems for commercial and military aircraft, we are committed to innovation and cuttingedge technology that will advance the future of flight for generations to come. Now is the time to explore what you want from a career and how you want to make an impact on the world. At GE Aerospace, you can do meaningful work on real-world challenges, gaining hands-on experience with advanced technologies alongside some of the industry’s most talented professionals and leaders. Explore our student opportunities and apply today!
invent.ge/ukearlycareers
Visit the GE Aerospace
Flight Deck
Step into the exciting world of aviation at the GE Aerospace Flight Deck situated at the heart of the Festival Village. Get ready to take flight… Join us at the GE Aerospace Flight Deck where you can immerse yourself in a world of possibilities as you explore our products and engage in exciting STEM activities. Take the pilot’s seat in our Flight Simulator and witness the future with our early careers projects, crafted by the brilliant minds of GE Aerospace Apprentices and Edison Engineering Graduates. Connect with experts from GE Aerospace and delve into the fascinating realm of aircraft power distribution and avionics systems. We cannot wait to meet you!
Go to p66 to find the GE Aerospace Flight Deck on the Science Festival map
7
Guest Curators Our Guest Curators are a unique and treasured part of the Festival team – bringing fascinating insights, new perspectives and inspiring energy to the programme.
Team Repair Megan Hale and Anaïs Engelmann are Team Repair, an award-winning company founded by a team of Design Engineers on a mission to increase STEM uptake and tackle the e-waste crisis, using the magic of repair.
Adele Zeynep Walton Adele Zeynep Walton is the author of Logging Off and a journalist and online safety campaigner. She is also the
LOGGING OFF CLUB QUIZ
p39
Jeff Forshaw works on the phenomenology of elementary particle physics. He’s trying to figure out what the data from the world’s particle physics experiments tell us about the fundamental constituents of matter and their interactions with each other.
AI: Friend or Foe?
p40
In Search of Now
p33
Is Your Tech Habit Killing the Planet?
p44
Nothing
p35
FameLab UK Final
p36
Why We Believe
p42
co-founder of Logging Off Club, which brings people together offline at phone free events to reconnect and promote connection, curiosity and wellness.
See Adele in:
8
Jeff Forshaw
See Jeff in:
AIDA Back for her eighth year, our much-loved AI science curator and activist will playfully roam our programme of events with her trademark curiosity and endless sense of wonder.
Festival Programme
plus Free Events Look out for these icons throughout the brochure Workshops Hear from our past FameLab contestants Be the Change themed events British Sign Language (BSL) interpreted events Auto-generated live captions will be displayed at all ticketed events in the Town Hall Main Stage, Town Hall Pillar Room and Helix. Please note that some of our events may contain flashing lights and loud noises.
9
HEALTH & LIFESTYLE • HEALTH & LIFESTYLE • HEALTH & LIFESTYLE • HEALTH &
Healthy Living Interrogate life hacks, food fads and the way we think about wellbeing with our collection of Health and Lifestyle events. Learn how to make the most of your money with Deborah Meaden, make
your period work better for you and the planet and investigate the ins and outs of the healthcare system in a world that’s becoming increasingly digital.
Interested in tips to improve your mental wellbeing? Take a look at our It’s All in the Mind collection
Find Catherine Carr in The Science of Sibling Rivalry
10
Deborah Meaden
LIFESTYLE • HEALTH & LIFESTYLE • HEALTH & LIFESTYLE • HEALTH & LIFESTYLE
Health & Lifestyle The Science of Can p30
Technology Save Your Health?
re Our Homes p32 A Making Us Sicker? p32 Has the Internet Hijacked Our Health? p35 Beyond Weight Loss Jabs p36 Risk Averse p37 From Sound
Waves to Brain Waves
p37 Deborah Meaden Talks Money Harness your hormones with Saira Hameed in The Inside Story of our Hormones
p39 A Better Period
p39
a Short Walk
p40 Guided Awe
Walk with Claudia Hammond
p44 Immune Health
Hacks
p44 Food Fads:
Nutrition Fact or Fiction?
p44 The Inside
Story of Our Hormones
p45 The Allotment p45 The Science of
Sibling Rivalry
p45 The Science of
Fermentation
11
Making Steps Towards a Brighter Future National Grid is proud to partner with Cheltenham Science Festival, inspiring the next generation of changemakers. As the UK’s Electricity Distribution Network, we’re empowering young minds through hands-on electrical safety education – because today’s students are tomorrow’s engineers and innovators. Join us in connecting cutting-edge technology with real-world impact.
nationalgrid.co.uk 12
BRAIN & MIND • BRAIN & MIND • BRAIN & MIND • BRAIN & MIND • BRAIN & MIND
It’s All in the Mind Get to know yourself – and those around you – a little better. What is it that makes you act that way? What are the exciting research breakthroughs that will influence medical treatments in future? Turn your attention inwards with our expert speakers on psychology and the brain.
p30 Your 21st
Century Brain
Reduce overwhelm in Overwhelmed: Taking the Pressure Off
p35 Our Brain, Our
Selves
p35 All in the
Mind: Can You Change Your Personality?
Masud Husain
p37 Unplugged p37 From Sound
Waves to Brain Waves
p40 Sian Williams:
The Power of Anxiety
p43 Overwhelmed:
Taking the Pressure Off
p44 Repairing the
Ageing Brain
Sophia Kaur Badhan
13
OUR PLANET • OUR PLANET • OUR PLANET • OUR PLANET • OUR PLANET • OUR PL
What on Earth? Your one-stop shop for all things nature, wildlife and sustainability. From bat box workshops to breakthrough investigative
journalism, leave Cheltenham Science Festival with a little more insight into the vibrant natural world you live in.
Dive into the depths of our oceans in Water: Our Most Precious Resource
Amy Chapman
14
LANET • OUR PLANET • OUR PLANET • OUR PLANET • OUR PLANET • OUR PLANET
Eat the Rainbow It’s not just a garden – it’s a live, edible colour laboratory. Brought to you by Project Grow, visit the Kitchen Garden on site.
p28 Renaturing:
Small Acts to Help Nature
p28 Hope in the
Climate Crisis
p29 Super Natural p30 How Whales
Lost Their Legs
p30 Conservation:
A Cause for Hope
p31 Turi King:
Genetics
Helen Czerski
p32 Planting for
Pollinators Workshop
p32 The Circular
Economy
p32 Is It Going to
Rain?
p32 People
Planet Pint
p33 Water: Our
Most Precious Resource
15 15
OUR PLANET • OUR PLANET • OUR PLANET • OUR PLANET • OUR PLANET • OUR PL
Genetics have changed the world. Find out how in Turi King: Genetics
p33 Could Insects
Save the World
p33 Dusk Walk: Cheltenham at Night p33 Bat Box
Did you know? Without insects, many of our favourite foods – from coffee and chocolate to avocados and blueberries – would disappear!
Workshop and Walk
Find out why insects matter in Could Insects Save the World? on p33
p35 Chain Reaction p35 Hidden Secrets
of the Night
p37 The Hidden
Superpowers of Trees
p44 Is Your Tech
Habit Killing the Planet?
p45 Poisoned Land p45 The Age of 16
Alchemy
Alex Riley
LANET • OUR PLANET • OUR PLANET • OUR PLANET • OUR PLANET • OUR PLANET
You never wake up in the same place you went to sleep! The Earth is constantly spinning and orbiting the Sun. Embark on our Dusk Walk to discover what happens in Cheltenham at night on p33
17
SPACE • SPACE • SPACE • SPACE • SPACE • SPACE • SPACE • SPACE • SPACE
Out of this World So many lights in the sky, so much possibility. Guided by scientists, bring life on Earth into focus by looking to the furthest reaches of outer space. Face infinity with black holes, consider the future of space exploration and travel back in time to the prehistoric era to answer the age-old question: what is life? Explore the science of black holes in Facing Infinity: Black Holes
p39 Maggie Aderin:
Starchild
p28 Facing Infinity: Black Holes p36 The Art and Maggie Aderin
Science of Cosmic Exploration
p44 Sara Seager: The
Smallest Lights in the Universe
p45 This is Life 19
WHERE CURIOSITY MEETS CULINARY CRAFT.
Celebrate Cheltenham Science Festival at The Queens Hotel, where curiosity meets culinary craft. Just moments from the talks, demonstrations, and discoveries, return to a setting where flavour becomes its own experiment. Enjoy boutique rooms, refined dining, and a bar where every cocktail is mixed with precision. Your perfect base for a week of wonder, exploration, and a little gastronomic chemistry.
The Queens Hotel, The Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1NN queenshotelcheltenham.co.uk |
@queenshotelcheltenham
TECHNOLOGY • TECHNOLOGY • TECHNOLOGY • TECHNOLOGY • TECHNOLOGY
Next in Tech Enhance your understanding of technology in an increasingly digital world. Delve into the world of cybercrime guided by both a law enforcement specialist and a reformed fraudster, look a little deeper into your relationship with AI and consider what’s next for technology.
