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Science in the City: Festival Programme

The 15th edition of Science in the City is back! We have sharks, robots, VR, trees, sensory sessions, dance, rowing, racing cars, games, experiments in Valletta and other venues this September. This year's festival promises an unforgettable celebration of arts and science under the theme "Research, Resist, Reimagine."

• Research asks us to better understand the challenges shaping Malta today; from our environment and public health, to technology and culture. 

• Resist encourages us to question outdated assumptions and recognise that positive change starts with informed, critical thinking. 

• Reimagine invites us to explore new ideas and work together to build a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient future for Malta.

This year marks a new chapter for the festival: for the first time, the Street Festival (18:00-23:00, Triton Fountain, 25–26 September) and Performance Festival (Sala San Duminku and other venues, 6–7 November) are running on two separate dates.

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This is a large, free, fun and educational public event, and the more people who know, the better. The more you share the more diverse the audiences we attract.

The printable Festival Flyers can be found .

Free Tickets can also be booked .

 

Pre-Festival Events: 31 August – 25 September

This year’s pre-festival line up shows how science and arts can come together to question everyday assumptions, tackle pressing societal challenges, and inspire a more sustainable future ahead.

• Beyond Eczema: Empowering Better Living: An educational workshop supported by La Roche-Posay, with a session for young children and their families and a separate session for adults, delivered by ProHealth Malta.

  • 13 September, 10:00 (5+) 11:15 (adults), Valletta Design Cluster.
    

• Turn Off the Lights, Turn On the Sky: A two-hour evening combining an interactive talk from Professor Joseph Caruana, a talk and activity from BirdLife Malta, and artwork by Pep Walls exploring how light pollution affects the night sky and local wildlife.

  • 14 September, 17:00-19:00, Valletta Design Cluster. Ages: adults.
    

• Exploring the X Chromosome: DNA and Forensic Genetics: A hands-on look at brain science and forensics, delivered by the Borg Research Group, University of Malta.

  • 10 September, 19:00-22:00, Valletta Design Cluster. Ages 10
    

• From Photosynthesis to Power Grids: Harnessing the Energy of Plants: A lecture and hands-on activity exploring how plants can help power the future, delivered by the Malta Festival of Ideas with Argotti Gardens.

  • 23 September, 18:00-20:00, Argotti Garden Hall, ages: adults

Don’t miss out and reserve your free tickets. Visit the Science in the City social media platforms, our for more information, then book your place through .

 

APS Community Hub:  3 – 14 September

An accessible pre-festival programme designed for neurodivergent children and their families, in partnership with APS Bank, TAASC, Wonderkids and Panassea Therapy clinics. Science and the arts should be for everyone and this programme aims to create a calm, sensory-friendly space where every child can take part in their own way, at their own pace.

• Multisensory and Interactive Storytelling: A warm, inclusive storytelling session every child can join through sight, sound, touch and movement, delivered by TAASC therapeutic clinic.

  • 3 September, 11:00–11:45. Ages 5+

• Little Explorers & Team Science Challenge: Hands-on science play for families: sensory discovery for babies and toddlers, then team-based building challenges for older children, delivered by Panassea Therapy Clinic.

  • 5 September, 11:00-12:00, and 11 September, 16:30-17:30 (ages 6 months–2 years, older siblings welcome) 

• Sensory Yogis:  A gentle, sensory-friendly yoga session where pre-teens move, stretch and unwind while exploring how movement helps body and mind, delivered by Wonderkids Therapy Clinic.

  • 8 September, 10:30–11:00 & 11:30–12:00. Ages 9–12.

• Beyond the Five Senses: Put Your Perception to the Test: Think you only have five senses? Think again. Led by occupational therapist Martina Cassar from TAASC, this playful session uncovers the hidden senses your body uses every day

  • 9 September, 18:00-18:45. Ages 8+.

• The Science of Calm:  A friendly, science-led talk on the nervous system: why overload happens, why calm helps, and practical tools to feel regulated, delivered by TAASC therapy clinic.

  • 10 September, 11:00–11:45. Ages 10+

• Dance & Leisure: An inclusive, feel-good workshop where children explore dance as a fun leisure activity. No experience needed, all abilities welcome, delivered by Wonderkids Therapy Clinic.

