Lancashire Science Festival returning to Preston with free tickets on offer from next week

Matthew Tosh delivers a show on the Science of Fireworks at a previous Lancashire Science Festival

The award-winning Lancashire Science Festival is returning next month with free tickets on offer from this Tuesday.

The University of Central Lancashire’s one-day extravaganza, which is one of the biggest free events in the county, showcases fun and real-world applications of science, technology, engineering and maths.

This year’s festival takes place on Saturday 17 May on the University’s Preston Campus. It will see new shows, workshops, exhibits and hands-on activities on offer including:

Meet the Dinosaurs: Tyrone, Terry and Donna – meet life-like puppet friends who will communicate in their own pteranodon language
Chemistry Unleashed: Explosions, Reactions, and the Science Behind it All – go on a journey into the heart of chemistry
Look Up – explore some of the science behind space exploration
Music to Your Ears – uncover the mysteries of what sound is, how you hear it, and how you turn it into music
Emergency Heroes – step inside a fire engine, ambulance and police car
Ghosts in the Machines – explore how ghost hunters use technology to find spooks, and how that tech really works
Bugfest youngsters can meet and make friends with amazing minibeasts from all around the world

Now in its eleventh year, the festival’s returning popular attractions include:

This is Amazing Chemistry – a range of demonstrations using fire, chemical clocks and whoosh bottles
Bubble Science Show – a unique and interactive show that creates bubbles of all shapes and sizes
Teddy Bear’s Clinic – assess some poorly teddy bears and bandage their injuries

A host of hands-on fun-filled activities will also take place across show floors in the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre and Foster Building.

A small number of paid for workshops will be available. These cost £1.50 per person with all proceeds going to the University’s Harris Bursary Fund. There’s an array of sessions aimed at primary and secondary high school age children including:

Potted Prehistory – a make your own Neolithic bowl session with help from experienced potters and archaeologists
Organ-ised Chaos – exploring the human body
Filming in Impossible Locations – a hands-on session about how film visual effects are made

The public day will immediately follow on from two school-specific days, which will see around 6,000 children from across the North West enjoy a fun-packed day of STEM activities.

Dr Liz Granger, Lancashire Science Festival Director, said: “I’m thrilled our inspiring and award-winning festival is returning in 2025 and I know thousands of children and families will enjoy the programme we’ve curated.

“Free educational and fun events in the region are a great help during finically tough times so I’m delighted we’re able to offer something for everyone, with popular favourites returning alongside some really exciting new shows and workshops.

“Our school days have proved as popular as ever with most packages snapped up within a couple of hours so we can’t wait to welcome and inspire thousands of visitors across the three days.”

Free tickets will be available on Eventbrite from 10am on Tuesday 15 April.

Subscribe: Keep in touch directly with the latest headlines from Blog Preston, join our WhatsApp channel and subscribe for our twice-a-week email newsletter. Both free and direct to your phone and inbox.

Read more: See more of what’s on in Preston