For more events on Tech, check out our Society Matters collection on p22
Anna Machin
Image: Krew Collective
p31 Artificial
Intelligence
p32 Inside the Cyber
p14 p14
Hack Epidemic
Lieven Scheire
p33 Licence to
Innovate
21
SOCIETY SOCIETY• •SOCIETY SOCIETY• •SOCIETY SOCIETY• •SOCIETY SOCIETY •• SOCIETY SOCIETY •• SOCIETY SOCIETY •• SOCIETY SOCIETY • SOCIETY •
Society Matters Dive into society’s past, present and future. Uncover Tudor secrets and crime scene investigations, discover AI relationships and Robotaxis and hear expert insights into global
affairs and the weekend’s biggest headlines. As society and the world evolves around us, what changes have we experienced already and what lies ahead?
Adam Rutherford
Interested in the world around you? Head to the What on Earth collection on p15
22
True crime fan? Discover How to Catch a Killer on p39 or find out How to Clean a Crime Scene on p29
• SOCIETY • SOCIETY •SOCIETY • SOCIETY••SOCIETY SOCIETY••SOCIETY SOCIETY••SOCIETY SOCIETY••SOCIETY SOCIETY• •SOCIETY SOCIETY
Question your relationship with AI in Love, Friendship and AI
p28 Electrifying
p35 BBC Inside
p28 The Hunter and
p37 The Tudor
p29 How to Clean a
p39 How to Catch
p29 Could You Run
p41 The Battle for
p30 The Science
p41 A Brief History
Britain
the Hunted
Crime Scene
the Economy? of War
p31 Robotaxis p31 The Careful Surgeon
Science
Heart
a Killer
the Arctic
of Everyone Who Ever Lived
p43 Sunday Papers
with Adam Rutherford
p43 Love, Friendship
and AI
23
ENTERTAINMENT • ENTERTAINMENT • ENTERTAINMENT • ENTERTAINMENT • ENTERTA
Let Us Entertain You Let us entertain you with side-splitting, wonderfully chaotic and science-related events. With hilarious comedy and immersive murder mystery, art workshops, a sea-nsational marine-themed drag show and even tips on how to win the world cup, you are guaranteed to feel the fun.
Alison Woollard
24
True crime piquing your interest? Turn to our Society Matters collection on p22 for more
AINMENT • ENTERTAINMENT • ENTERTAINMENT • ENTERTAINMENT • ENTERTAINMENT
p29 Stand Up
Science
p29 Still Life
Workshop: Orcas
p30 Looking up p33 And Then There
Were Clues...
p35 How to Win the
World Cup
p36 Fluid Dynamics:
A Science Drag Show
p36 Sex, Space and
Statecraft
p41 Why Are we
Obsessed With True Crime?
p41 The Science
of Pizza
p42 The Science
of Wine
p42 Variety Night p45 Science of Cider 25
BIG IDEAS • BIG IDEAS • BIG IDEAS • BIG IDEAS • BIG IDEAS • BIG IDEAS • BIG IDEAS • B
Thinking Big Expand your mind and challenge your concepts of time, space and superstition. From the big questions that shape both life and death to understanding robots,
Delve into why we’re fascinated with criminal minds with a leading psychologist in Why Are We Obsessed with True Crime? on p41
Kathryn Paige Harden
26
portals and the search for ‘nothing’. This is an electrifying celebration of science in all its forms and the biggest questions it’s trying to answer.
BIG IDEAS • BIG IDEAS • BIG IDEAS • BIG IDEAS • BIG IDEAS • BIG IDEAS • BIG IDEAS
p28 Invisible
Rainbows
p29 The Future
of Work
p30 Reaching for
the Extreme
p31 The Politics of
Trust: Lessons from Wikipedia
p31 Building
Sustainable Cities
p32 Portals to a
New Reality
p33 In Search of
Now
p33 Think Less,
Sleep More
p35 Nothing p36 FameLab UK
Final
Alice Roberts
Image: Dave Stevens and Rebecca McCarthy
p37 Original Sin p40 AI: Friend
or Foe?
p42 Why We Believe p43 How to Mark
a Death
Improve your sleep habits in Think Less, Sleep More
p43 How Babies
Sleep
27
TUESDAY 2 JUNE
Your Festival Guide The Hunter and the Hunted
Tuesday 2 June
Invisible Rainbows
Helix £12
Helix £12
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
What if the world around us is far richer than we can perceive? Explore the extraordinary hidden universe beyond the limits of human vision and how we have learnt to harness it.
Main Hall, Town Hall £12
Matt Horne, Alex Wood, Thomas Drohan
Journey through space and time to discover how black Alfredo Carpineti, holes work, where they Mark Langtry come from and how we can EVENT TIME EVENT CODE possibly know this. 2.30–3.30pm
U010
EVENT TIME
3.30–4.30pm With thanks to our event supporters
Electrifying Britain
Pillar Room, Town Hall £12
Julia King, Hugh Montgomery, Fred Pearce
Can one person have any impact on nature? By starting small and doing something – anything – to help the environment around us, we can all build a better collective green future. James Canton, Daze Aghaji
EVENT CODE
P001
T004
U009
Renaturing: Small Acts to Help Nature
What positive actions can we take in the face of the climate crisis? Discover practical steps you can take to make a real difference.
EVENT CODE
5–6pm
EVENT CODE
4–5pm
Hope in the Climate Crisis
EVENT TIME
Jonas Enander EVENT TIME
Parabola Arts Centre £13
28
Facing Infinity
Enter the complex world of financial crime from both sides of the table with a reformed fraudster and Clue Software’s Director of Intelligence.
Parabola Arts Centre £12 Electricity use has dropped 25% in 20 years, but a lowcarbon future will need far more power. Explore the challenges of powering a greener future. Rob Bell, Melanie Lane, Michael Shanks, Camilla Born EVENT TIME
EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
4.15–5.15pm
N005
EVENT CODE
5.30–6.30pm Kindly supported by EDF
E001
Main Hall, Town Hall £12 Step inside the world of blood, guts and biohazards with fascinating stories from the frontline of crime scene cleaning. This is where the macabre meets the mundane.
Still Life Workshop: Orcas Alex Riley: Super Natural Regency Suite, Queens Hotel £20
Helix £12
Get inspired by one of the ocean’s most striking animals, the orca, in this hands-on art session. No art experience required.
Travel to Earth’s most hostile environments and consider the future of life on Earth in this beautifully illustrated talk.
Ben Giles, Julia Wheeler EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
8–9pm
F004
This event may include references to crime scenes and murder investigations.
EVENT TIME EVENT CODE
6–7.30pm
X010
Could You Run the Economy? Pillar Room, Town Hall £12 You’ve just become Chancellor of the Exchequer in this interactive event. Have you got what it takes to grow the economy and make the country a wealthier and happier place? Joe Mayes, Julia Wheeler EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
6.15–7.15pm
K005
With thanks to our event supporters
EVENT CODE
7–8pm
P007
Kindly supported by FEWS Event Structures
The Future of Work
Stand Up Science
Parabola Arts Centre £16
Pillar Room, Town Hall £12
AI and automation are changing how we work, but are robots really coming for your job? Explore how technologies could reshape professions, institutions and human capability as we look to the future.
Want to laugh and feel smart? This hilarious crossover is an hour of science-themed standup comedy straight from Edinburgh Fringe.
Sarah O’Connor, Richard Susskind EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
7.15–8.15pm
K003
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
Alex Riley
Russell Arnott EVENT TIME
TUESDAY 2 JUNE
How to Clean a Crime Scene
lex Farrow, A Shirley Halse, Matt Hobs, Alison Woollard EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
8.15–9.15pm
J011
Kindly supported by GE Aerospace
29
WEDNESDAY 3 JUNE
How Whales Lost Their Legs
Wednesday 3 June
Looking Up
Parabola Arts Centre £12
Parabola Arts Centre £12
How does a dog-sized land animal turn into some of the largest creatures ever to exist? Dig into the extraordinary journey of evolution for whales.
Explore the beauty, science and surprises of the sky. Adventure through a kite market in India, chase the raw power of storms in Tornado Alley and stand in awe of a Main Hall, Town Hall total solar eclipse. £12
The Science of War
Russell Arnott
Lucy Rogers, Marieke Navin EVENT TIME
1–2pm Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
Is the human brain wired for conflict? A former GCHQ Director and a Pentagon EVENT CODE advisor blend history and E005 neuroscience to explore how lessons from the battlefield can help us think more clearly and make better decisions under pressure.
Your 21st Century Brain Parabola Arts Centre £12
The processes that once kept us alive can now leave us anxious and burnt out. By understanding our brain’s original design, can we learn to work with our biology rather than against it? annah Critchlow, Paul H Goldsmith, Julia Wheeler EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
3–4pm
B011
Conservation: A Cause for Hope Helix £12 Can conservation work have a real impact? What happens when we allow nature the space to repair and renew? lizabeth Chadwick, E Adam Weymouth EVENT TIME
30
3.30–4.30pm
EVENT CODE
4–5pm
P004
G003
Scented Candle Workshop MakerShack £25
A004
EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
5–6.30pm
X013
Reaching for the Extreme Pillar Room, Town Hall £12 From soap bubbles to the cosmos, Britain’s most beloved mathematician tells the fascinating stories of the people and ideas pushing the very bounds of mathematics – and the discoveries that have changed our lives. Ian Stewart, Jo Durrant EVENT TIME
4.30–5.30pm
EVENT CODE
M002
Can Technology Save Your Health? Helix £12 Can health technology help us live longer, healthier lives and how much should we trust it? ara Lewington, L Hugh Montgomery, Julia Wheeler EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
EVENT CODE
5–6pm
Make two 9cl soy wax candles, scented with your own blend of essential oils.
