Excitement builds for Cork science events at Fitzgerald's Park

The final countdown to the Cork Carnival of Science has commenced, with more than 50 exhibitors and 22 live shows planned for next week’s event.

The annual two-day festival, taking place at Fitzgerald’s Park on June 6 and 7, has become Ireland’s largest outdoor Stem (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) celebration and will feature a wide range of live experiments, interactive exhibits, and colourful performances.

Organised by Cork City Council and funded through the Research Ireland Discover Programme, this year’s free family-friendly event has a strong focus on participation, imagination, and science-based wonder.

Visitors can expect everything from theatrical science performances and sports experiments to immersive exhibits, roaming characters, and giant outdoor activities designed to make science accessible, exciting and fun for all ages.

Among this year’s headline additions is The Science of Hogwarts from Science 2 Life, a new live show inspired by the magical world of potions, levitation and spellbinding; RTÉ’s Mark the Science Guy, who will join the line-up with Science is My Superhero, a fast-paced and energetic stage show, and Science of Sport with Science Made Simple, where balance, friction, movement, and reaction times are all put to the test through live experiments and interactive challenges.

New additions to this year’s programme also include W5 with Now That’s What I Call Science, which explores some of history’s most important scientific breakthroughs, and The Circus Science Show, combining stunts, tricks, and theatrical demonstrations in a colourful outdoor spectacle.

The festival also places a strong emphasis on accessibility and inclusion, with dedicated quiet spaces, interactive activity zones, and a mobile sensory van.

Lord Mayor Fergal Dennehy said the event has become “one of the highlights of the city’s summer events calendar and a brilliant example of how public spaces like Fitzgerald’s Park can be transformed into something educational, creative, and genuinely fun for families”.

“What makes the event so special is the way it encourages curiosity and discovery in such an engaging and accessible way,” Mr Dennehy said.

• For more information on the line-up of events, visit
  www.corkcity.ie/en/cork-carnival-of-science