51³Ô¹ÏÍø

The next edition of the Great Exhibition Road Festival finally returns to South Kensington next weekend!

The annual is back on 7-8 June, led by 51³Ô¹ÏÍø in collaboration with neighbouring cultural and educational institutions on and around Exhibition Road—including the Natural History Museum, V&A and Science Museum.  

Planning on coming along with a family, or visiting as a group of adults? The Festival team have put together a series of itineraries featuring events for different age groups to help visitors get the most out of the weekend: , Family Favourites, . 

51³Ô¹ÏÍø science takes centre stage 

World-leading research from our 51³Ô¹ÏÍø community will be on display at hundreds of interactive exhibitions, sparking conversations with the public and sharing innovations across Medicine, Engineering, Earth Sciences, Quantum Physics and more!  

Scientists and engineers from will be in the , highlighting technological advancements helping people move again after injury. Festival goers will be able to watch prosthetics being 3D printed before their eyes and try walking on a special prosthetic leg.  

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Ophthalmology Research Group will help engage visitors in what it’s like to and learn about their research focused on prevention and protecting sight. Or learn how scientists from the Centre for Synthetic Biology can potentially revolutionize the fashion industry as they showcase how for textiles and offer biodegradable fibres and dyes.   

Immersive Experiences 

Enter , an immersive experience that transports you into a 1970s West Indian Living Room to find out the secrets of genetics! Fish for hormones in the bathroom, make your very own marvellous medicine in the kitchen, before heading to the sunny yard to play a Vitamin D Sunshuffle game and learn more about sunscreen protection. 

Explore in an audio-visual experience developed by Studio Above&Below with Quantum scientists at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, where visitors will experience the concept of Quantum Superposition through digital art and reflect on how we can shape reality itself.  

Take part in a cutting-edge augmented reality experience with the Dyson School of Design Engineering’s exploring how sound interacts with the physical world. Visitors will be feeding into live research at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, helping designers understand how we perceive spatial audio and influencing the future of immersive environments.  

Inspiring talks 

Settle down and watch inspiring talks and panel discussions at one of the festivals talk series: and .  

Hosted in the V&A’s beautiful Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre, the Art of Science series explores people and projects linking science and art:  

• – Join the curator of the V&A's new ‘Design and Disability’ exhibition to explore how disabled people are hacking, redesigning and subverting design. 
• – Experience a performance and discussion of Harold Offeh’s unique work with psychiatric wards, aiming to bring colour, culture and art to these clinical surroundings 
• – Join our Biology Ballerina for an exploration of the natural world and humanity's impact through pliés and pirouettes.  

Back on the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø campus, in the Sir Alexander Fleming Building, the Spotlight Talks will cover a range of fascinating topics, from the spectrum of sexuality found across species to robotics and space engineering: 

• – What is driving the demand for more human-like machines, and what roles might they play in our future society?  
• – Join Britain’s first astronaut, Dr Helen Sharman, and an expert panel discussing the engineering marvels that could power humanity to new worlds. 
• – How gay is nature? Join the author of 'A Little Gay Natural History' to explore the diversity of sexual behaviour in the natural world, which science has tried to cover up or ignore! 

Plan your weekend  

Thinking of attending the Great Exhibition Road Festival? Most activities are drop-in and run all day, but some are at specific times—read through the timed events schedule for and to ensure you don’t miss out! You can also book in advance for some of the most popular events and workshops

Remember to to stay up to date with the latest Festival updates!