David Omand, Nicholas Wright, Ash Bhardwaj EVENT TIME
EVENT TIME
5.30–6.30pm
EVENT CODE
T003
Image: Krew Collective
WEDNESDAY 3 JUNE
Artificial Intelligence Main Hall, Town Hall £12 Introducing your friend, butler, advisor, psychologist, personal trainer and guardian angel: Artificial Intelligence.
EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
6–7pm
T005
Building Sustainable Cities Pillar Room, Town Hall £12 With urban populations increasing, it is vital that cities are built to withstand climate change. How do we plan the cities of the future?
Parabola Arts Centre £16 A special Science Festival episode of the Past Present Future podcast. What can we learn from Wikipedia’s example about democracy, trust and knowledge? Hear directly from its founder.
Main Hall, Town Hall £13 Discover how to solve a mystery using DNA and how else it has shaped our world today. Turi King, Julia Wheeler EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
8–9pm
G007
Jimmy Wales, David Runciman EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
7–8pm
K002
Robotaxis: Transport of the Future
The Careful Surgeon
Helix £12
Gabriella Bennett, Tavs Jorgensen, Daze Aghaji
With robotaxis, drone delivery drivers and autonomous helicopters EVENT TIME EVENT CODE now a reality, tomorrow’s 6.30–7.30pm E003 world is today! What is the future of transport? Kindly supported by Golden Valley Siddhartha Khastgir, Patricia Thornley, Vivienne Parry
Pillar Room, Town Hall £12
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
Lieven Scheire
The Politics of Trust: Lessons from Wikipedia
Turi King: Genetics
What would it feel like to hold someone’s life in your hands? Hear a surgeon’s unforgettable stories from warzone frontlines and in the aftermath of disaster. Shehan Hettiaratchy Samir Guglani
EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
7.30–8.30pm
E002
8.30–9.30pm
H001
Kindly supported by GE Aerospace With thanks to our event supporters
31
THURSDAY 4 JUNE
Thursday 4 June
Inside the Cyber Hack Epidemic Parabola Arts Centre £12 Explore the dark economy of hacking and ransomeware as cybercrime experts lift the lid on this criminal underworld. Sophia McCall, Anja Shortland, Geoff White EVENT TIME
Main Hall, Town Hall £13
Parabola Arts Centre £12
Are modern homes harming us? Make your home healthier with our expert panel of indoor air pollution specialists and eco-renovators.
The most impactful change we can make for people and the planet starts locally, by building strong, circular economies. How can we make this vision a reality?
udith Leary-Joyce, J Christian Pfrang, Chantelle Wood, Helen Czerski EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
3–4pm
Are Our Homes The Circular Making Us Sicker? Economy
at Corbett, Inga Doak, K Mark Miodownik, Raechel Kelly
EVENT CODE
4–5pm
D002
F002
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
MakerShack £19 Plant your own window box or pot and welcome pollinators into your outside space, no matter how small. Amy Chapman EVENT TIME
4–5.30pm
EVENT CODE
X002
Is It Going to Rain?
Helix £12
After a century of unanswered Pillar Room, Town Hall questions, could quantum £12 information theory be key to Explore the fascinating world the next revolution in physics? of weather and weather Vlatko Vedral forecasting, revealing the science behind the thing we EVENT TIME EVENT CODE most love to talk about. 3.30–4.30pm
U001
Kindly supported by GE Aerospace
Simon King, Clare Nasir, Julia Wheeler EVENT TIME
4.30–5.30pm
32
With thanks to our event supporters
5–6pm
EVENT CODE
P006
Kindly supported by Spirax Group
Planting for Pollinators
Portals to a New Reality
EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
M003
Has the Internet Hijacked Our Health? Helix £12 You used to see a doctor. Now you go online. Separate fact from fiction with this essential guide to navigating health in the digital age. Deborah Cohen, Graham Easton, Victoria Kinkaid EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
5.15–6.15pm
W007
People Planet Pint Discover Zone FREE
Free
Meet with those who work in or around sustainability across all sectors. Enjoy a drink together and find out what’s happening locally. aechel Kelly, Mark R Miodownik, Kat Corbett, Inga Doak EVENT TIME
6–8pm
EVENT CODE
O010
Could Insects Save the World?
Licence to Innovate
Main Hall, Town Hall £13
Parabola Arts Centre £12
Main Hall, Town Hall £13
Reset your relationship with sleep with simple tools to improve the thing you spend a third of your life doing.
Worldwide, insects are in decline. By protecting them, can we actually save the planet?
HMGCC, the national security engineering tech centre, is hunting for the breakthroughs that will safeguard the nation’s future with its Top 10 Technologies campaign. Discover how your innovations, in everything from advanced manufacturing to AI, could help the UK stay ahead in the technology race.
Stephanie Romiszewski, Julia Wheeler EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
6.15–7.15pm
W003
EVENT TIME
7–8pm
EVENT CODE
N007
In Search of Now Helix £13
Pillar Room, Town Hall £12
What is a moment? Embark on a mind-bending exploration of the science behind how we understand time.
imon Fabri, Joseph S Cotter, Rebecca Huffee, Tom Whipple EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
8.15–9.15pm
T002
How do we manage water Kindly supported by HMGCC and its vital habitats? Explore Jeff Forshaw, Jo Marchant, and CyNam its fragile ecosystems, global Claudia Hammond tensions and the urgent action EVENT CODE needed to protect our waters. EVENT TIME ussell Arnott, R Stephen Rutt, Helen Czerski EVENT TIME
6.30–7.30pm
7.30–8.30pm
B008
Dusk Walk: Cheltenham at N001 Night
EVENT CODE
Off Site Walk
Bat Box Workshop Meet at the Info Point, Imperial Gardens with footwear suitable for and Walk walking and bring water with you. MakerShack £19
£19
Make your own bat box followed by a short walk at dusk to look for bats in and around the Festival area. at Conservation Trust, B Gloucestershire Bat Group EVENT TIME
7–9pm
With thanks to our event supporters
EVENT CODE
X003
Walk around Cheltenham at night. Learn more about the people and activity which come alive when we sleep. Dan Richards EVENT TIME
8–10pm
EVENT CODE
X009
And Then There Were Clues... Pillar Room, Town Hall £18 T icket includes drink
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
Water: Our Most Precious Resource
Jules Howard, Erica McAlister
THURSDAY 4 JUNE
Think Less, Sleep More
Can you solve a murder? Get inside the mind of Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie. Then, take part in a murder mystery while sipping a ‘killer’ cocktail or mocktail from The Alchemist. Antony Johnston, Carla Valentine EVENT TIME
8.30–10.15pm
EVENT CODE
A002
33
After Hours
Over 18s Free
6 – 9pm
Join us after hours for a night of creativity, music and science. Explore our free Interactive Zones, enjoy live performances and cocktails.
MakerShack
Jetstream
Explore the material world and invent your own creations in the MakerShack, where art, science and hands-on making collide.
Visit Jetstream for a night of free music and mixology.
Discover Zone Immerse yourself in a world of fun and interactive science, get hands on and quiz scientists on their cutting-edge research.
6–6.45pm
he Science T of Inflatables
7.15–8pm The Science
of Cocktails 8.30–9pm The Music
Works: Ash See p36 for full event details.
The Arcade Make, break and create with industry experts and discover what’s next in the world of innovation, tech and cyber.
Grab a drink from the bar, some food from the Habibah stand
and explore Cheltenham Science Festival after hours 34
Helix £12 Dive into the chemistry that underpins our everyday existence. To be human is to be a walking chemical reaction. Ijeoma Uchegbu, Julia Wheeler EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
3.30–4.30pm
Our Brains, Our Selves
C003
Main Hall, Town Hall £11
What makes us who we are? Friendship, family, love – or something bigger? Understand how our brains shape our sense of self with a prize-winning neurologist.
What happens when physicists look for nothing? Explore the deepest puzzles in particle physics and why near-nothing signals could mean everything.
1–2pm
EVENT TIME
B001
EVENT TIME
4–5pm
EVENT CODE
U005
Kindly supported by GE Aerospace
BBC: Inside Science
Hidden Secrets of the Night
Parabola Arts Centre £9 The BBC programme that illuminates the mysteries and challenges the controversies behind the science that’s changing our world. Victoria Gill
Pillar Room, Town Hall £12 Ever wonder what happens while you sleep? The world doesn’t stop. Discover how the world comes alive at night in ways we rarely notice. Nick Dunn, Dan Richards
EVENT TIME
3–4pm
EVENT CODE
J007
EVENT TIME
4.30–5.30pm
EVENT CODE
N003
B004
Beyond Weight Loss Jabs Helix £12 Weight loss drugs have revolutionised how people manage and lose weight, but what happens when you give them up? aul Barrington Chell, P Monique Hope-Ross, Julia Wheeler EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
5.30–6.30pm
W010
How to Win the World Cup Main Hall, Town Hall £9 What does it take to lift the World Cup? Discover the hidden science that teams will be using this summer. Gillian Cook, Ian Graham EVENT TIME
With thanks to our event supporters
EVENT CODE
5–6pm
Jeff Forshaw
EVENT CODE
How much control do you have over your personality? Find out whether our personalities are fixed for life in this special Festival episode of BBC Radio 4’s All in the Mind.
