Get involved

Thank you for your interest in taking part in the Great Exhibition Road Festival in 2026. Applications are now closed but please get in touch with the Festival team at festival@imperial.ac.uk if you have any questions.

"I am more comfortable with speaking to the public about the research we carry out and have become quite good at explaining it in simple terms. It also helped me re-discover how much I like science!” - Imperial researcher

“We liked learning things we never knew, especially in the Adults Only Zone, you get to do interactive stuff not aimed at kids." - Adult group

"The presenters were just brilliant - enthusiastic, knowledgeable, friendly, and made every one of every age very welcome." - Festival attendee

Festival evaluation

Every year we evaluate the Festival, gathering feedback from visitors, contributors and volunteers to continuously improve the experience of everyone involved and maximize our positive impact on audiences.  

In 2025, feedback on the visitor experience was hugely positive:  

• 96% visitors reported the Festival felt welcoming
• 94% rated their overall Festival experience as excellent  
• 87% rated their interactions with Festival exhibitors, workshop leads and/or speakers as excellent  
• 88% said the Festival felt like something special to them
• 78% reported having the chance to get hands-on with science  

Contributors were extremely positive about their experience too:  

• They highly valued the opportunity the Festival offered to take their work beyond the usual academic and or corporate audiences.
• They found it enjoyable (but also busy).  
• They felt supported before and during the festival
• They are inspired by the visitors’ enthusiasm and interest levels.

Find out more about the visitor experience, visitor profile, as well as the contributors and volunteers experience in the 2025 Festival Full Report (pdf). Please contact us at festival@imperial.ac.uk if you require the report in an alternative format.  

Volunteer at the Great Exhibition Road Festival

Gain experience, develop skills, build confidence, meet new people and have fun by volunteering at the Great Exhibition Road Festival! 

As a volunteer, you will help with the smooth running of the event, from being on hand to answer visitor queries, to supporting stall holders and our exhibitors in their activities. Full training is provided and it is an invaluable opportunity to make new connections and truly be part of something great.

Volunteering sign-up for the 2025 Festival is now closed. Please check back in Spring 2026.

Learn more about volunteering > 

If you have any questions about volunteering at the Festival, you can email the team at pep.volunteering@imperial.ac.uk.