Cambridge Festival 2025: Explore the future of society with 400 events at University of Cambridge’s biggest festival yet
Want to know what life will look like in 2125? Eager to understand how artificial intelligence will impact healthcare? Or would you like to meet a conversational robot?
You will have your chance at the Cambridge Festival, which is returning for 17 days this spring and feature nearly 400 events – most of which will be free.
Running from 19 March until 4 April, and curated by the University of Cambridge, it will explore the future of society, health, the environment, and discovery.
People of all ages will be invited to engage with groundbreaking research, provocative ideas, and cutting-edge innovations at venues across the city during what is one of the largest festivals of its kind in the UK.
A diverse mixture of talks, debates, demonstrations, performances, workshops and interactive events are being lined up, including events for families and young audiences, with the full programme due to be announced on 17 February, when booking will open.
Among the topics and events confirmed so far are:
- A Vision of 2125: A unique exhibition will let visitors experience science through the eyes of future generations.
- Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare: Find out how AI and data science are transforming medical practices. A talk titled ‘Tomorrow’s Health Today’ on 27 March will reveal how AI is revolutionising early disease screening and prevention.
- Corporate Psychopaths and Financial Crises: Dr Clive Boddy will explore roles in the 2008 financial crash in a talk titled ‘Would corporate psychopaths bankrupt the world economy for a bonus?’ (22 March).
- Humanoid Robots: There will be a chance to meet Furhat, a conversational robot, on 22 March, and explore the future of robotics through hands-on workshops like Navigating the Physical World (29 March).
Other thought-provoking events will explore art, society, and politics.
Audiences can join in with the creative workshop Tearing Up Money (22-29 March), at which participants will tear up Venezuelan banknotes to create art and reflect on the country’s economic struggles.
An exhibition, Magma Rising, from 26 February to 22 April, will bring the dynamic world of Icelandic volcanoes to life through a multi-sensory exploration of the earth’s inner workings. And there will be talks on the science of longevity through studying whales (3 April), explorations of Jane Austen’s relevance today (26 March), and discussions with journalists on the safety of storytellers in war zones (28 March).
David Cain, festival manager, said: “We’re excited to return with a programme that lets everyone engage with Cambridge’s world-class research. This year’s festival is larger than ever, reflecting our rapidly changing world and the need for urgent solutions. I encourage everyone of all ages to explore the programme.”
Visit festival.cam.ac.uk for more.
