Science in the City - Powered by the People!

As anticipation builds for this year’s Science in the City Festival, a series of pre-festival events promises an inspiring celebration of science, creativity, history, and innovation.

These events are being held between 30 August and 25 September, and they showcase the powerful role community has in shaping and enriching the festival.

“Our pre-festival programme is more than just a warm-up, it’s a lab for community-driven innovation,” said Karen Fiorini, Festival Manager. “These events allow communities to get involved, share their perspectives, and co-create a festival that reflects Malta’s diverse voices.”

Before the main festival returns to the streets of Valletta around the Triton Fountain and Sala San Duminku, on 26 and 27 September 2025, the pre-festival line-up is designed to challenge, entertain, provoke thought and offer communities a chance to explore pressing scientific questions, emerging technologies, and overlooked histories—through the arts, dialogue, and hands-on experiences.

This year’s pre-festival programme invites everyone to a number of beautiful venues all over the island.

The first event Using Science to Unravel the Past (7+, Fort St Angelo, 30 August), immerses participants in archaeological science with object scanning, bone analysis, and digestive system simulations, uncovering how we reconstruct stories from history through science.
For the very brave, SARA and BRIAN’s Brains (6+, VDC, 3 September) offers the unique opportunity, for attendees, to try their hand at brain dissection, no prior experience necessary. This playful, tactile look at how scientists study the brain using jelly models, gives kids the chance to understand neuroscience.
In Read our past, to write a better future, Experiences of slavery in Malta, (16+, Notarial Archives, 11 September) attendees can reimagine the past through reinterpretation of original archival documents, uncovering new meanings and cultural insight. In “From Lab to Table”, (13+ VDC and online, 4th September) families can enjoy hands-on experiments that bust common food myths.
Flashbacks from a Fragile Planet (12+, Argotti Gardens 18 September) presents a visually rich talk that traces Earth’s climate history, revealing why today’s crisis is both urgent and unprecedented.
Tackling serious social issues, Exploitation and Human Trafficking in Malta (16+, APS Hub, 22 September), historical roots and current realities examines the ongoing realities of trafficking in Malta, contextualised through the island’s past.
Analysing the X and Y of the Maltese (11+, VDC, 15 September), sees genes in action, giving attendees the chance to extract DNA and take part in genetic research.
Lastly, A Malta–Romania Curator talk, The Intertwine Between AI and the Arts, (16+, Valletta Design Cluster VDC, 25 September) invites participants to a cross-cultural exploration of AI’s impact on creativity through live workshops and panel discussions.

What sets this European Researchers’ Night, Science in the City Festival apart is its community-first approach. Each of these events is developed in collaboration with researchers, artists, NGOs, community members and students, ensuring that the ideas and issues being explored resonate with Malta’s people and culture.

This year, the Science in the City team takes its commitment to the community one step further, in a collaboration with APS Bank. The APS Hub in St Julians, created to foster community collaboration, cultural expression, and accessibility, will allow individuals to meet the team on Mondays.

It will also host events and an exhibition about the festival. Between the 26 August and the 25 September. Visitors are welcome to engage in the “Community Canvas” during banking hours, to share thoughts on science communication. Other activities include; two “Memory Makers: Exploring our memories through objects” a creative, interactive workshop introducing the idea of objects as triggers for personal and collective memory and “Changing Tides: Save Sorna Island” a workshop that looks to tackle climate-related issues and explore the consequences of the attendees’ choices.

The combination of all these pre-festival events is a festival that feels homegrown, inclusive, and deeply rooted in the community it serves.

Visit the Science in the City social media platforms or website for more information about the events.

See you in September! Book online for free.

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Co-Funded by the European Union’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions of the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme. Grant Agreement No 101162176. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. It is recognised by Europe for Festivals and Festivals for Europe (EFFE).

The Science in the City consortium is led by the University of Malta and the Malta Chamber of Scientists, in partnership with Institute for Methods Innovation, Arts Council Malta, Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta Design Cluster, Valletta Cultural Agency, Servizzi Ewropej f’Malta, The Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology, the Floriana and Valletta Local Councils, Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation, Xjenza Malta, Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, Esplora, Vibe FM, Heritage Malta, Malta Tourism of Authority, Public Broadcasting Services Limited, DG Employment, Malta Enterprise, Ministry For Transport, Infrastructure And Public Works, European Institute For Emerging Technologies, Circular Economy Malta, Digital Traffic Brain, The Inventors, Storm Design, Visit Malta, APS Bank, Aquatic Resources Malta, The Embassy Valletta Hotel, Supercharger Ventures, GreenPak, Tech.mt, eCabs, European Parliament, Malta Air Traffic Services Ltd, Ministry For Social Policy And Children's Rights, Embassy of Spain in Malta.