Science is not just for laboratories or academic journals, it’s a thrilling, ever-evolving world that shapes our daily lives. The Sofia Science Festival brings this world to the public in an engaging, interactive, and entertaining way. With hands-on experiences, explosive demonstrations, and a welcoming atmosphere, the festival has become one of the country’s most anticipated educational events. Whether you’re a curious tourist, a local family, or a lifelong learner, you can find something at the festival. Visitors don’t just listen to lectures, they can take part in real experiments, interact with lab equipment, build robots, or dive into virtual worlds.
In 2025 the Sofia Sience Festival is held on May 8 -11 (Thursday-Sunday) from 10:00 to 18:00 at the Sofia Tech Park. More details: https://beautifulscience.bg/
What is the Sofia Science Festival?
The Sofia Science Festival is a large-scale public event designed to make science accessible, exciting, and fun for people of all ages. Unlike traditional academic conferences, this festival focuses on interactive learning. Unlike traditional conferences, it breaks down academic walls and transforms science into something you can touch, test, and explore yourself.
The festival takes a multidisciplinary approach, covering physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, robotics, AI, environmental science, and much more.
Expo Zone for All Ages
One of the festival’s greatest strengths is its hands-on approach. The large exhibition area welcomes families, students, professionals, and anyone with a curious mind. Access is free.
Adults and children alike can try simple chemistry and phisics experiments, build and progrmm small robot, explore the human body or space though VR technology, control remote vehicles and solve real world problems with schientific thinking. The large exhibition area welcomes people of all ages.
There’s something for every age, from slime-making to solar telescope observations, from robotics workshops to artificial intelligence demos.
Children are encouraged to play physics-based games, create volcanoes and colorful reactions, try remote-controlled machines or talk to real scientists who explain complex ideas in simple, exciting ways.
A major crowd favorite is the now-traditional Explosive Chemistry Show. Scientists demonstrate how chemistry can light up the world (literally!) with fiery, foamy, or color-changing reactions. These shows are free to attend and extremely popular, so it’s best to arrive early.
Lectures and Workshops
The festival also hosts a lineup of lectures, talks, and workshops. Some are open to all, while others may require registration or a small fee. Specialized workshops are available for teenagers, adults, and professionals. Evening events are occasionally held for 18+ audiences and may cover topics like alcohol science, taboo subjects, or controversial tech debates.
While most talks are in Bulgarian, several each year are delivered in English, and many participants are happy to engage in conversation in English, German, or other languages.
Special Feature: The Bulgarian Antarctic Institute
A highlight of the festival is the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute’s stand, a favorite among visitors. The Institute manages Bulgaria’s Antarctic base and presents cutting-edge research from polar expeditions. They share their research in geology, geomorphology, geochemistry, geophysics, meteorology, glaciology, biology, medicine, etc. Their presentations and exhibits share not only scientific results, but also personal stories from their expeditions to one of the most extreme environments on Earth.
Where and Wwhen is it Held?
The Sofia Science Festival usually takes place over four days in mid-May. While exact dates vary each year, it is a perfect cultural addition to your Sofia itinerary.
The festival is hosted by Sofia Tech Park, a science and innovation campus located just outside the city center. The festival takes place in multiple buildings and spills out into the outdoor spaces, especially for chemistry shows and astronomy activities.
Who Organizes the Sofia Science Festival?
The festival is organized by Beautiful Science (Красива наука), a Bulgarian foundation promoting scientific literacy and public engagement with science. They collaborate with academic institutions such as universities or the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and local research centers. There ae also international partners like the European science networks and guest speakers from abroad.
Why Should You Visit?
The Sofia Science Festival is Fun! Science is presented in a playful, engaging way, no boring textbooks. The expo zone is free and many of the special activities as well
The Sofia Science Festival proves that science isn’t just for experts, it’s a thrilling adventure for everyone. Whether you’re a parent looking for an educational activity, a student exploring, or just a lifelong learner, this festival offers something unforgettable.
Mark your calendar, gather your friends, and dive into the world of discovery!
(For updates, visit the official site: Beautiful Science)