The Fête de la Science is the festive, educational event you won’t want to miss, running from October 2 to 12, 2026. On this occasion, the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie has put together an engaging program to bridging the general public with the world of research and innovation. It would be a shame to miss it!
These days are driven by curiosity and sharing, with a broad lineup of activities, workshops, and demonstrations. All spaces are devoted to the experiences, discoveries, and the joy of learning while having fun! Over these two days, you’ll also discover or rediscover the current temporary exhibitions!
Demonstrations, theatrical demonstrations, performances, mini-talks, interactive activities... The festival program is varied and suitable for all ages. Note: it’s advisable to book your entry ticket in advance for certain workshops or activities with limited seating.
Workshops, talks, exhibitions, games... more than a dozen activities await you. Grab a full lineup of free activities for everyone, all weekend long!
Science Festival – City of Science and Industry
As every year, the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie opens its doors to everyone for free on October 3 and 4, 2026!
For the 35th edition of the Science Festival, visitors can look forward to a wide range of activities: workshops, experiments, lectures, planetarium sessions, and astronomy observations.
Come explore at the Cité the mysteries of life, space, chemistry, and artificial intelligence… A free weekend to enjoy with family, learning while having fun!
Participation conditions:
• Target audiences: 3–6 years old, 6–11 years old, 11–15 years old, 15–18 years old, 18–25 years old, 25 years and up
• Conditions: Free admission
Hours: Saturday, October 3 — 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 4 — 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Tracking otters: a scientific investigation along the Lez River
Otters now inhabit the Lez, that small Mediterranean river winding through Montpellier. Yet most of its residents will never see them.
Clues left by the otters, camera traps, and environmental DNA are slowly revealing their quiet presence and telling the story of a living river that we still have a chance to protect.
With Olivier Gimenez
Participation requirements:
• Target audiences: 6–11 years, 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25 years and up
• Conditions: Free admission
Schedule: Saturday, October 3 — 11:00 to 12:00
Saturday, October 3 — 13:30 to 14:30
Saturday, October 3 — 15:30 to 16:30
Sunday, October 4 — 11:00 to 12:00
The Odyssey of Seeds
Even though it looks delicate, a seed is vital to the survival of many species. Seed bombs, sorting games, and a market stall—there are plenty of activities waiting for you!
Proposed by the science mediators of the City of Children
Participation conditions:
• Target audiences: 3–6 years, 6–11 years, 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25 years and above
• Requirements: Free admission
Hours: Saturday, October 3 — 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Sunday, October 4 — 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Glagla Show
Presented by the science mediators of the City of Science and Industry
Participation requirements:
• Eligible audiences: 6–11 years, 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25 years and up
• Conditions: Free admission
Schedule: Saturday, October 3 — 1:00 PM to 1:45 PM
Saturday, October 3 — 3:00 PM to 3:45 PM
Sunday, October 4 — 1:00 PM to 1:45 PM
Sunday, October 4 — 3:00 PM to 3:45 PM
The border? It’s far more than a line—it's a journey in itself!
With Anne-Laure Amilhat Szary
Participation requirements:
• Eligible audiences: 11–15, 15–18, 18–25, 25 and up
• Admission: Free
Schedule: Saturday, October 3 — 11:00 to 12:00
Saturday, October 3 — 12:30 to 13:30
Saturday, October 3 — 14:30 to 15:30
Meeting Airbus Defence and Space
How do the police or the RATP communicate securely during a crisis? What does Earth look like from the International Space Station? Can artificial intelligence land a plane by itself?
Don’t just watch science—come test it. Put yourself in the shoes of an engineer, an astronaut, and a security expert to discover the innovations that will safeguard our world from 2026 to 2030.
Participation requirements:
• Target audiences: 11-15 years, 15-18 years, 18-25 years, 25 years and over
• Conditions: Free admission
Hours: Saturday, October 3 - 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
We rolled on Mars
For nearly 60 years, space probes have been steadily unveiling the mysteries of the worlds that surround us. This journey, located millions of kilometers from Earth, will answer these many questions.
With Stéphane le Mouelic
Participation criteria:
• Target audiences: 11–15, 15–18, 18–25, 25 and up
• Admission: Free
Schedule: Saturday, October 3 — 12:30–13:30
Saturday, October 3 — 14:30–15:30
Saturday, October 3 — 16:30–17:30
Herbal Remedies Bar
Explore how they've been used through the ages and how to find reliable information about their use.
Participation requirements:
• Target audiences: 11–15, 15–18, 18–25, 25 and older
• Eligibility: Free admission
Schedule: Saturday, October 3 – 4:30–5:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 4 – 4:30–5:30 p.m.
Animals are eyeing us
Presented by the science communicators at the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie
Participation conditions:
• Target audiences: 6–11 years, 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25+ years
• Conditions: Free admission
Schedule: Saturday, October 3 — 12:00–12:45
Sunday, October 4 — 12:00–12:45
The soil's hidden biodiversity
Springtails, millipedes, rotifers, bacteria… they all help enrich and transform the soil. Get to know them by peering through a microscope during a workshop on living soil.
