Colliderfest

Organised by the University of Hull, in partnership with Hull Museums and The Deep, and supported by Hull City Council, ColliderFest is a four-day STEAM festival celebrating science and art.

The festival will once again transform Hull’s city centre into a playground of ideas, innovation, and imagination, with an exciting programme of events also taking place on the University of Hull campus.

The first two days, Thursday 12 and Friday 13 March, will focus on school-based activities, while the weekend of Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 March will open to families and budding scientists, offering a packed programme of talks, performances, installations, and hands-on experiences for all ages.

This year the themes of Innovation and Community, will be explored at the University of Hull and in venues across the city including Museums Quarter, Princes Quay and The Deep. While most of the events will be free to attend with no booking required, there will be some ticketed shows and experiences.

FREE weekend workshops and activities

Various times and locations, Sat 14 & Sun 15 March

Colliderfest invites families and young people to enjoy interactive exhibits, creative challenges, and live performances around Hull. Use dominoes to explore the hidden logic behind computing at St Matthews Church, explore the world of bioluminescence at The Deep, become a biomedical detective at Princes Quay or get hands-on at the Art Lab - where art, science, and technology collide. There are lots more events - explore the programme and plan your weekend of discovery!

Ticketed shows include:

An Audience with Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock The Four Big Questions in Space and Astronomy

Friday 13 March, 6.30pm, Hull City Hall | £8 Saturday 14 March, 7.30pm, Middleton Hall | £8

From black holes to the search for life beyond our solar system, Maggie brings big cosmic questions to life in her trademark engaging style.

An Audience with Sir Christopher Dean - Preparation and Focus in Sport

Saturday 14 March, 1pm, Middleton Hall | £8

British ice dancing legend Sir Christopher Dean shares insights from an extraordinary sporting career, exploring the discipline, preparation and mindset behind elite performance.

Murder Maps: Crime, Science and the Medieval City

13 March, 7pm, Middleton Hall, Free

Discover the dark side of the medieval city as historians combine archival research, data science and digital mapping to uncover patterns of violence - offering a fascinating lens on how societies past and present make sense of crime. Friday

An Evening with Grant Hardie

12 March, 7pm, Middleton Hall, Free

Hear the story of Grant Hardie, engineer and elite curler, as he takes you inside the world of Olympic competition. Discover how he uses his engineering skills to dissect every shot, aiming for maximum precision while leading his team toward gold.

The weekend’s activities will also include brand new event ‘Our City’, which brings together a whole host of community groups and organisations, coordinated by Back to Ours. It will include two parades across the day and night through the city centre, culminating in Queen Victoria Square.