For twelve days every February, Northern Ireland turns into one giant hands-on laboratory — around 200 talks, live shows, planetarium journeys and family days, from W5 in Belfast to the Ulster Museum and the Armagh Planetarium.
What it is — Northern Ireland's biggest science festival, and one of the largest in these islands: hundreds of events over about 12 days in February, timed around the half-term break so families can dive in.
For families — the real draw is the hands-on family days: build-and-make workshops, live science shows with plenty of bangs and bubbles, planetarium screenings, and roaming robots and gadgets to try. Curious kids leave buzzing.
Where — it's spread across NI, with the biggest family hubs at W5 at the Odyssey and the Ulster Museum in Belfast, and space-and-stars events at the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium — plus talks and shows in venues in most towns.
Cost — a genuine mix: lots of events are free, while shows and popular workshops are ticketed (often just a few pounds for a family session). There's something good to do without spending much.
The family favourites sell out. The big hands-on workshops and shows book up fast once the programme lands, so check the line-up early and book the kids' sessions ahead rather than turning up on the day.
When to plan — the full programme is usually published in December or January. Dates for 2027 land then; pencil in the February half-term week and watch nisciencefestival.com.
What's on
From bubbling experiments to the stars
The programme is huge, but here's the shape of it — the kinds of things a family can pick from across the twelve days.
🧪Hands-on workshopsBuild, make and experiment — from slime and circuits to coding and engineering challenges, pitched by age group.
💥Live science showsBig theatre-style shows full of bangs, bubbles and dry-ice fun — the crowd-pleasers kids talk about for weeks.
🪐Planetarium & spaceStar journeys and space events, with the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium a highlight for budding astronauts.
🤖Robots & techMeet-a-robot sessions, gadgets and coding — a peek at the technology shaping the future, up close.
🔬Museum family daysDrop-in discovery days at W5 and the Ulster Museum — microscopes, specimens and experiments to try at your own pace.
🎤Talks & comedyFor the grown-ups and teens: big-name science talks, debates and science comedy nights in venues across NI.
Plan your visit
How to do the festival with kids
The trick with a festival this big is to pick a couple of things rather than chase everything. When the programme goes live (usually December/January), filter by age and by venue: a family day at W5 or the Ulster Museum makes an easy, warm indoor base for younger children, while older kids might love a live show or a planetarium journey. Book the ticketed family sessions as soon as you can — the popular ones go quickly. Many events are free, so you can build a brilliant day without spending much: pair one booked show with a free drop-in and a wander round the museum. Being indoors, it's the perfect antidote to a grey February — the wetter the day, the better an afternoon of bubbling experiments feels.
Dates and the full line-up drop in winter.
The 2027 dates and programme are usually announced around December or January. Keep an eye on nisciencefestival.com and book the family shows and workshops early — the best ones sell out well before the festival starts.
Good to know
Everything before you go
When
Around 12 days in February each year, timed over the half-term break. The 2027 dates are announced in winter — watch nisciencefestival.com.
Where
Venues right across Northern Ireland. The main family hubs are W5 at the Odyssey and the Ulster Museum in Belfast, with space events at the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium.
How many events
Around 200 across the festival — talks, live shows, workshops, planetarium screenings and drop-in family days.
Cost
A mix. Many events are free; shows and hands-on workshops are ticketed, often just a few pounds per family session.
Best for families
The hands-on family days and live shows. Workshops are usually banded by age, so there's something pitched right for toddlers up to teenagers.
Booking
Book the popular family sessions early through the festival website — they sell out. Free drop-ins need no ticket.
Getting there
W5 sits at the Odyssey/Titanic Quarter with paid parking and good public transport; the Ulster Museum is beside the Botanic Gardens. Check each event's own venue.
Indoors
Almost entirely indoor — an ideal plan for a cold or wet February day.
Questions
The NI Science Festival, answered
When is the NI Science Festival 2027?
It runs for about 12 days in February, timed around the half-term break. The exact 2027 dates and full programme are announced in winter (usually December or January) — check nisciencefestival.com.
Is it good for children?
Yes — it's one of the best family weeks of the year for curious kids. The hands-on workshops, live science shows, robots and planetarium events are all built for families, with workshops usually banded by age.
Is it free?
Many events are free, and plenty need no ticket at all. Shows and popular hands-on workshops are ticketed, often just a few pounds — so you can plan a great day without spending much.
Where does it happen?
All over Northern Ireland. The biggest family hubs are W5 at the Odyssey and the Ulster Museum in Belfast, with space and stars events at the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, plus talks and shows in venues in most towns.
Do I need to book?
For the ticketed shows and workshops, yes — and book early, because the family favourites sell out fast once the programme lands. Free drop-in events you can just turn up to.
How big is it?
It's Northern Ireland's biggest science festival and one of the largest in these islands, with around 200 events and tens of thousands of visitors across the twelve days.
Getting there
Events run in venues across NI, so check each one's location when you book. The two main family hubs are easy to reach: W5 is at the Odyssey in Belfast's Titanic Quarter (paid parking, well served by bus and Glider), and the Ulster Museum sits beside the Botanic Gardens in south Belfast.
The NI Science Festival began in 2015 and grew, fast, into one of the biggest festivals of its kind in Britain and Ireland — hundreds of events, hundreds of thousands of visitors over the years, and a reach that stretches from Belfast's big venues out to town halls, libraries and museums all over Northern Ireland. Every February it does something lovely: it takes science out of the textbook and puts it into your hands, whether that's a five-year-old making slime, a teenager quizzing a robotics engineer, or a whole family lying back under a planetarium dome.
For a family, it's one of the easiest wins of the winter — warm, indoors, endlessly hands-on, and full of the kind of moments that make a child decide science is for them. Watch for the programme in the new year, pick a couple of things, book early, and go and be curious together.