Countdown commences for the 2026 Great Exhibition Road Festival

Registration for South Kensington’s annual celebration of arts and science has opened today!

The Great Exhibition Road Festival returns to South Kensington on 6-7 June 2026, led by Imperial College London in collaboration with iconic institutions like the Science Museum, Natural History Museum, the Royal Parks, and the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. The Public and Community Engagement team are preparing to welcome over 50,000 visitors for hundreds of talks, workshops, interactive exhibits, and hands-on demonstrations, delivered by more than 100 Imperial College London research teams and nearly 1,000 academic staff members and PhD students. 

As always, there’s going to be something for everyone to enjoy, including an exciting programme of music and dance performances, as well as delicious street food from all over the world! Everything at the Great Exhibition Road Festival is free, but don’t forget to register for the latest updates and to be the first hear when free tickets are released for the top events.

Click here to view the Festival homepage, where you can register and view the initial programme of events.

175 years of art and science in South Kensington 

This year marks 175 years since the Great Exhibition of 1851, the proceeds from which went towards putting South Kensington on the map as a cultural district. 

Among the programmes marking the anniversary of 1851 is a massive sandcastle recreation of Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace, which will emerge from 7 tonnes of sand across the weekend. Visitors will get the chance to step inside the Great Exhibition of 1851 in Virtual Reality to view original exhibits in their exact locations. And for when stomachs start growling, you can head over to Future Food Live to see an archivist paired with an experimental chef to recreate and discuss the dishes of 1851.  

This year's Festival also includes events and talks that explore the complex history of the 1851 event, including its links to the British Empire and portrayal of world cultures. The Festival’s new team of Young Producers will create a thought-provoking new art installation inspired by the hidden histories of 1851, while historians Onyeka Nubia and Jennifer Wallis will look at the enduring legacy the Great Exhibition. Active learners can get their steps in on a new walking tour which will explore how people from different parts of Victorian society would have experienced the event. 

If you want to find out more, please click here to read our brief history of the Great Exhibition. 

Future-facing fun

While there will be plenty of history, this year’s Festival programme is very much looking forwards to the future! 

Imperial’s Professor Faith Osier will discuss the plant-powered vaccines of tomorrow, and how this emerging approach could form part of a green medical revolution that could save lives across Africa. Uncover further areas where Imperial is breaking ground in the future of wellbeing too, from studying the skills of seizure detection dogs to help humans level-up in epilepsy diagnoses to combating antimicrobial resistance. Then combine learning with mindful crafting as you work with a zine artist to create your own small, illustrated story capturing your reflections and ideas on Sickle Cell disease. 

Or join us commemorate 50 years since the first lander touched down on Mars, and learn about the breakthroughs that are on the horizon for the next century of Martian exploration in Dr Joel Davis’ fascinating talk. 

A delightful day out

The Festival has always been a place where art and science collide, and this year is no exception. The giant puppet street parade from India’s Serendipity Arts Festival will be unmissable, bringing a vibrant splash of colour to Exhibition Road. Keep your eyes peeled for a carnival butterfly fluttering about the Festival too, then try your hand at making your own wings at our workshop from Silwood Park, celebrating the pretty pollinators. 

Visitors with a sweet tooth will be able to learn how to bake brownies while finding out about the surprising similarities between the chocolatey dessert and Martian geology, then can take that sugar rush to the Underground Disco to do the worm and explore the secret worlds pulsing beneath our feet. 

The ever-popular Paint Lab returns, with ten artists producing live-painted murals over the Festival weekend, each depicting a different example of Imperial research, from making water cleaner and safer for wild swimmers to space rockets inspired by origami. 

Something for every age

While there’s something exciting to do or see at every turn around the Festival, the content is predominantly split into themed zones. Some zones explore specific themes and topics, while others aim their programme at specific audiences, making sure visitors of all ages have exciting spaces made with them in mind. 

The Family Fun Zone breaks new ground this year, as for the first time the Festival moves into Kensington Gardens. Younger visitors can expect an explosive family show, to get stuck into the ultimate paper airplane competition, or even make penguin masks with Antarctica researchers. 

Looking for a more mature vibe? Head over to the Adults Only Zone where you can get hands-on in a craft workshop, then watch Bollywood and Astrophysics collide in an interactive dance class, or cool off with a drink from the bar and kick back to watch the Science Cabaret. 

And we’ve not forgotten those in the middle. Visitors ages 13-25 are welcome in the NextGen Zone, curated by young people, for young people. There’ll be robo-football, tech demos and the chance to redesign the Great Exhibition with a modern flair. 

Sound good? Click here to view the Festival homepage, where you can register and view the initial programme of events.

Want to do more than just visit?

The Festival wouldn’t be possible without our amazing volunteers! Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, learn about the incredible research happening across Imperial and have an interesting day out. 96% of last year’s volunteers said they would recommend volunteering at the Great Exhibition Road Festival to a friend. 

Click here to visit our volunteering information page, and download our guide  to find out if it’s for you. Interested? Sign up by Friday 15 May (the earlier you sign up for shifts, the more say you’ll have in which zone you’re placed in or the type of activity you’ll support). 

To keep up to date with Public Engagement activities, training opportunities and other opportunities to engage wider audiences with Imperial’s work, click here to sign up to the Societal Engagement newsletter.