What's On

Step into a world of fun with our cast of drag heroes as they become iconic figures from across the ages. From animated superheroes to famous popstars, 'Heroes in Heels' is a celebration of joy, acceptance, and staying true to yourself. Experience an unforgettable journey through time that will leave you cheering for more.

Do you think you're a better driver than a robot? Many people think that self-driving cars are too risky, and would prefer to put their trust in a human driver. Visit the Robo Rally Racetrack to compete against a self-driving car for the fastest lap time, and find out who comes out on top.

Let your imagination run wild as you create your own unique creature inspired by Thomas Bewick’s illustrations. Using templates and craft materials provided, mix and match to bring your fantastical animal to life.

Get ready for a fun exploration into the world of smells. In this activity you'll get hands-on with different smells and learn about their chemistry. Your first challenge is to guess which household product each smell comes from. Then, pick your favourite scent and build a model of its molecule using Molymod© kits (just like Molecular Lego!).

Curious about bionic arms? Join our interactive demo and you can control one yourself! Compete against friends and family using only a body-powered prosthetic device to guide you to victory. Learn about how bionic and body-powered devices work and why they're worn. All ages are welcome to come and learn about prosthetic innovations at Newcastle University.

Delve into the world of trees with our Immersive Tree Lab. Take part in a creative activity, listen to the secrets of the cherry tree with a special microphone, and uncover the interconnectedness of nature. Enjoy a day of exploration with friends and family, and take home a special memento of your experience.

Dive into interactive water-themed activities with community charity, Groundwork. Build your very own floating Lego ecosystem inspired by the one on the River Tyne. Discover the important work of wild oyster reintroduction in the North Sea. Learn how to manage rainwater in rivers and urban areas. Plus, explore more about watery wildlife through arts and crafts. 

Explore what a healthy brain looks like through fun crafts and fascinating brain facts. Discover how our researchers study dementia and develop treatments to keep brains healthy.

Spend time with our team of talented Street Scientists. Feel inspired and energised by this introduction to STEM. Watch as they bring science to life through interactive and exciting demonstrations.

Lots of people use digital devices to track their walking, like counting their steps each day. Join our healthcare scientists to explore how we measure your walks digitally. Find out what your walk can tell us about your health and wellbeing.

Explore chemical reactions, come along to this exciting science show and brace yourself for colourful demonstrations, whooshes and bangs!

Imagine you're a bridge engineer tasked with designing a bridge across the Tyne River: can you build it using small wooden sticks? In this workshop, you'll design, build, and test a model bridge. Who will create the strongest bridge?

How do you measure up against the world's top athletes? Take part in a variety of tests with Newcastle Sport and researchers from our Faculty of Medical Sciences to discover what it takes to excel in sports.

DNA is the instructions inside our cells that tells our bodies how to grow and work. It's found in all living things, including plants and animals. DNA is very important because it holds the key to what makes each of us special and unique. But what does it look like? And why is something called epigenetics so important when fighting diseases like cancer? Come and discover this fascinating field of chemical biology and have a go at extracting DNA from fruit yourself.

Get involved as our researchers transform parts of our University campus into an arena of learning and debate. It's an opportunity to learn from, interact with, and be inspired by some of our leading academics. No middleman, no PowerPoint slides, no amphitheatre. Our researchers are ready to amaze you their latest discoveries and to answer your burning questions.

Explore equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) through fun games and activities. Have a go at our pop-up stand activities including 'fun with flags' and 'name the face', or take home activities and colouring sheets for later. Become an EDI champion for the chance to win prizes!

Join us and explore how everyday insights can kickstart exciting new innovations. Discover tech that uses emotions to generate insights. Win a chance to create your own 3D print. Take a walk with our Gita robot. Take part in interactive challenges. Could your next big idea emerge during a friendly game of Pictionary? Explore how everyday objects can evolve into personalised devices just for you. The possibilities are limitless!

Pond-dipping is a great way to learn about freshwater ecosystems. But did you know that an incredible soundscape hides beneath the water? Challenge yourself to a freshwater sound quiz, and discover the exotic sounds hidden all around us.

Controlling computers using your thoughts is no longer science fiction. This activity lets you experiment with neural interfaces: machines that communicate with the electrical signals in your brain and nerves. Turn your brainwaves into music. Control the movements of a friend. Join in the fun and learn more about how neural interfaces are helping to improve our lives.

