Pleasance unveiled as 'new hub' for Edinburgh Science Festival

The Pleasance courtyard is set to become the ‘new hub’ for the 31st annual Edinburgh Science Festival, which takes place in April.

The Edinburgh University-owned venue will become the centre for activities for the annual festival, whose central theme in 2019 will be based around Frontiers – a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing.

The venue will host the popular Experimentarium, outdoor exhibition Moments in Time, alongside a variety of science shows, hands-on events, debates, discussions and workshops from April 6 to 21.

Amanda Tyndall, Edinburgh Science Festival’s Creative Director said: “With new venues and partners and a programme packed full of events and ideas our Frontierstheme sees us explore the research horizons of everything from the depths of the oceans to the furthest reaches of space and the intricate pathways of the human brain. We celebrate the spirit of adventure and enquiry that drives science and the ideas and individuals that are expanding the Frontiers of our collective knowledge and have aplenty of fun on our journey.”

The Science Festival programme sets out to explore various Frontiers: Planetary, Digital, Healthcare, Engineering, Environmental, Social and Food, inviting world-class scientists, academics and authors to discuss everything from overpopulation and space exploration to medical cannabis and Donald Trump’s Twitter feed.

The programme includes 270 family and adult events at 31 venues across the city, including National Museum of Scotland’s Grand Gallery, Summerhall, City Art Centre, Royal Botanic Garden, Dynamic Earth, Surgeons Hall and The Geddes Patrick Centre.

Edinburgh Science Festival is supported by Principal Funding Partners: The City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Government, Edina Trust and Baillie Gifford.

Professor Jane Norman, Vice Principal People and Culture at the University of Edinburgh, said: “The University of Edinburgh is delighted to be playing a key role in the Edinburgh Science Festival, which again promises a wealth of fascinating activities and events for all.”

For the full programme visit here.