Cork's Largest Pop-Up Science Lab Returns to Fitzgerald Park This Weekend

• Two days of free family fun await as explosive experiments and hands-on discovery zones transform the city park into Ireland's biggest outdoor laboratory

Cork families are in for a treat this weekend as Fitzgerald Park transforms into Ireland's largest pop-up science lab for the return of Cork Carnival of Science on 7-8 June.

The free two-day festival promises everything from flying toilet paper experiments to fossil identification sessions, bringing science to life through explosive demonstrations, roaming performers, and interactive discovery zones that invite visitors of all ages to explore the world around them.

Among the highlights, The Air Force Show from Simply Science will demonstrate the principles of flight using high-speed fans, air cannons, and an unlikely star performer: toilet paper. Meanwhile, RTÉ's Mark the Science Guy will recreate extreme weather phenomena indoors during his Storm Chaser show, complete with lightning and thunder demonstrations.

For budding palaeontologists, The Fossil Roadshow by Irish Fossil Heritage offers young explorers the chance to bring their own rocks for professional identification, potentially discovering whether they're holding ordinary limestone or a 300-million-year-old fern fossil.

The festival's more adventurous offerings include a bed of 3,000-plus nails from Explorium, Ireland's National Sport and Science Centre, where brave participants can discover the mind-blowing science of pressure and force. Those preferring gentler pursuits can explore how plants use chemistry in the Bubbling Botanicals tent or watch giant soap bubbles demonstrate invisible forces like surface tension.

The Science of Sport demonstration will reveal how physics connects to football performance, while the Circus Science Show combines sleight-of-hand with scientific explanations to explore how our brains interpret light, sound, and motion.

Innovation zones throughout the park will feature robotic kits and coding challenges, giving visitors the opportunity to build and programme their own creations.

Cork Carnival of Science 2025 is supported by Cork City Council and Research Ireland, with sign language interpretation available at live shows to ensure accessibility for all attendees.

The festival runs from 10am to 5pm both days at Fitzgerald Park, with all activities completely free of charge. For the latest updates, visit corkcity.ie/corkcarnivalofscience or follow @corkcitycouncilofficial on social media.