The Science Festival has been a sure sign of spring for many years. 2025 is no exception. Between April 1–6, this year's festival will take place all over Gothenburg.
The festival's main venues
During this year's festival, the main venues will be Nordstan, the City Library and the Contrast restaurant. In addition, the festival will be seen at universities, cafes and many other places throughout Gothenburg.
The producer at the Science Festival tells more about this year's program
Before the program release, the communications unit contacted Kennet Sundberg, who is the producer at the festival, to find out more about this year's program.
What can visitors expect from this year's festival?
We really have a broad mix of different topics and activities this year. The City Library is our main venue for lectures and panel discussions, but a Literary Laboratory also takes place in the exhibition hall.
In Nordstan, we have an event arena in the middle of the square with workshops and shorter stage conversations over six days.
A completely new place for us is the Contrast pub on the third long street, where we have bar-friendly activities such as stand-up, short film screenings, talks and quizzes every evening and all weekend.
For families, I would like to recommend the free port during the weekend where our experimental workshop is open, the research vessel R/S Skagerak has guided tours and several workshops in and around the transition lab and the marine allotments. In addition, all the museums and labs at the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers offer unique tours and guided tours.
This year's theme at the festival is Futures. Can you tell us how the theme permeates the program?
Research is always forward-looking in a way, but with this year's theme, participants have really had a chance to envision and talk long-term about both the challenges and opportunities we face. We can also look back and look at the futures we never had. The program is interdisciplinary and all subjects have their own way of approaching the future, regardless of whether it happens next month or the next century.
The festival has been around for 29 years and has become a bit of an institution in Gothenburg. What makes the festival so successful?
No matter what you are interested in, someone has always been researching the subject. At the science festival, you can get nerdy about your particular special interest but also learn something completely new about something you didn't realize how interesting it was. And whether it's a panel discussion with international researchers, a coffee with researchers at a café, a performance at a theatre or shared reading at the city library, it's all free. Having fun with friends, gaining new insights and being able to ask your own questions to researchers is a mix that appeals to many.
Several program items in english
The majority of the festival's program is in Swedish, but as a visitor you will find about 30 program items that are in English.
Take a look at the university's program highlights at the festival