  • 14 September, 11:00–11:30. Ages 10+

Sign up on .

 

Pre-Festival Audience Survey: Help Us Improve!

We’d love to hear from you! Your feedback helps us understand who participates in Science in the City, what you enjoyed, and where we can improve. By taking a few minutes to complete , you’re helping us shape future editions of the festival and make them even more engaging and enjoyable for everyone. Thank you for being part of Science in the City and for sharing your thoughts with us!

 

Street Festival: 25–26 September, 18:00-23:00, Triton Fountain

The Triton Fountain and Biskuttin area transforms into a vibrant space for discovery and exchange, with more than 90 stands, experiments, games and installations. From university research projects to environmental NGOs to major government initiatives, come and discover the fascinating research in Malta and see how it plays out on both a local and global scale.

• Dr Ariel Thomas presents ‘The Secret Freshwater Under the Waves’ — exploring whether hidden freshwater resources beneath the seafloor could offer new possibilities for water security, in partnership with The OFF-SOURCE COST Action group. 

• The University of Malta's Faculty of ICT invites visitors to experiment with AI, VR and AR, robotics, coding and logic games.

• Turn Off the Lights. Turn On the Sky — artist Pep Walls and Prof. Joseph Caruana build a darkroom in Triton with an illuminated map of Malta, showing how artificial light affects our view of the night sky, our mental health, and the animals around us. 

• JAMRAI-2 — JAMRAI invites you on a journey to discover how everyday choices help protect one of medicine's most powerful tools. Scan your hands, challenge a myth, take on a small challenge, and explore art that makes you think, then leave with practical steps that genuinely make a difference in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.

• ½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ Racing + Playmobil — Meet , Malta's only Formula Student team, a student-run group of around 30 members who design, fund and build their own Formula-style race cars, competing internationally with their second all-electric car having raced just this July. Find out what goes into building the perfect race car, then let the little ones build and race their own Playmobil cars right next door 

• Battery recycling for hospice — Working with GreenPak's Batteries for Hospice campaign, drop off your used batteries and turn them into a donation for Hospice Malta; every battery collected helps support the highest standards of palliative care across Malta and Gozo.

 

Performance Festival:  6 – 7 November, Sala San Duminku and other venues

Details coming soon, so watch this space! The full line-up, schedule and Eventbrite ticket link will be released soon, but here's a taste of what's in store:

• One of the original developers behind Shazam, Charlie Hooper-Williams, now an award-winning concert pianist, blending live piano with generative visuals in a performance that responds to every note.

• L-Eredi tas-Silenzji by Rowena Zammit, a new play exploring the expectations, pressures and silences that shape everyday life.

• Peer-Reviewed Punchline; real research turned into stand-up comedy, because if we can't laugh at science, what can we laugh at?

• UniverSilly Challenged, created by Jonny Berliner and Simon Watt, is an interactive science pub quiz that combines comedy, live music, and hands-on challenges. Participants will discover surprising scientific facts, put their new knowledge to the test, and enjoy a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud experience.

Tickets will be available .

Whether you're interested in history, technology, art or nature, there's something for everyone at this year's festival.

Visit for the full programme and to plan your visit. Don't miss out!

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The Science in the City consortium is led by the University of Malta and the Malta Chamber of Scientists, in partnership with Institute for Methods Innovation, Arts Council Malta, Research Innovation and Development Trust, Xjenza Malta, Esplora, JAMRAI Project, Ministry of Education and Sport, Malta Enterprise, Malta Digital Innovation Authority, APS Bank, Piscopo Gardens, Transport Malta, Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, Servizzi Ewropej f'Malta, Digital Traffic Brain, ProHealth, Project Green, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry for Health, Embassy of Spain, European Institute for Emerging Technologies, Ministry for Justice, Research and Innovation, Ministry for Arts, Culture and National Heritage, Embassy Hotel Valletta, Storm Design, Heritage Malta, Public Broadcasting Services Limited, Ministry for Social Policy and Children's Rights, Sala San Duminku, GreenPak, Tech.mt.