• Swindon & Wiltshire Culture
• Thursday January 18 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Tickets go live for Swindon’s Festival of Tomorrow

Tickets have gone live for Swindon’s Festival of Tomorrow – the annual extravaganza that aims to get schoolchildren interested in science and technology.

Sponsored by UK Research and Innovation, Business West and Arts Council England the festival runs from February 9 to 18 and culminates in a two-day half-term finale extravaganza at The Deanery CE Academy in Wichelstowe on February 16 and 17.

Spots are free, and last year’s event reached maximum capacity with many shows quickly booking out.

This year’s festival finale will feature four interactive discovery zones packed with demonstrations, exhibits, activities and workshops.

Festivalgoers of all ages will be able to explore the universe with a planetarium show, race a hydrogen fuel-cell car, programme a robot vehicle, delve into the science of health, make some space-inspired art or try out Intel’s latest e-sports gaming gear.

Some of this year’s highlights include Exploding Custard – a show that encourages children to conduct science experiments at home with common household items; Dr Ken’s Circus Science Show; and Here Come the Robots – a show aimed at teens and adults which explores the ethics of robotics and AI.

There will also be installations around Swindon, including Luma – a nine-metre-long giant inflatable robotic snail – which will be in residence at Steam – Museum of the Great Western Railway from Monday 12 – Sunday 18 February and the Mechanical Bloom lab with Neon Dance and Bristol Robotics Lab at the Designer Outlet between Sunday, February 11 and Thursday, February 15.

The Designer Outlet will also play host to an Augmented Reality Space Trail – visitors will be encouraged to find 12 installations which will come to life with the use of a phone.

And for the first time, the programme includes evening entertainment for teens and adults, including a comedy night with local comic Sam Michael and Robin Ince, star of BBC Radio 4’s Infinite Monkey Cage.

Pictured: Luma – the nine-metre-long giant inflatable robotic snail. Image by Richard Sewell