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
Parabola Arts Centre £13
EVENT TIME
Parabola Arts Centre £9
Claudia Hammond and guests
Nothing
Masud Husain, Claudia Hammond
All in the Mind: Can You Change Your Personality?
FRIDAY 5 JUNE
Chain Reaction
Friday 5 June
6–7pm
EVENT CODE
M001
35
FRIDAY 5 JUNE
The Science of Inflatables
The Science of Cocktails
Jetstream FREE
Jetstream FREE
Free
Blow up your understanding of physics and enter the world of inflatables. Bring your own inflatable for the chance to win a special prize. Mark Miodownik
Grab a drink from the bar and discover the chemistry behind mixology and the secrets of flavour, fizz and fermentation. Mark Miodownik, Andrea Sella EVENT TIME
EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
6–6.45pm
O004
Risk Averse Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
Pillar Room, Town Hall £11 Have we lost our bottle? Explore the Nordic approach to risk and find out what us Brits can do to increase our risk-taking. ucy Easthope, Megan L McGee, Helen Russell, Catherine Loveday EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
6.30–7.30pm
D001
Grab a drink and let Ash’s fusion of neo-soul, hip hop and a smattering of psychedelic rock and folk wash over you. Ash Kesav
7.15–8pm
O009
FameLab UK Final
EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
8.30–9pm
O011
Helix £11 Ten outstanding science communicators from across the UK take to the stage to compete for the title of FameLab UK Winner 2026, each delivering unforgettable talks designed to inspire. Stefan Gates, Jeff Forshaw Shirley Halse, Sascha Pare, Ijeoma Uchegbu EVENT TIME
7.30–9pm
Fluid Dynamics: EVENT CODE A Science Drag Z001 Show Pillar Room, Town Hall £9 Age 18+
The Art and Plunge into the weird, wild Science of Cosmic and wonderful ways of nonconforming nature in this Exploration
Parabola Arts Centre £11
Count Binface, Jules Howard EVENT CODE
7.15–8.15pm
J005
drag-show spectacular.
Main Hall, Town Hall £11 Part history, part futuregazing: how far have we come with space travel and where is it going next? Dallas Campbell, Kevin Fong EVENT TIME
EVENT TIME
With thanks to our event supporters
Free
Jetstream FREE
EVENT CODE
In memory of Frank Burnet, MBE
Sex, Space and Statecraft Are modern Western systems as sophisticated as we like to think? Explore parasitism, trickery and deception in nature and find some uncomfortable political parallels.
36
Free
The Music Works: Ash
8–9pm
EVENT CODE
U008
Kindly supported by GE Aerospace
ussell Arnott, R BiCurious George, Em Merrin May Armstrong EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
8.30–9.30pm
J004
The Hidden Superpowers of Trees Helix £13 How often do we stop to notice nature’s ultimate superheroes? Discover why trees, quietly powering our towns and cities, deserve our full attention.
EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
10.30–11.30am
N004
Pillar Room, Town Hall £12 Witness cutting-edge science demos of technology that uses invisible soundwaves to reach deep brain regions that could treat depression, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and brain cancer. Saketh Karamched, Harriet Lea-Banks, Emma Hunter, Mark Lythgoe, UCL Demo Team EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
10.45am–12pm
W006
Original Sin Parabola Arts Centre £13 Has science made guilt obsolete? Confront how it shapes our ideas of choice and wrongdoing and how we should respond when people hurt each other – or themselves. Kathryn Paige Harden, Adam Rutherford EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
12.30–1.30pm
B013
Unplugged Pillar Room, Town Hall £9
The Tudor Heart Parabola Arts Centre £12 Take a tantalising glimpse into the splendour of Henry VIII’s early court, celebrating chivalry, love and dynastic hope through the lens of the Tudor Heart Pendant.
10.30–11.30am
Main Hall, Town Hall £16 Make your money work harder for you with advice on taking control of your finances from a renowned entrepreneur and investor.
EVENT CODE
A001
EVENT TIME
12–1pm
aye Begeti, F Sophia Kaur Badhan, Charli Clement EVENT TIME
1–2pm
Deborah Meaden, Claer Barrett
Rachel King EVENT TIME
Deborah Meaden Talks Money
In an age of endless notifications and rolling news, many of us feel permanently switched on. With rising rates of burnout in our always-on digital culture, is reclaiming ‘analogue’ moments what could help us switch off, reset and reconnect?
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
Luke Barley, Jonathan Newall, Claudia Hammond
From Sound Waves to Brain Waves
SATURDAY 6 JUNE
Saturday 6 June
EVENT CODE
B012
EVENT CODE
K009
37
FREE
JETSTREAM TAKEOVER
Soak up the start of summer as VOICEBOX takes over Cheltenham Science Festival’s Jetstream stage. Pick up a free drink from DEYA Brewery and enjoy a mix of talks, poetry, music and more. Look out for artwork from Juice NazNaz at the Project Grow Kitchen Garden, a vibrant, living installation that celebrates the power of community, food and our planet.
2.15–3.15pm
5–5.30pm
LOGGING OFF QUIZ FORMULATE PLOT, Bring your friends or join solo STORY WORKS for a fun, phone-free quiz led by Logging Off Club’s Adele Zeynep Walton and India Blake. They delve into one of the defining questions of our time: are we in control of technology, or is it in control of us?
Engineer the plot for a novel in real time and hear the world’s shortest reviews of some of our fave reads with comedian Shirley Halse. Nothing is safe, not even the classics. 6–6.30pm
THE MUSIC WORKS: LENZO Working across poetry, storytelling and spoken word, enjoy melodic, lyrical new age trap and rage inspired by the underground.
Free, no ticket required.
3.45–4.30pm
7–7.30pm
DAVID LARBI: FREQUENTLY HAPPY THE MUSIC WORKS: SOMETIMES Find beauty in small ELEANOR moments, embrace change and create space for calm, growth and joy with poet and online creator David Larbi.
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With thanks to our event supporters
Hear live music from Sometimes Eleanor, who layers heartfelt lyrics over danceable beats, blending introspection with infectious energy.
Main Hall, Town Hall £16 Maggie Aderin’s destiny was always written in the stars. Despite her chaotic childhood, her fascination with the Universe never faltered. Hear Maggie talk about Starchild, her emotionally honest memoir. Maggie Aderin EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
U004
LOGGING OFF CLUB QUIZ Jetstream FREE
Helix £12 Reusable period products have revolutionised how we manage menstruation, massively cutting down on waste and use of plastic. What’s next? uby Raut, R Madhavi Vellayan, Hazel Wallace
Bring your friends or join solo for a fun, phone-free quiz led by Logging Off Club’s Adele Zeynep Walton and India Blake. They delve into one of the defining questions of our time: are we in control of technology, or is it in control of us? India Blake, Adele Zeynep Walton
EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
2.30–3.30pm
L008
The Science of a Short Walk
EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
2.15–3.15pm
V001
How far, how fast and how often should we be walking to improve our health and wellbeing? Short walks can play a powerful role in managing stress, supporting muscles and posture, protecting vital organs and lifting our mood.
3–4pm
Free
Find beauty in small moments, embrace change and create space for calm, growth and joy with poet and online creator.
EVENT TIME
V002
How to Catch a Killer Main Hall, Town Hall £13 Uncover the intricate teamwork, police procedures and meticulous forensic science involved in bringing murderers to justice from two of the UK’s leading experts. Angela Gallop, Chris Gregg, Julia Shaw 4–5pm
EVENT CODE
EVENT CODE
3.45–4.30pm
EVENT TIME
Amanda Daley, Claudia Hammond EVENT TIME
Jetstream FREE
David Larbi
Pillar Room, Town Hall £13
Free
DAVID LARBI: FREQUENTLY HAPPY
EVENT CODE
F001
This event may include references to crime scenes and murder investigations.
W004
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
2–3pm
A Better Period
SATURDAY 6 JUNE
Maggie Aderin: Starchild
BOLD IDEAS. FEARLESS CONVERSATIONS. FIND THE PODCAST WHEREVER YOU LISTEN 39
SATURDAY 6 JUNE
Guided ‘Awe’ Walk with Claudia Hammond Off Site Walk Meet at the Info Point, Imperial Gardens with footwear suitable for walking and bring water with you.
AI: Friend or Foe? Helix £9 How is AI reshaping society and what opportunities does it present? What does it mean for our personal, creative and social lives?
