Brace yourselves for a mind-blowing cosmic journey when World Science Festival Brisbane returns in 2024 honouring the ‘thinkers and dreamers’ that have shaped our world in a captivating exploration of artistic and scientific achievements.
For ten days from Friday 15 March until Sunday 24 March 2024, the festival will offer a lab full of workshops, engaging conversations, awe-inspiring demonstrations, art installations, and a curated program of free and ticketed events for visitors of all ages.
Featuring an incredible line-up of speakers, festival Co-Founder and physicist Professor Brian Greene is returning to Brisbane with a brand-new show, Beyond the Stars, exploring cosmology, quantum reality, the formation of stars and black holes, and the all-important human quest to find coherence and meaning.
Audiences can snap up tickets and share An Afternoon of Science with Leigh Sales and Annabel Crabb and an ensemble of international scientists celebrating curiosity, innovation, and the sheer joy of scientific exploration. Expect an afternoon of laughter as you unravel the mysteries of the universe in style.
Back by popular demand, World Science Festival Brisbane’s delightfully dorky variety game show Night of the Nerds returns with a veritable bang! Get in early to spend an evening of scientific shenanigans with comedian Mark Humphries, and two all-star teams of scientists, tech heads, creatives, and funny people as they face off in a series of challenges to determine who will be crowned the ultimate nerd.
Australia’s favourite science communicator Dr Karl is returning with a solo live show, Dr Karl Live. The unstoppable, unstumpable Dr Karl Kruszelnicki offers a fresh dose of mind-bending facts and an update on the state of the planet.
Turning our gaze toward the skies, the 2024 festival program will feature the world premiere of The Earth Above: A Deep Time View of Australia’s Epic History at the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium.
Through an incredible visual presentation, audiences can explore Australia’s past 140,000 years, with traditional and scientific knowledge of Australia’s epic story presented by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), produced by the Deakin MotionLab in collaboration with First Nations communities and UOW Science Space.
Join bot builders from across the country as they put their creations to the test in a no-holds-barred battle for supremacy in Robowars! Watch as these custom-built robots clash in a series of electrifying battles, at South Bank Piazza, that pits mate against mate, state against state and robot against robot. Don’t miss getting tickets to see these robots clean each other up faster than a Roomba!
The festival’s free, family friendly events will also be back – including – World Science Festival Brisbane’s hugely popular, The Hatchery: Turtle Conservation Experience, where visitors can watch turtles hatch, while learning about a real-world conservation initiative that has been crucial to the survival of Australia’s precious Loggerhead turtles.
World Science Festival Brisbane will continue the presentation of major artworks that straddle science and art. Headlining this program is world renowned German-Polish artist Karina Smigla-Bobinski’s captivating artwork ADA, which will make its Australian debut.
ADA is a giant interactive analogue installation, featuring a helium sphere about three meters in diameter and studded with 300 charcoal spikes. Users are encouraged to engage with the kinetic sculpture by pushing and spinning the membrane-like globe to create impressions on the walls. The project references the 19th-century mathematician, Ada Lovelace, and her idea for an ‘analytical engine’.
ADA will feature alongside new interactive artworks from Australian artists from Cairns, Melbourne and Hobart promising a mesmerizing fusion of creativity and innovation across the ten days of the festival.
Queensland Museum Network CEO Dr Jim Thompson said World Science Festival Brisbane has become a flagship event, fostering a deep appreciation for science and its role in shaping our world.
“The ‘thinkers and dreamers’ theme embodies the spirit of exploration and creativity that drives scientific discovery,” Dr Thompson said.
“For ten days the festival will be a celebration of the brilliant minds and bold dreams that have shaped our understanding of the world around us promising an immersive experience for all ages.”
Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said Queensland’s highly anticipated festival of inspiring and surprising science events reinforces Queensland Museum’s reputation as a leader in STEM innovation, knowledge and creativity.
“Thinkers, dreamers and story tellers will gather for a fusion of science and arts at the World Science Festival Brisbane 2024 to engage hearts and minds and foster a love of learning for visitors of all ages,” Minister Enoch said.
“The intersection of science and arts is a powerful catalyst for problem solving, progression and invention in the fields of STEM for current and future generations.”
“The Queensland Government has backed the Queensland Museum Network to present World Science Festival Brisbane since its inception. This year, we reaffirmed our commitment, investing a further $9 million over three years to enrich the state’s cultural calendar, support Queenslanders engage with science, and bolster our knowledge and experience economy in the lead up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said Brisbane is proud to be the only city in the Asia Pacific to host the esteemed international event.
“Brisbane’s global reputation for world-class research and life changing discoveries makes us the perfect city to host this incredibly popular event,” Cr Schrinner said.
“As one of the only cities to host this event outside of New York City, the program of free and ticketed events promises to attract visitors from across Queensland and Australia, injecting millions of dollars into Brisbane’s economy through our local hotels, restaurants and tourism experiences.”
World Science Festival Brisbane is supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland, and feature on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar.
World Science Festival Brisbane 2024 full program will be released Wednesday 31 January
World Science Festival Brisbane 2024
15 – 24 March 2024
Various locations around Brisbane
www.worldsciencefestival.com.au
