Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s former First Minister, is set to chair the 2026 Edinburgh Science Festival.
She will preside over a panel of Scottish female scientists.
This will include Professor Catherine Heymans (Astronomer Royal for Scotland), Helen Sharman (astronaut), and Hamza Yassin (television wildlife photographer).
The festival is held during the Easter holidays every year, meaning children as well as adults can access what is on offer.
There will be activities for children at the National Museum of Scotland, while Dr Gayle Chong Kwan will look at the history of science through the museum archives.
There will also be Science Under the Lens — an exhibition for those wanting to discover more niche aspects of Scottish science.
The first day will include the former First Minister discussing women in science with Prof Catherine Heymans, and Janey Jones from The Edinburgh Seven.
The theme of this year’s festival is Going Global.
Edinburgh Science’s director and chief executive, Hassun El-Zafar, praised the theme for “highlight[ing] the extraordinary work being done across borders to address our shared challenges.”
He continued: “The Festival celebrates how discovery flourishes when ideas move freely around the world.”
Last year’s theme was Spaceship Earth, with 117 events as well as workshops and talks, including from Professor Richard Dawkins.
The 2025 festival also saw the creation of DisoveryLab: “immersive, science-themed environments” for families.
A programme outlining the different events for this year’s festival is now available.
The festival takes place from 4 April to 19 April 2026.
“Nicola Sturgeon SNP Conference” by ScottishPolitico is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.