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
Lucy Morgan, Jeni Tennison, Adele Zeynep Walton EVENT TIME
4.30–5.30pm
EVENT CODE
K001
£20
Sian Williams: The Power of Anxiety Parabola Arts Centre £13 What if we stopped trying to fight the worry waves and instead learned to ride them? Through expert tips, unlock the power of your anxiety. Sian Williams, Catherine Loveday EVENT TIME
4.30–5.30pm
Put your worries into perspective and increase joy and empathy for others with a guided ‘awe walk’ to look out and around you for the extraordinary in the every day. Claudia Hammond EVENT TIME
FORMULATE PLOT, STORY B010 WORKS Jetstream FREE
Shirley Halse EVENT TIME
5–5.30pm
Bringing Data to Life DataFace is a year-round outreach project for secondary schools that empowers young people to tell the stories they care about through data. See a collection of this year’s presentations in the Discover Zone and find out more at cheltenhamfestivals.org/our-projects/dataface Supported by The Notgrove Trust
40
Free
Engineer the plot for a novel in real time and hear the world’s shortest reviews of some of our fave reads. Nothing is safe, not even the classics.
to pay for a disadvantaged child to attend a Science for Schools event through our donated tickets for schools scheme
In partnership with
W009
EVENT CODE
Donate £10
Produced by
EVENT CODE
4.30–5.30pm
EVENT CODE
V003
Support our charity and enjoy priority booking to our extraordinary Festivals
Pillar Room, Town Hall £14 Through live demos, a Great British Bake Off finalist reveals the science behind the perfect pizza. Mark Miodownik, Andrea Sella, Josh Smalley EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
5–6.30pm
L011
THE MUSIC WORKS: LENZO Free
Parabola Arts Centre £13 Tensions are rising at the top of the world. Our experts analyse the shifting geopolitics in the Arctic, one of our most fragile strategic frontiers. Tim Marshall, Duncan
Working across poetry, Depledge, Julia Wheeler storytelling and spoken word, EVENT TIME EVENT CODE enjoy melodic, lyrical new K007 age trap and rage inspired by 6.30–7.30pm the underground. Lenzo EVENT TIME
6–6.30pm
Why Are We Obsessed with EVENT CODE V004 True Crime?
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived Main Hall, Town Hall £16 Explore the history of the human species through the lens of genomics with the fully updated 10th anniversary edition of the iconic book. Alice Roberts, Adam Rutherford EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
6–7pm
Helix £13 Stories of terrible crimes and even more terrible people dominate podcast and streaming charts. Discover the science behind our fascination with humanity’s dark side.
From as little as £48 per year you can become a Cheltenham Festivals Member and support our vision for a world in which everyone can explore and create culture.
Scan the QR code to find out more
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
Jetstream FREE
The Battle for the Arctic
SATURDAY 6 JUNE
The Science of Pizza
ia Lina, Julia Shaw, R Kathryn Paige Harden, Catherine Loveday EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
6.30–7.30pm
F003
This event may include references to crime scenes and murder investigations.
G004
Kindly supported by Tarren Production With thanks to our event supporters
events made
41
SATURDAY 6 JUNE
THE MUSIC WORKS: SOMETIMES ELEANOR Free Jetstream FREE
Variety Night
Hear live music from Sometimes Eleanor, who layers heartfelt lyrics over danceable beats, blending introspection with infectious energy.
Another year, another sidesplitting and wonderfully chaotic night of sciencerelated fun.
Sometimes Eleanor EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
7–7.30pm
V005
Main Hall, Town Hall £17
hirley Halse, Ted Hill, S Matthew Hutchinson, Ria Lina, Farah Sharp, Gemma Arrowsmith, Stefan Gates EVENT TIME
8–9.30pm
EVENT CODE
J009
Why We Believe Parabola Arts Centre £16 How does faith shape the way we see ourselves and our place in the cosmos? Explore the relationship between science and belief. athryn Paige Harden, K Adam Rutherford, David Wilkinson, Jeff Forshaw, Alice Roberts EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
8.30–9.30pm
U007
The Science of Wine Pillar Room, Town Hall £16 Expect eye-opening ideas, hands-on experiments and live demonstrations that bring the lab to the tasting table.
With thanks to the FameLab UK Hub Organisations
John Manley, Mark Miodownik, Andrea Sella, Josh Smalley EVENT TIME
7.30–9pm
EVENT CODE
J006
With thanks to the FameLab UK Supporter
42
Love, Friendship and AI
Sunday Papers with Adam Rutherford
Pillar Room, Town Hall £12
Main Hall, Town Hall £12 Extra, extra! Dissect the top science stories in the newspapers live with us this Sunday.
Helix £12
Ria Lina, Adam Rutherford EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
10–11am
L001
Free
Safely explore the beauty of the Sun using solar telescopes and pose your best spacerelated questions to our knowledgeable experts.
Death is handled very differently from country to country and within different faiths – but there are rituals and superstitions around it in all cultures. Where do these rituals come from and do we need them as humans? Matt Morgan, Sofka Zinovieff, Olivia Chapman EVENT TIME
H002
EVENT CODE
12.30–1.30pm
T001
The Next Generation of Free FameLab Fresh voices. Emerging talent. Pure FameLab magic. See the future of science storytelling live with our vibrant FameLab Academy students. Khazana RasoolMcLaughlin
EVENT TIME
10am–2pm
EVENT TIME
Jetstream FREE
EVENT CODE
11.30am–12.30pm
Anna Machin, James Muldoon, Charli Clement
DROP IN
EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
How Babies Sleep
1–2pm
Pillar Room, Town Hall £12 Babies welcome
The Future of Free Science
Navigating new-born sleep or toddler naps? Feel confident in your sleep journey with experts and debunk myths around infant sleep.
Overwhelmed: Taking the Pressure Off
Parabola Arts Centre Helen L. Ball, Ginny Smith £13
EVENT TIME
10.30–11.30am
EVENT CODE
R001
Build a practical toolkit to navigate modern life without feeling overwhelmed, from handling stress to tackling procrastination. Claudia Hammond, Adam Rutherford EVENT TIME
12.30–1.30pm
O005
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
Solar Observing Festival Village FREE
Can you really fall in love with AI? Discover the risks and rewards of AI chatbots on human relationships.
How to Mark a Death
SUNDAY 7 JUNE
Sunday 7 June
Jetstream FREE Three global FameLab storytellers, one stage. Having already teased us with their three minute talks, join them for a 20-minute burst of brilliance. Khazana RasoolMcLaughlin, Erin Pallott, Tammy Lee, Joni Wildman
EVENT CODE
EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
B006
2.30–3.30pm
O006
43
SUNDAY 7 JUNE
Immune Health Hacks
Repairing the Ageing Brain
Parabola Arts Centre £13
Helix £13
Immune health is on our minds and in the media more than ever. We want to give our bodies what they need to fight diseases and sustain energy, but with so much information available, how do we know what really works?
How close are we to effective, affordable treatments for the disease that three million of us could live with by 2050: dementia?
Daniel Davis, Jenna Macciochi, Julia Wheeler
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
2.30–3.30pm
W001
Food Fads: Nutrition Fact or Fiction? Pillar Room, Town Hall £12 With the goal posts of diet culture and health standards moving constantly, cut through the distractions of online and media food noise with facts from the nutritionists.
Sabina Brennan, Julie Williams, Catherine Loveday
EVENT CODE
2.30–3.30pm
L006
EVENT CODE
3.15–4.15pm
B002
The Inside Story of Our Hormones Main Hall, Town Hall £13 Harness your hormones for a happier and healthier life, with a toolkit to understand your everyday emotions and behaviour.
aze Aghaji, D Rachel Donald*, Adele Zeynep Walton EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
4.30–5.30pm
K004
*appearing digitally
EVENT TIME
4–5pm
Sara Seager: The EVENT CODE Smallest Lights in W005 the Universe Parabola Arts Centre £13
to help cover the cost of a sensory pack, enabling someone with sensory issues to experience the Festival comfortably
With thanks to our event supporters
Everyday technology habits are quickly becoming a major contributor to climate change. What can we do to ensure digital innovation doesn’t come at the cost of our planet?
Saira Hameed, Julia Wheeler
Donate £10
44
Pillar Room, Town Hall £9
EVENT TIME
arah Ann Macklin, S Federica Amati, Ginny Smith EVENT TIME
Is Your Tech Habit Killing the Planet?
As she struggles to navigate her life after loss, Sara Seager takes solace in the alien beauty of exoplanets and discovers earthbound connections that feel every bit as wondrous. Sara Seager, Dallas Campbell EVENT TIME
4.30–5.30pm
EVENT CODE
U002
Kindly supported by The Kavli Prize
Helix £12 Allotments can do more than just grow food. By gardening and looking after the land, even in small parcels in the middle of cities, find healing, community and joy. JC Niala, Sui Searle, Sarah Rigby EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
5.30–6.30pm
H004
This is Life
Main Hall, Town Hall £12
Parabola Arts Centre £13 Transform your health from the inside out. Explore the powerful gut-brain connection and learn easy everyday fermentation techniques to boost your microbiome. aze Aghaji, Emily D Leeming, Kenji Morimoto, Josh Smalley EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
6.30–7.30pm
L007
Toxic chemical leaks across the UK are poisoning our water supplies and soil. The impact can be catastrophic. Join investigative journalists to discuss what they discovered in South Wales and why we should all be concerned. Dan Ashby, Dave Megson, Lucy Taylor EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
8–9pm
H005 Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
Main Hall, Town Hall £12
Poisoned Land
Journey through the complete history of life on earth with Stephen Hawking’s former Ph.D. student. Transform the way you see the world and your place in it. Christophe Galfard EVENT TIME
The Science of Sibling Rivalry U003
EVENT CODE
6–7pm
Helix £12
The Science of Cider Pillar Room, Town Hall £16 Ticket includes a glass of Dunkerton’s Cider on arrival.
