Cork Carnival of Science Returns to Fitzgerald Park with Free Family Fun this June

Cork’s largest outdoor science event, the Cork Carnival of Science, is set to return to Fitzgerald Park on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th June 2025, promising two days packed with free entertainment, interactive exhibits, and hands-on learning for all ages.

Now firmly established as Ireland’s premier outdoor STEM experience, the event transforms the city park into a lively pop-up science village, filled with engaging experiments and live demonstrations. Supported by Cork City Council and Research Ireland, the weekend will see Fitzgerald Park bustling with activity, offering a unique opportunity for children and families to discover science in an accessible and entertaining way.

This year’s programme features a diverse mix of live shows, demonstrations, and interactive zones. Science 2 Life makes a welcome return with “Bubbling Botanicals”, inviting children to experiment with plant chemistry and colourful reactions in the Stretch Tent on the Main Green. Budding fossil hunters can explore the Fossil Roadshow with Irish Fossil Heritage, where experts will help identify fossils and reveal stories from Ireland’s prehistoric past.

RTÉ’s Mark the Science Guy leads an energetic “Storm Chaser” show, showcasing dramatic weather experiments, while physicists from Simply Science, Dr Stephen Davitt and Phil Smyth, demonstrate the forces behind flight in the Air Force show. Visitors can expect everything from flying toilet paper to high-speed fans. Science Made Simple will take to the stage with the Science of Sport, a show designed to uncover the science at work in everyday games, using balance boards, footballs, and interactive agility tests.

Throughout the park, families will find even more highlights, including roaming science performers who combine street theatre with real science, pop-up experiments, and bubble displays that bring physics to life. Performance spaces and open-air zones host regular live shows lasting around 30 minutes each, with no booking required. Detailed schedules will be displayed at each venue and available online.

Alongside the main acts, visitors can take part in a broad range of STEM activities led by some of Ireland’s top universities, research centres, and science outreach groups. Stands from APC Microbiome Ireland, Blackrock Castle Observatory, Fota Wildlife Park, Munster Rugby, and UCC School of BEES are just a few among the many organisations offering workshops in everything from robotics and renewable energy to biodiversity, sports science, and microbiology.

Fitzgerald Park’s green setting is ideal for families, with picnic areas, gourmet food stalls near the Rose Garden, a large playground, and the Cork Public Museum close by. For anyone seeking a break from the excitement, a quiet zone near the Sky Garden will offer a relaxed space to unwind.

Cork Carnival of Science 2025 is designed to be accessible for all, with sign language interpretation available at live shows. The event is supported by Cork City Council, Research Ireland, and media partners The Irish Examiner and Cork’s Red FM.

Anyone interested in attending can find the latest information and timetables at corkcity.ie/corkcarnivalofscience or by following Cork City Council on social media.