Presented by the science mediators of the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie
Participation requirements:
• Target audiences: 6–11 years, 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25 years and up
• Conditions: Free admission
Schedule: Saturday, October 3 — 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 3 — 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 4 — 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 4 — 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Where does life come from? A journey through the solar system
Exobiology seeks to uncover how life might have begun on Earth or somewhere else.
Discover the upcoming space missions that will help scientists answer this question, heading for Mars and Titan!
With Clara Azmard
Participation requirements:
• Target audiences: 11–15, 15–18, 18–25, 25 and over
• Conditions: Free admission
Schedule : Saturday, October 3 — 12:30–13:30
Saturday, October 3 — 14:30–15:30
Saturday, October 3 — 16:30–17:30
A taste of mathematics
Sample the art of proof, the elegance of symmetry, and geometry—and even chaos! You can also chat about Obélix or soap, try your hand at découpage and even embrace mistakes. After all, those are part of a mathematician’s daily routine.
Explore the Mathematics exhibition with a scientist by your side, tackling unresolved problems together and discovering the true fascination of math!
With Romuald Ernst
Participation conditions:
• Target audiences: 11–15, 15–18, 18–25, 25 and up
• Requirements: Free admission
Schedule: Saturday, October 3 — 11:00–12:00
Saturday, October 3 — 13:30–14:30
Saturday, October 3 — 15:30–16:30
Sunday, October 4 — 11:00–12:00
Sunday, October 4 — 13:30–14:30
Sunday, October 4 — 15:30–16:30
The audience steals the show
A one-of-a-kind experience where learning becomes a show!
Presented by the science communicators of the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie.
Participation requirements:
• Target audiences: 11–15, 15–18, 18–25, 25 and over
• Admission: Free
Hours: Saturday, October 3 - 16:00 to 17:00
Sunday, October 4 - 16:00 to 17:00
Math Magic
Follow the math wizard as he performs his tricks, solve his puzzles, and become experts in the magic of science.
Presented by the science mediators of the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie.
Participation conditions:
• Target audiences: 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25 years and up
• Conditions: Free entry
Schedule : Saturday, October 3 — 2:00 PM to 2:45 PM
Saturday, October 3 — 5:00 PM to 5:45 PM
Sunday, October 4 — 2:00 PM to 2:45 PM
Sunday, October 4 — 5:00 PM to 5:45 PM
A Day in the Life Under the Sea
Offbeat tour of the "Bio-Inspired" exhibition
Presented by the science mediators of the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie
Participation requirements:
• Target audiences: 6–11 years, 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25 years and up
• Eligibility: Free admission
Schedule: Saturday, October 3 — 11:30 AM to 12:15 PM
Sunday, October 4 — 11:30 AM to 12:15 PM
Astro-Follies
On the agenda: building a sky map, meteorite identification, a stroll on the Moon and through its myths, a journey among the planets... and even a detour into astrology (if the stars align)! You’ll meet big names like Copernicus, Galileo, James Webb, Henrietta Leavitt, and even our Astromytho family!
Participation requirements :
• Target audiences : 6 - 11 years, 11 - 15 years, 15 - 18 years, 18 - 25 years, 25 years and up
• Conditions : Admission is free
Hours: Saturday, October 3 — 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Sunday, October 4 — 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Invasive species: a growing threat to biodiversity
Biological invasions are one of the leading causes of species extinction.
Through the narrative of an ecologist specializing in ecology, discover how these invasions devastate ecosystems and the solutions scientists are exploring.
With Céline Bellard
Participation requirements:
• Target audiences: 11–15, 15–18, 18–25, and 25 and up
• Conditions: Free admission
Schedule: Sunday, October 4 — 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM
Sunday, October 4 — 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Sunday, October 4 — 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM
A voyage into the ocean's depths
The ocean depths are still largely unknown. Yet essential geological processes unfold there, shaping Earth into a living, constantly evolving planet.
With Marcia Maïa
Participation requirements:
• Target audiences: 11–15, 15–18, 18–25, 25 and over
• Entry: Free
Schedule: Sunday, October 4 — 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
Sunday, October 4 — 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
The Sound of Instruments
Take a stroll through the Sons exhibition with an acoustician who will walk you through all these questions—and many more.
Exhibition tour led by a scientist
With Claudia Fritz
Participation requirements:
• Target audiences: 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25+ years
• Conditions: Free admission
Schedule: Sunday, October 4 — 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
Sunday, October 4 — 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Sunday, October 4 — 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM
So, are we celebrating science this week?
Dates and Opening Time
From October 3, 2026 to October 4, 2026
Location
Cité des sciences et de l'industrie
30 Avenue Corentin Cariou
75019 Paris 19
Route planner
Accessibility info
Access
Metro: line 7, Porte de la Villette station. Bus: lines 139, 150, 152, Porte de la Villette station. Tramway: T3b, Porte de la Villette station.
Prices
Free
Official website
www.cite-sciences.fr