From fruit pressing to fermentation, discover what happens when apple becomes cider in this sure to be scrumpy-tious event. Mark Miodownik, Andrea Sella, Robert West EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
6.30–7.30pm
L009
We all talk of siblings being set in certain roles depending on where they come in the family, but is there any science to this anecdotal stereotyping? inda Blair, L Catherine Carr, Julia Wheeler
SUNDAY 7 JUNE
The Science of Fermentation
The Allotment
The Age of Alchemy Parabola Arts Centre £12
EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
7.30–8.30pm
H008
Travel back in time the age of alchemy, when science and mysticism blurred in search of answers to life’s greatest mysteries. Kit Chapman, Andrea Sella EVENT TIME
EVENT CODE
8.30–9.30pm
C002
45
Walk of
FameLab FameLab is the longest running, furthestreaching science communication competition and training programme in the world. FameLab has been changing the lives of thousands of participants for over 20 years, in over 30 countries across the globe. Whether they’re shaping policy, advancing their fields, or sparking conversations, meet some of the FameLab alumni inspiring the world with their science one talk at a time.
Catch some of our FameLab alumni at the Jetstream stage p43
Maggie Aderin Space Scientist and Science Educator UK 2005
My Famelab experience was the springboard for me to share my science and understand the importance of science storytelling. Vanessa Pirotta
FameLab was a real catalyst for me, taking part 15 years ago gave me the tools and confidence that kick started my communication career. Jamie Gallagher
Vanessa Pirotta Wildlife Scientist
46
FameLab taught me that the best science is science that connects with people. That’s stayed with me in everything I do. Nehemiah Latolla
Jamie Gallagher Engagement Trainer and Science Communicator
Nehemiah Latolla International Winner 2022
Family Programme Our Family Programme offers a range of exciting activities tailored for different age groups. All Ages
Family Physics Singalong Marvellous Mocktails A STEM Musical: The Cambridge First All-Ladies Fire Brigade Science Stinks!
Family Programme Opener Teddy Bears vs Gravity Age 4+
Age 5+ Age 6+
Age 7+
Big Bug Show Why Money Matters with Deborah Meaden Guinness World Records: Gamers Pizza Chemistry Sweet Shop Workshop World Cup Science Things Scientists Don’t Know Jurassic Science TikTok Science From One Tiny Cell
• While our age recommendations serve as a gentle guide. You know your child best • Everyone is welcome, from babies to great grandmas • For safety, children 11 years and under must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+ • Please note that some of our events may contain flashing lights and loud noises • We hold hour-long Relaxed Sessions in our Interactive Zones at the weekend. Find out more on p63
47
FAMILY PROGRAMME TUESDAY 2 JUNE – SATURDAY 6 JUNE
Tuesday 2 June
World Cup Science Main Hall, Town Hall £9 Age 6+ It’s World Cup time, so dive into the science of football in this demo-packed show to discover what it takes to become champions. Mark Langtry
A STEM Musical: The Cambridge First All-Ladies Fire Brigade
Regency Suite, Queens Hotel £9 Age 4+ How do bear-odynamics make the impossible, possible? Grab your favourite soft toy and find out how gravity works, along with some paw-some creatures. Isabel Thomas
EVENT TIME
BOOKING CODE
6–7pm
R011
EVENT TIME
BOOKING CODE
11.15am–12.15pm
R004
Saturday 6 June
TikTok Science Main Hall, Town Hall £9 Age 7+ Can you separate sciencefact from science-fiction? Put TikTok experiments to the test and recreate some of social media’s best loved science stunts in this demo-packed event.
EVENT TIME
10–11am
R014
Family Physics Singalong Sing, create and learn as musical theatre and science collide in our free family workshop hosted by STEM musical theatre writers. elen Arney, H Brian Mackenwells, Jenni Pinnock EVENT TIME
10–11am
Expect demos, taste tests and fascinating science facts all about magnificent mocktails, including how to make your own at home. Mark Miodownik BOOKING CODE
11.30am–12pm
O003
Things Scientists Don’t Know Voyage to the curious and surprising corners of science that we don’t know the answers to yet, in this demo filled show. Peter Gallivan EVENT TIME
12.30–1.30pm
BOOKING CODE
O001
elen Arney, H Brian Mackenwells, Jenni Pinnock EVENT TIME
BOOKING CODE
O002
Why Money Matters with Deborah Meaden Parabola Arts Centre £9 Age 6+ Why does money matter? Empower young people to become money experts with the help of a ‘Dragon’. Deborah Meaden, Daze Aghaji
Helix £9 Age 7+
Jetstream FREE All Ages
A fiery new musical, sparked by five trailblazing women and real-life STEM pioneers studying science in 1880s England.
Jetstream FREE All Ages
EVENT TIME
BOOKING CODE
Jetstream FREE All Ages
12.30–1.30pm
Marvellous Mocktails
Jamie Gallagher
48
Teddy Bears vs Gravity
BOOKING CODE
R005
EVENT TIME
BOOKING CODE
2.30–3.30pm
R010
From One Tiny Cell Jetstream FREE Age 7+ Through drawing challenges, explore how cells grow, estimate how many cells are in different parts of your body and how scientists help families who need extra support (and science!) to start a family.
Science Stinks!
Pizza Chemistry
Jetstream FREE All Ages
Helix £9 Age 6+
Embark on a nose-tingling, mind-opening and occasionally eye-watering journey through the hidden world of scent.
Get ready, get set, bake! Perfect your pizza-making with showstopping sciencefilled demos from a Great British Bake Off finalist. Josh Smalley
Stephen Belding EVENT TIME
BOOKING CODE
11.45am–12.30pm
O007
BOOKING CODE
10.30–11am
O008
BOOKING CODE
1.15–2.15pm
R006
Sweet Shop Science
Tammy Lee EVENT TIME
EVENT TIME
Regency Suite, Queens Hotel £12 Age 6+ Price includes one adult and one child. Additional child tickets £8 each.
Pillar Room, Town Hall £12 For full details, turn to p43.
Diatom Dave
Helen L. Ball, Ginny Smith
Big Bug Show BOOKING CODE
10.30–11.30am
R001
Guinness World Records: Gamers Parabola Arts Centre £9 Age 6+
Guinness World Records Team BOOKING CODE
10.30–11.30am
BOOKING CODE
1.15–2.15pm 2.45–3.45pm
R012 R013
Sing, dance, rap and ins(p)ect the delightfully disgusting and wonderfully weird secret world of bugs. Simon Mole, Gecko
Step inside the universe of Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition and discover all there is to know about turning gaming skills into official records.
EVENT TIME
Main Hall, Town Hall £9 Age 5+
EVENT TIME
R008
EVENT TIME
12–1pm
BOOKING CODE
R003
Jurassic Science
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
Dive into the delicious science of sweets, from the toe-curlingly sour to the fabulously fizzy.
How Babies Sleep
EVENT TIME
FAMILY PROGRAMME SUNDAY 7 JUNE
Sunday 7 June
Main Hall, Town Hall £9 Age 7+ ’Hold onto your butts’ and dive into the world of Jurassic Park with roarsome raps and dino facts. Jon Chase EVENT TIME
2–3pm
BOOKING CODE
R002
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DAY PLANNER TUESDAY 2 JUNE
Day Planners Tuesday 2 June
Helix
Planner
Town Hall, Main Hall
Town Hall, Pillar Room
Parabola Arts Centre
Queens Hotel, The Regency Suite
2pm
3pm
Invisible Rainbows
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
Hope in the Climate Crisis
4pm Facing Infinity: Black Holes
Renaturing: Small Acts to Help Nature
5pm The Hunter and the Hunted Electrifying Britain
6pm World Cup Science
Still Life Workshop: Orcas
Could You Run the Economy? 7pm Alex Riley: Super Natural
The Future of Work
8pm How to Clean a Crime Scene
Stand Up Science
9pm
Adult event
Family event
Plan Your Perfect Festival With the Cheltenham Festivals App
Available on Android and iOS, it’s the easiest way to plan your Festival visit. 50
Planner Town Hall, Main Hall
Helix
Town Hall, Pillar Room
Parabola Arts Centre
MakerShack
1pm Looking Up
2pm
3pm Your 21st Century Brain 4pm
Conservation: A Cause for Hope
Reaching for the Extreme
5pm
How Whales Lost Their Legs Can Technology Save Your Health?
