World Science Festival Brisbane is back to ignite our wonderful city from March 22-26. The 2023 program is out-of-this-world, with spectacular science, curious creativity and dynamic discoveries.
There are more than 130 events and activities for little kids, big kids and their grown ups at this year’s Festival.
World Science Festival Brisbane offers interactive and informative experiences. There is something for inquisitive young minds, families and solo explorers, industry professionals, creators and designers, experimenters and the naturally curious.
To help you plan your festival, we’ve rounded up our favourite events for every age group.
Kids activities at World Science Festival Brisbane
Little Learners
Saturday, March 25 and Sunday, March 26; 9:30am–12pm
Dinosaur Garden, Level 0, Queensland Museum
FREE, non-ticketed
Littlest learners and their carers can head to Queensland Museum for a short series of special activities. Get hands-on with real museum objects and specimens and explore the galleries and collections through songs, stories and role-play. Little Learners is designed to enhance children’s learning and development.
World Science Festival Brisbane 2023 Little Learners Program. Source: Supplied
Erth’s Prehistoric Picnic
Friday, March 24 – Sunday, March 26; 9:30am, 11am and 1:30pm
South Bank Piazza, South Bank
Adult $30, Concession $25, Child $20 (ages 3–17) Family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children) $80
Sparking feelings of wonder, Erth’s Prehistoric Picnic sends audiences to the wilderness of a distant era. The show is a delight for the whole family. All you have to do is pack a picnic, practise your dino-voice and prepare to get very close to an amazing array of prehistoric creatures. You’ll see baby dinos and some of the largest carnivores and herbivores to have ever walked the planet.
You’ll get the chance to picnic with the newest members of Erth’s prehistoric menagerie, the towering Thunderbirds! Meet the ancient creatures that are remembered in the stories of the first people of our nation.This is a family event that shouldn’t be missed.
Erth’s Prehistoric Picnic at World Science Festival Brisbane 2023. Source: Supplied
Library Labs: All Creatures Great and Small
Wednesday, March 22 – Sunday, March 26
Brisbane City Council Libraries
FREE, non-ticketed
World Science Festival Brisbane 2023 is popping up in 11 Brisbane City Council libraries – from Banyo to Brisbane City – to inspire and educate our future scientists. Visit your local Brisbane City Council Library to discover animals from all around the world, and the special ones that live in your backyard! From the local grasshopper to the Bornean sun bear, learn about all creatures great and small and how you can help protect them.
Presented with Brisbane City Council.
Curiocity Brisbane
Curiocity Brisbane returns as a key pillar of World Science Festival Brisbane programming. Over 12 STEM-packed days, visitors can let their imaginations roam free with installations from high-profile artists that celebrate the connections between science, art and technology. Brisbane transforms into an interactive place to explore, create and play.
The Hatchery
Wednesday, March 22 – Sunday, March 26 | Multiple sessions daily
Level 4, Queensland Museum
FREE, ticketed | Bookings essential
Catch a rare glimpse of Australia’s precious loggerhead turtles hatching in their incubation chambers and the first moments of their ocean lives as they meet a seawater environment in specially designed tanks. After the Festival, the newborn turtles will be transported to the Sunshine Coast and released 20 kilometres offshore. The Hatchery is an important conservation initiative, releasing almost 500 loggerhead turtles since it started. Designed in collaboration with internationally renowned herpetologist Colin Limpus and Patrick Couper, Queensland Museum’s Senior Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians, Biodiversity Program and Chair of the Animal Ethics Committee.
Baby Loggerhead Turtles in the Hatchery, World Science Festival Brisbane 2023. Source: Supplied
City of Science
Brisbane will again transform into a City of Science. From the parklands and cultural precinct of South Bank to the heart of the CBD and the heights of Mt Coot-tha, this year’s program is for inquisitive minds of all ages. Get set for hands-on science showcases, fascinating tours, and an intriguing web of all things creepy, crawly and crazy! Over five fun-filled days, World Science Festival Brisbane will paint the city red for Queensland’s most vibrant and dynamic celebration of discovery, innovation and creativity.
City of Science: Displays and Demos
Saturday, March 25 and Sunday, March 26
South Bank Piazza, South Bank Parklands
FREE, non-ticketed
The South Bank Piazza apron bursts with live, in-your-face science! This free hub of science activity is sure to delight and surprise visitors of all ages as they explore the many STEM stations featuring hands-on activities, real life scientists and fascinating demonstrations.
Exciting science shows at World Science Festival Brisbane 2023. Source: Supplied
World Science Festival Brisbane… for the grown ups
The Festival isn’t just about the little ones. There are plenty of activities for grown ups and big kids too!
Lunchtime Labs: Explosive Science Spectacular!
Wednesday, March 22 – Sunday, March 26 | Daily shows 12pm–1pm
Queen Street Mall Upper Stage
FREE, non-ticketed
Don’t eat lunch at your desk during World Science Festival Brisbane! Head to the Queen Street Mall at midday each day and get smarter while you take a break. Join Legomaster’s Jess Heinemann for your lunchtime science snack, as she busts science myths on the mall…
- How is sound made?
- How can the humble rubber band explode a watermelon?
- Where is my hoverboard?
All of your science questions will be answered in this explosive science spectacular, hitting the Queen Street Mall stage for all five days of the festival.
Science Surprise: Tours and Walks
Saturday, March 25 and Sunday, March 26
Various locations, South Bank Parklands
Ticketed
Get energised while you stimulate your mind! This event takes City of Science takes visitors on a scientific journey (literally!) with a varied program of tours. Spanning our geological wonders and horticultural wonder to capturing the perfect photograph of botanical beauty and the hidden treasures of our First Nations people, you’ll get brain and body workout.
Films @ GoMA
Friday, March 24 – Sunday, March 26
Australian Cinémathèque, Gallery of Modern Art
Ticketed
In partnership with Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGoMA), Into the Green explores the intermingling of humans and nature championing the ways we can live harmoniously with the natural world as a source of nourishment, scientific discovery and hope for our future.
CORAL: Rekindling Venus
Thursday, March 23 – Sunday, March 26
Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, Mount Coo-tha
Ticketed
Take a journey into the unknown of a different kind in the awe-inspiring Cosmic Skydome at the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium.
World Science Festival Brisbane proudly presents award-winning filmmaker Lynette Wallworth’s stunning work CORAL: Rekindling Venus. This remarkable experience will leave audiences with a sense of wonder for the complexity of the coral community and a deep-felt longing to see it survive.
Find out more
For session times and more information about this year’s World Science Festival Brisbane, visit the website. Stay up-to-date on Facebook or Instagram.
