Science Week

Science Week is a celebration of science in our everyday lives, taking place each November.

Science Week 2026 will take place from 8th to 15th November

In 2026, Science Week celebrates with the theme Water: From Molecule to Ocean.

Science Week 2026 explores water at every scale – an essential building block of life on Earth and a powerful force that has shaped our planet, our lives and our future. From rainfall, rivers and lakes to peatlands, wetlands and more than 7,500 km of coastline, our island has been shaped by water for thousands of years. It has guided early settlers, enabled trade and travel, sustained communities and inspired enduring myths, from the Salmon of Knowledge to the Children of Lir.

Today, researchers across Ireland are deepening our understanding of water in all its forms – from its role in everyday life and the natural world, to its importance in biodiversity, climate resilience, conservation, health, food, energy and innovation.

Together we will celebrate curiosity, collaboration and discovery, and consider how science can help us care for water today, for the communities, ecosystems and generations of tomorrow. Stay tuned for more information about the full Science Week programme, available in October.

Science Week is delivered by Research Ireland.

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Past Highlights

Nighttime urban scene with people walking beneath a large illuminated moon installation suspended between tall buildings.

Museum of the Moon - 2025

by Luke Jerram

Science Week 2026 invited visitors to Dublin's Merrion Square to see Museum of the Moon! The seven-meter diameter model of the moon by artist Luke Jerram features detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. Accompanied by a dynamic programme of performances, this spectacle helped to mark 30 years of Science Week.

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Solaris - 2024

A brand-new creative project from the collective Axolotl, Solaris took audiences on a journey through the life cycle of a star, all the way from the star nurseries where a star is born to its death and the formation of a pulsar. Featuring narration by Dara O'Briain and Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Solaris captivated audiences in Cork's Marina Market.

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Large glowing Newt float in a nighttime street parade with performers and crowd.

Turas Alf / Alf’s Journey – 2024

Created by the world-renowned visual storytellers at Macnas and making its Dublin debut for Science Week 2024, Alf is a giant Smooth Newt puppet inspired by discussions around climate change and habitat loss. Through art and spectacle, he shines a spotlight on the need to protect vulnerable habitats and species.

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Two people in a foggy corridor facing each other, with 'BODY' illuminated in the background.

Body – 2022

BODY was a captivating outdoor installation that brought human biology to life through a fusion of light, sound, and fire, at Science Week 2022. Created by renowned UK pyrotechnics and theatre company Walk the Plank, this immersive experience invites audiences to explore the wonders of the human body in a truly unforgettable way.

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Events

Hundreds of events take place across Ireland for Science Week! Our calendar of events will launch in October.

Funding

Science Week support Festivals and Events delivering activity across the country.

2025 Funded Projects2025 Funded Projects

Two children stand beside a skeleton in a lab coat in a library. One wears a 'CHILL OUT' shirt and silver trousers; the other has a yellow sweatshirt and pink headphones.

Schools

Our 2026 Primary and Secondary School activities are coming soon!

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30 Years of Science Week

Indoor performance featuring costumed drummers holding illuminated drums, with a puppet figure mounted above one performer. In the background, a large spherical structure sits atop a glowing mound, creating a dramatic, artistic scene under dim lighting.

Woman holding Creating Our Future sign outside in town.

School children, teachers and Minister holding trees to plant for Science Week 2019.

Shane Bergin and Dara O'Briain doing live experiments

Performer in a colourful costume and horned headpiece posing in front of fiery background projection.

Woman looking up at a glowing blue light sculpture shaped like a plant in a nighttime forest setting.

2025

Science Week celebrated its 30th anniversary with the theme Then. Today. Tomorrow., reflecting on three decades of curiosity and collaboration while looking to the possibilities of the future.

2024

Alf the Newt takes to the streets of Dublin, engaging thousands on the urgent themes of climate change and biodiversity loss, in line with the 2024 theme of ‘Regeneration’.

2022

With the theme ‘Infinite Possibilities’, Science Week returns to in-person events. Thousands of activities take place across the country, including the spectacular BODY installation in Dublin’s Merrion Square.

2021

Science Week contributes to the national campaign ‘Creating Our Future’, which gathers over 18,000 public submissions on the future of Irish research.

2019

Science Week adopts the theme ‘Climate Action’, inspiring a nationwide tree-planting initiative.

2015

Science Week celebrates its 20th year, with the theme ‘Science Week 2.0 Design Your Future’. This year also marks the launch of the dedicated Science Week Funding Call.

2012

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) assumes responsibility for organising Science Week for the first time, with the theme ‘Everyday Experimenting’.

1996

Former state agency Forfás takes over the coordination of Science Week, beginning a 15-year tenure, with events including a speakathon organised by the Irish Research Scientists’ Association.

1995

National Science Week is launched by the Royal Dublin Society and several partner organisations to engage the public with science.

Two adults performing a bubble making activity with two children inside a large bubble surrounded by colourful lighting.

Downloadable Resources

Visit our Downloadable Resources page to use our Science Week logos on your event.

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Five-person panel on stage with 'NEWSTALK' backdrop and 'Futureproof' screens, audience seated in front.

News and Media

Our News and Media page keeps you up to date on all things Science Week. You can find information about current news and learn more about Science Week events from the past.

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