Scented Candle Workshop
Artificial Intelligence Building Sustainable Cities
7pm
The Politics of Trust: Lessons from Wikipedia 8pm
Robotaxis Turi King: Genetics The Careful Surgeon
9pm
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
The Science of War
6pm
DAY PLANNER WEDNESDAY 3 JUNE
Wednesday 3 June
Adult event
Scan the QR code to download it now
Developed with thanks to
51
DAY PLANNER THURSDAY 4 JUNE
Thursday 4 June Helix
Town Hall, Main Hall
Planner Town Hall, Pillar Room
Parabola Arts Centre
MakerShack
Discover Zone
Offsite
2pm
3pm Inside the Cyber Hack Epidemic 4pm
Portals to a New Reality
Are Our Homes Making Us Sicker?
5pm
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
6pm
Is it Going to Rain? The Circular Economy
Has the Internet Hijacked Our Health?
Think Less, Sleep More 7pm
8pm
Water: Our Most Precious Resource
People Planet Pint Could Insects Save the World? Bat Box Workshop and Walk
In Search of Now
Licence to Innovate 9pm
Planting for Pollinators Workshop
And Then There Were Clues...
Dusk Walk: Cheltenham at Night
10pm
Adult event
We can’t wait to welcome over 7,000 children and young people to the Festival.
52
Helix
Planner Town Hall, Main Hall
Town Hall, Pillar Room
Parabola Arts Centre
Jetstream
1pm Our Brains, Our Selves 2pm
3pm
DAY PLANNER FRIDAY 5 JUNE
Friday 5 June
BBC Inside Science
4pm
Chain Reaction
Hidden Secrets of the Night
5pm
All in the Mind: Can You Change Your Personality? 6pm
Beyond Weight Loss Jabs How to Win the World Cup
The Science of Inflatables Risk Averse
7pm
Sex, Space and Statecraft 8pm
FameLab UK Final
The Art and Science of Cosmic Exploration
9pm
The Science of Cocktails
The Music Works: Ash
Fluid Dynamics: A Science Drag Show
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
Nothing
Adult event
Our shows, workshops and Interactive Zones are designed to encourage the scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians of the future. Find out more at cheltenhamfestivals.org/ science-for-schools
Donate £5 to support our outreach work, helping 80,000 children access culture this year
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DAY PLANNER SATURDAY 6 JUNE
Saturday 6 June Helix
Planner Town Hall, Main Hall
Town Hall, Pillar Room
Parabola Arts Centre
Queens Hotel, The Regency Suite
Offsite
10am Family Physics Singalong
TikTok Science 11am
The Hidden Superpowers of Trees
From Sound Waves to Brain Waves
The Tudor Heart
Marvellous Mocktails
Teddy Bears vs Gravity
12pm
1pm
Things Scientists Don’t Know
Deborah Meaden Talks Money
A STEM Musical: The Cambridge First All-Ladies Fire Brigade
Original Sin
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
Unplugged
2pm Maggie Aderin: Starchild 3pm
A Better Period The Science of a Short Walk
LOGGING OFF CLUB QUIZ
Why Money Matters with Deborah Meaden
DAVID LARBI: FREQUENTLY HAPPY
4pm How to Catch a Killer 5pm
Sian Williams: The Power of Anxiety
AI: Friend or Foe?
Guided ‘Awe Walk’ with Claudia Hammond
FORMULATE PLOT, STORY WORKS
The Science of Pizza 6pm
MUSIC WORKS: LENZO
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived 7pm
Why Are We Obsessed with True Crime?
The Battle for the Arctic
8pm
9pm
MUSIC WORKS: SOMETIMES ELEANOR
The Science of Wine Variety Night
Why We Believe
Adult event
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Jetstream
Family event
Helix
Planner Town Hall, Main Hall
Town Hall, Pillar Room
Parabola Arts Centre
How Babies Sleep
Guinness World Records: Gamers
Queens Hotel, The Regency Suite
Jetstream
10am Sunday Papers with Adam Rutherford 11am
12pm
From One Tiny Cell
How to Mark a Death
Science Stinks!
DAY PLANNER SUNDAY 7 JUNE
Sunday 7 June
Big Bug Show Love, Friendship and AI
1pm
Overwhelmed: Taking the Pressure Off
2pm Jurassic Science
3pm
Food Fads: Nutrition Fact or Fiction?
Immune Health Hacks
Is Your Tech Habit Killing the Planet?
Sara Seager: The Smallest Lights in the Universe
The Science of Cider
The Science of Fermentation
Sweet Shop Science
The Future of Science
Repairing the Ageing Brain 4pm The Inside Story of Our Hormones 5pm
6pm
The Allotment
Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.org/science
Sweet Shop Science
Pizza Chemistry
The Next Generation of FameLab
This is Life
7pm
8pm
The Science of Sibling Rivalry Poisoned Land
9pm
The Age of Alchemy
Adult event
Family event
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A big thank you
to our Partners and Supporters Principal Partners
At EDF, we are proud to partner with Cheltenham Festivals in our shared commitment to inspire young people to explore the vital role of energy within the world of STEM.
EDF
Major Partners
The Jason Robson Trust
The Notgrove Trust
Supporting Cheltenham Science Festival is a fantastic way to spark curiosity and open doors for the next generation. By connecting young people with STEM and engineering, we’re helping inspire the skills, confidence and commitment that will shape the future of our industry.
Spirax Group
X
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Elevate Your Brand
Unleash the Power of Corporate Partnership Email partnerships@cheltenhamfestivals.org to speak to a member of the Development Team
Festival Partners For over 20 years, GCHQ has been a proud partner of Cheltenham Festivals. These events help us to reach and inspire the next generation to develop the STEM and language skills needed to keep the UK and its people safe.
Borneo Orangutan Survival UK
GCHQ
Sedbury Trust
In-Kind and Media Partners Working with Cheltenham Festivals for over 25 years has allowed us to be part of a vibrant celebration of culture, creativity and community in our town.
Willans Solicitors LLP
Our Partnership offerings are crafted to elevate your brand in ways that are completely tailored to meet your goals and ambitions.
✓B espoke brand awareness ✓E xclusive networking
You will be aligning with our vision for a world where everyone can explore and create culture whilst getting to shape an unforgettable brand narrative and connect with a vibrant community.
✓V IP experiences ✓A chieve collective goals
opportunities
for diversity and inclusion, sustainability and accessibility
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Get Closer to the Festivals with Patronage Join our valued Patron community and play a crucial role in advancing our artistic programmes and outreach projects, creating experiences that bring joy, spark curiosity, connect communities and inspire change. From £95 per month, Patronage covers all four Festivals.
✓ Access to hospitality areas at our Festivals
I feel like an important part of the whole Festivals experience, including the huge amount of work done for schools, young people and the local community
✓ Invitations to special events and parties
Keith Norton, Life Patron
You’ll also benefit from: ✓ Advanced booking and early programme announcements
To find out more please email patrons@cheltenhamfestivals.org or visit cheltenhamfestivals.org/patrons As a UK Taxpayer, your donations to our charity enable us to claim Gift Aid, adding an extra 25p to every £1 you contribute towards your Patronage, at no additional cost to you.
