Imperial Festival returns this April

Imperial Festival returns with free weekend of science, creativity and art for all ages
Saturday 28th – Sunday 29th April 2018

Imperial Festival returns with a free weekend of discovery for all ages, including a showcase of technological marvels to celebrate of the Year of Engineering, a new hands on zone for families, and talks from world-leading thinkers and doers.

The annual Festival returns for its seventh year on 28th-29th April at the College’s South Kensington Campus. The public are the chance to go behind-the-scenes and explore the latest research and innovations from Imperial College London through interactive demonstrations, workshops and live experiments.

Creativity and culture will also be at the forefront with vibrant live musical and dance performances, a theatrical performance and exhibition exploring the boundaries between medicine and the arts, plus delicious treats from some of London’s best street food vendors.

More than 150 exhibits will be on show at the Festival, grouped into themed areas including new zones:

• The Hands On Zone: An interactive space for all young people, from toddlers to 12-year-olds. It includes Breathing Together – a project investigating childhood asthma created by Okido Studio (the people behind the popular CBeebies TV programme Messy Goes to OKIDO) and researchers from Imperial and other UK research institutions.
• Spotlight talks: A dedicated space featuring a packed programme of talks by luminaries in the fields of science, technology, health and business – including volcano researcher Dr Christopher Jackson who will share exclusive footage of his expedition to Mount Nyiragongo as part of the BBC 2 documentary, Expedition Volcano. Writer and Call the Midwife star Stephen McCann will also be on campus for a Q&A about his new book Flesh and Blood: A History of My Family in Seven Sicknesses.
• Enginuity: Novel solutions designed by Imperial engineers will be on show in a special zone celebrating the international Year of Engineering. The showcase will feature eco-marathon racing cars, fire tornados, body controlled computer games, and a baby buggy with hazard response.

The Festival will feature more than nine zones in total – such as Superbugs, Robot and Exploring Worlds – with a host of exciting exhibits such as:

• The Science of Drumming: Visitors can test the speed of their drumming and compete with professional scores.
•  Robots on show: Play air hockey with a robotic arm, get in stride with the first walking robot built at the College, and get up close with a super sensitive robotic whisker.
•  Brain power: Play classic video games and compose beautiful music, all with your brain waves
•  London life: Learn what impact London is having on our health, try out special air pollution sensors, and find out how you could make your daily commutes a little bit healthier

The Festival has something for all ages to enjoy, from new technology demonstrations, in-depth talks, lab tours, creative workshops and a packed programme of live music and dance.

The Imperial Festival is a wonderful celebration of the world-leading research going on at the College. But more than that, it also showcases the vibrancy and creative talents of our community. Last year, around 20,000 visitors came to learn about the world around them through our hands-on research exhibits, as well as to take in the sights, sounds and tastes on display. 

Imperial Festival is free and open to the public. To attend click here. 

The Festival runs 12-6pm on Saturday 28th and 12-5pm on Sunday 29th April. The free public festival will be held on Imperial’s South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2AZ.