Uncover the hidden world of animal emotions. Try and catch our (robotic) mice using humane, animal-friendly methods. Find out how the latest technology can help us understand how mice, dogs, chickens, and cows feel. We'll also show you how we can use our understanding of animal behaviour to improve how we treat animals.

See if you can predict the future of healthcare with this exciting tabletop activity. Test your aim using scientific reasoning to find the right target. Succeed, and you could save lives with the help of emerging health technologies.

Did you know that there are over 700 different types of tiny bugs living in your mouth? Join a team from Newcastle University's Dental School and train to be a brilliant 'bug-buster' in this interactive activity. Learn all about how good bugs can help us, and how to keep your mouth healthy by fighting the naughty bugs that cause toothache.

Wearable health technology that measures heart rate and blood pressure is common nowadays. But how can we use it to lead healthier lives? Learn more about health technologies through tabletop games and activities.

Our scientists are passionate about our planet. Join in with our hands-on sandpit activity to learn how great sand is at preventing floods. You can even talk to the people leading our research on climate change and sustainability.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to watch the award-winning short film 'Climate Change Catastrophe!' and talk about finding ways to respond to climate change with some of its creators. The screenings will be followed by a short Question and Answer session with some of the show's co-designers and researchers from Newcastle University.

Why do scientists always wash their hands? What do the different colours of the pH scale mean? These questions and more will be answered in our 'Marvellous Molecules and Medicine: Experiment Experience'. Join our scientists in a series of hands-on experiments and discover how our researchers investigate molecules and make medicines. You can even check on the results of your very own chemical reaction!

Explore the intriguing world of misophonia with the 'Where's Miso?' challenge. Misophonia is a disorder that describes a decreased tolerance for specific sounds and stimuli. In this game, you must channel your inner detective and hunt for seven misophonia triggers hidden in a picture. Can you spot a person eating, a dog barking, or someone clicking a pen? Time how fast you can find all the triggers, and you could be in with a chance to win a prize.

Join Newcastle Sport for a game of Pickleball! Pick up a paddle and have a go at the fastest growing sport in America. Play games of singles or doubles with family and friends.

Have you ever wondered how you might survive a zombie hoard or alien invasion? Or whether the strategies of movie and video game heroes would work in the real world? In this talk, discover lessons from our ancestors, including how can we use archaeology and science to tap into ancient knowledge. Could too much preparation be worse than none at all? How did people control fire before there lighters or matches? We'll take you through the various safety features of the ApocalypseTM.

This is a planetarium show like no other. The soundtrack takes the lead role in this immersive and accessible experience, meaning it can be enjoyed through sound, not purely through vision. Listen to stars appear and hear the planets orbit around your head!

Go on a musical journey around the world with our Multilingual Choir. Clap, dance, and listen to songs in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, Ukrainian, and Yoruba Lucumi. This show celebrates a mixture of languages and cultures through the power of music.

Need a break from all the excitement? Visit our storytime resting area for a moment of calm. Join 'Community Storytime' sessions and 'Preschool Poets' workshops scheduled throughout the day. Learn about our research into how children learn language, and enjoy refreshments and art supplies.

Explore the world of engineering through our Lego Workshop. Design, build, and race your own vehicles while learning about STEM subjects in a fun environment.

Discover the mysteries of pain through sensory activities presented by our experts. Prepare for a new understanding of pain perception with real-life stories and fun activities.

Go on an enlightening journey through space with a real-life astronomer. Explore interactive exhibits and learn about telescope manufacturing. Take part in discussions about the wonders of the universe with our experts.

Explore the campus and collect the letters to solve the puzzle! Discover University buildings and share your thoughts on the spaces you encounter. Spell the secret word and win a prize.

Come along to the Hatton Gallery and have a go at stamp and block printing, as well as watercolour and ink drawing. Suitable for all ages, you can also take a look at the BA Fine Art students' exhibition while you're there.

Learn how astronomers see the invisible. Using special telescopes and cameras to detect light we can't see, you can explore how different colours reveal hidden secrets in space - like what stars are made of! Visit us to try out these special cameras and see the unseen for yourself.

Join us for an adventure with our experts at the Great North Museum: Hancock. Meet real-life astronomers, enjoy shadow puppet storytelling and handle real and replica artefacts. Journey through Ancient Rome in 3D, learn more about glaciers and climate change, plus so much more.