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Charity No. 251765
Our Patrons Life Patrons Dr Lynda Albertyn and Pat Gallasch Christopher Bence Mark and Sue Blanchfield Peter and Anne Bond Ruth and Jason Buttle Dominic and Jannene Collier Denise Collis Michael and Felicia Crystal Colin and Suzanne Doak Victoria Draper Miles and Monica Dunkley The Eaton Family Carole Epstein - her life and legacy Fingerhuth Leung Family Charles Fisher Lucy Freeman and Peter Hulett Mr and Mrs D M Gates David and John Hall Margaret Headen Diane and Mark Hill Jeremy and Germaine Hitchins Family Jonathan and Cassinha Hitchins Family Stephen and Tania Hitchins Family Jeff and Keren Iliffe David Jones and Amanda Payne Elizabeth and Michael Jones and Family Joanna Morrison Rick and Lisa Jones Steven and Linda Jones Hugh and Sue Koch Robert and Moira Leechman Hazel and Jeremy Lewis Eileen Lockwood The McKelvie Family Fiona McLeod The McWilliam family in loving memory of Ruth McWilliam Keith Norton and Piers Norton The Parker Family in loving memory of Edward and Gladys Mark and Elizabeth Philip-Sørensen Anthony and Rowenna Poeton Suzie Procter and Andy Leaper
Carrie and Phil Rawlins Shelley Bence and Felix Robson in memory of Jason Robson Karen Salters and Marcus Freer John and Susan Singer Jean Gouldsmith Skinner Andrew Smith Phil and Jennifer Stapleton Liz and Neil Stewart Sharon Studer and Graham Beckett Chris and Bridgette Sunman Fiona and David Symondson Michelle Thorley Luanne and Hodson Thornber The Walker Family Jacqueline Woof
Director’s Circle Chris Barratt and Carolyn Howard Heather Barrett The Causeway Trust Charlie Chan Richard Claridge Michael and Angela Cronk Carol and Adrian Farnell Ian and Denesha George Marc and Melanie Gillespie Jeremy and Alison Halliday Mark and Moira Hamlin Stephen Harper and Megan Broadley Sarah Harris and Gemma Irvine Jennifer Hayward and Richard Waite Stephen Hodge Andrew and Caroline Hope Sir Tom and Lady Marion Hunter David Jones Emma Logan and KB Beaton Andrew and Susanne Malim Spencer McPherson and Emily Poole The Miskin Family P. J. Moore Chris Morgan Giles Mountford Oldham Foundation Dr Julia Pearson and Dr Keith England John Phillips Andrew Pitt and Pamela Odih
Jan and Gill Rowe Khal and Zoe Rudin Andy and Ali Stalsberg Peter Stormonth Darling Charitable Trust Paul and Amanda Toner The Warner Family Steve and Helen Wheeler Stephen Wood Becky Wright
Gold Patrons Sigrid and Ben Atkinson Nicholas and Alixandra Avery Sue Bennett Gill and Steven Bond Stephen Bond and Sarah Russell Matthew and Emily Clayton John Cooper and Emma Bovill Ian Culverhouse Sally Dimmer Wallace and Morag Dobbin Peter and Sue Elliott Mark and Olpha Gibbon Louise Hewett D.L. Mike and Judie Hill Peter Horton Elizabeth Jacobs Bernard and Julie Kent Nathan and Jenny McLoughlin Sir Michael and Lady McWilliam Kim Moore Louise Morgan John and Judith Murray Kathy and Paul Mottershead Adrian and Cassandra Phillips Martin and Susan Pickard Brenda Salters and Harold Longmate Candy Shaw and William Barff Mat and Patsy Shilling Esther and Peter Smedvig Helen and Rowan Thomas Lindsey Troughton Tony and Victoria Wood
Silver Patrons We would also like to thank all our anonymous Patrons and Silver Patrons who are listed on the website: cheltenhamfestivals.org/ our-patrons
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Listeners
Scientists
Speakers Analysts
Volunteers
Changemakers Supporters Members
Partners
It Takes a Village
Hosts
to create our Festival Thank you all for making it possible
Inventors Audiences
Creators Innovators
...YOU! 60
Educators
Patrons Contractors
Special thanks Presented by Cheltenham Festivals Ltd, a Charity and company limited by guarantee and a member of the British Arts & Science Festival Association (artsfestivals.co.uk). Cheltenham Festivals is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner supported by PPL.
Cheltenham Festivals Board of Trustees Mark Philip-Sorensen (Chair), Kiane Atanga, Lucy Carlton-Walker, Janey Dillon, Adrian Farnell, Beverley Grimster, Simeon Quarrie, Fiona Richards, Lauren Stone, Deborah Thacker, Jonathan White, Andrew Williams
Marketing and Box Office
Operations and Production
Jade Beard, Phil Brook, Hannah Franklin, Hannah McNally, Grace Pascoe,Ashleigh Poole, Madelaine Richards, Beth Skuse, Grace Walsh, Liz Wheatley
James Clay, Bobby Crowhurst, Emily Davis, Adrian Hensley, Melissa King, Sophia McCrea, Vicki Picken, Tarren Production, Niamh Roderick, Rachel Wollaston
Development
@ 2026 Cheltenham Festivals, Liz Wheatley Map illustrations by Cathy Haworth
Co-CEOs
Katherine Cox, Fi Cruikshanks, Alice Gilder, Sally Gillespie, Becky Harte, Holly Haynes, Abbie James, Fiona Magowan, Holly Parsons, Katie Storrie, Connor Teague, Eleri Thomas
Ali Mawle Ian George
Learning and Participation
Head of Programming
Philippa Claridge, Sarah Cooksley, Emma Gardner, Khazana McLaughlin, Rose Wood
Company Secretary Matthew Clayton
Marieke Navin
Programming Strategic Lead Emma Whittle
Finance
Programme Manager
Ben Bates, Russ Poole
Olivia Chapman Ellie Petrie
People Matters
Programme Manager and Data Insight Analyst Matthew Allen
Nikki Massey
Programme Artwork
Festival Images Still Moving Media
Print Production
Prontaprint With many thanks to the staff and volunteers who provide invaluable support and help make the Festival a success.
Contact If you have any specific comments about the Festival, please email boxoffice@ cheltenhamfestivals.org Company No. 456573 Charity No. 251765 VAT Registration No. 100114013
Senior Management Team Julia Caskey
Images: Still Moving Media
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Images: Still Moving Media
Love Cheltenham Science Festival? Discover more fantastic events, museums, experiences, and attractions. + win tickets for great events and days out! Visit: www.visitorplus.co.uk and follow @visitorplusuk
Visitor+ is very proud to sponsor Cheltenham Science Festival 2026
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Your Visit and Access Entrance to the Festival Village is free; buy tickets for the individual events you wish to see.
We ask that you don’t bring glass onto site
Getting to the Festival
Family Events
Sensory Aids
Cheltenham is easily accessible from all over the UK, by road and rail. Most events take place on the main Festival site, located in central Cheltenham on Imperial Gardens (GL50 1UW).
For safety, children 11 years and under must be accompanied by an adult aged 16 or over. Everyone over the age of 12 months requires a ticket, babies in arms (12 months and under) do not require a ticket unless stated.
Look out for our sensory aids at the Festival, a series of items to support the Festival experience for children and adults with autism and sensory disorders.
Other venues are within walking distance. For more information on getting to the Festival or accessibility, visit cheltenhamfestivals. org/booking
Access Requirements Please book using our online form at cheltenhamfestivals.org/ access or call the Box Office phone line from 14 April.
Relaxed Sessions From 10–11am on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June, Discover Zone, MakerShack and The Arcade will be open as Relaxed Sessions designed to provide a more accommodating and welcoming environment for people of all ages who might find it otherwise overwhelming.
Please Note We want everyone to enjoy the Festival and make memories so while photography and filming on your phone is allowed, professional photography and audio recording is not allowed. Visitors to the Festival may be filmed and/or photographed for future promotions.
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Plan Your Perfect Festival With the Cheltenham Festivals App Available on Android and iOS, it’s the easiest way to plan your Festival visit.
Scan the QR code to download it now.
Developed with thanks to
How to book To get the best out of the Festival we recommend you book in advance, however there will be availability for some events at the Box Office on site. You can purchase tickets in person at our Festival Box Office. Opening hours will be listed at cheltenhamfestivals.org/ booking
Booking fees Booking fees apply to all bookings and are charged per order. Fees are £4 online and over the phone, with no fees for in person bookings. Members are exempt from paying a booking fee.
Access Ticket Bookings Pre-submit an access booking form via cheltenhamfestivals. org/access from Tuesday 31 March. Bookings will be processed in order of receiving them from Monday 13 April.
Gift Vouchers Cheltenham Festivals Gift Vouchers may be purchased at our Box Office online and may be redeemed against ticket or Membership purchases. Find out more at cheltenhamfestivals.org/ support-us/gift-vouchersand-donations
Refunds
Booking Dates
Tickets cannot be refunded, except in the case of a cancelled event.
(all booking opens at 10am)
Tickets can be exchanged subject to a £3 fee (excluding Patrons and Member+) and availability. Please note, if there is a difference in price, ticket holders will not be refunded the difference and will have to pay any additional cost price. Sometimes alterations to the advertised details of an event or performance are made at short notice. If this happens there is no obligation to refund your money or exchange your seats. For full ticketing terms and conditions please visit cheltenhamfestivals.org/ terms-and-conditions
Online cheltenhamfestivals.org/ whats-on/science
Life Patrons
Thursday 2 April
Director’s Circle Patron
Tuesday 7 April
Gold Patrons
Friday 10 April
Silver Patrons
Monday 13 April
Members’ Priority Wednesday booking 15 April 18-30 Members
Tuesday 21 April
Public booking
Wednesday 22 April
Get closer with Patronage To find out more please email patrons@cheltenhamfestivals.org or visit cheltenhamfestivals.org/patrons
Become a member To find out more and join today at cheltenhamfestivals.org/ membership
By Telephone 01242 850270 For queries email boxoffice@cheltenham festivals.org
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FESTIVAL MAP
Festival Village Town Hall
for Main Stage, Pillar Room and Box Office
Imperial Gardens, Cheltenham, GL50 1QA The Artery Tunnel
Site open from 3pm on Tuesday 2 June
Imperial Garden Bar
Free entry
Waterstones Bookshop
Borneo Orangutan Survival UK Jetstream Picnic Tent Fauna & Flora
MakerShack
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Tuesday 2 June 10am–3pm Schools 3–6pm Families Wednesday 3 June 10am–3pm Schools Thursday 4 June 10am–3pm Schools
Helix
Friday 5 June 10am–3pm Schools 3–6pm Closed 6–9pm Festival After Hours, 18+ only
Saturday 6 June 10–11am Relaxed Session 11am–5pm Open to everyone
FESTIVAL MAP
Free Interactive Zones Sunday 7 June 10–11am Relaxed Session 11am–5pm Open to everyone
Calm Space
Kitchen Garden
GE Aerospace Flight Deck Discover Zone
The Arcade
Toilets
Accessible Toilet
Info Point Meet here for off-site walks
Drinking Water Point 67