How important is your memory? Bring the whole family to play our games to test how good their memory is and find out more about how important looking after your memory is.

Roll up, roll up - the 'Foodie Fun Fair' is in town! Join us for games and informative activities focussed on diet and nutrition, and discover how you can lead a healthy life through good nutrition.

Our team of scientists are here to take you on a journey through the human body and beyond. Have a go at using our specialised microscopes to look at cells, and discover the hidden appearance of everyday objects under a lens. You can even take science back home with you using silicone lenses for your phones.

Every year, thousands of students from around the world study at Newcastle University. Visit our art exhibition to find out more about our global community, and the people who make this city their home away from home.

Get ready for Toon Tilt: a dynamic pinball adventure celebrating the North East. Come with a friend to score big points and explore iconic landmarks on our collaborative pinball table. As you play, engage by answering questions about the region’s future. Don’t miss your chance to tilt, flip, and shape the future at this fun festival activity.

Ever fancied a career in robotics? Now you can test your skills in robot-handling. You and up to six friends can play the Robot Relay by racing to pass objects down a line using a toy robot. Our robot handlers are here to tell you how relay robots can be used in the real world. We'll even have a real, full-sized robot on display for you to check out.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work in zero gravity? Do you think you could run a science experiment in space? We invite all future astronauts to come and try Gravityscope: a microscope designed to work in zero gravity. Then, use virtual reality to see what it is actually like to use Gravityscope on a real zero gravity flight.

Design and make your own kite using eye-catching recycled materials. Lead by artist Liberty Hodes, this creative activity is inspired by Brazilian kite flying.

Take your Lego skills to the next level with our robot building workshops. With challenges aimed at different age groups, you can build and code your robots to move, speak and flash lights. For those with more advanced skills there's the chance to use more complex coding to programme and then race your robots! Who will code the best robot racer?

Do you have a favourite spot in Newcastle? Why is it so special? Inspired by 'Lawnouli Beirut', a colouring book about the city of Beirut created by graphic artist Michèle Standjofski, this workshop will invite participants to draw their special place in the city with the help of a local artist.

Journey into the marvellous world of microbes. Listen to stories about the strange and amazing microbes that keep us alive, make us sick, and help us solve our trickiest problems. This workshop will include storytelling alongside fun and creative activities. You will also meet scientists who use microbes in their work.

Enjoy a fantastic performance by Newcastle University alumni, Remy - accompanied by his talented band. A blend of soul, rock and pop, listen to Remy's remarkable vocal range, intricate guitar work, and beautiful song writing.

Sugarbugs Live! Mouths, Monsters, and Maths is an interactive musical show all about the monsters that live in your mouth, and the people that help you to look after it. This fun performance will make everyone watching work a little harder with their toothbrush and sing while they’re doing it. The best visit to the dentist you’ve ever had!

Lose yourself in music with a performance by Newcastle University final year music student, Amber, and fellow musician, Liam Oliver. A talented singer-songwriter, she's working hard on her new album, "Tell it to the Sea" - drawing inspiration from nature for her songs. Operatically trained, listen as she sings beautiful ballads and R&B tunes.

Ever wanted to sketch your own one-page comic strip with help from a local comic artist? Join us for an interactive workshop where you will learn about urban comics from the Global South.

Experience the thrilling story of our planet, from its beginnings 4.6 billion years ago to the present day. Witness a variety of exciting experiments, including dry ice and fire hands, as we journey through Earth's history together.

Discover the stories of people in the North East living with physical and mental health conditions in 'We Are So Much More'. This exhibition of recordings seeks to tell their stories in their own words.

Watch musical duet, Ladies of Midnight Blue, perform. A duo who mix Afro-Latin beats with brass instruments, they use percussion, brass, chants, and mbira to create energetic music and rhythm.

What is the health or social care breakthrough you hope to see in your lifetime? Multiverse Lab is an exhibition created by Unfolding Theatre and health organisations across the North East - including Newcastle University. It makes communities’ voices heard, to shape the future of health and social care research. Listen to what they had to say - in their own words.

Join us for a workshop and performance celebrating the magic of singing and making music. Experience pieces performed by Newcastle Youth Choir, Newcastle University's New Vocal Ensemble, and Alumni Choir Vox Populi. You'll even have the chance to join in. Research has shown that singing is beneficial for our health. Come take part in the joy of singing together.