Fête de la Science à Tours

Science for everyone

The Fête de la Science is a national scientific mediation event that takes place every October throughout France. In Tours, the event is organized by the University of Tours in partnership with CNRS, INSERM, INRAE, and numerous scientific associations. For two days, a Science Village is set up to welcome the general public — families, schoolchildren, curious people of all ages — in a festive and educational atmosphere.

A rich and varied program

The Tours Science Village offers numerous free activities:

• Activity stands: dozens of stands run by researchers, PhD students, and students present their research work in a fun and accessible way.
• Practical workshops: physics, chemistry, biology, robotics, and programming experiments for visitors, young and old.
• Exhibitions: thematic presentations on astronomy, archaeology, virology, artificial intelligence, and many other scientific fields.
• Games and demonstrations: science quizzes, treasure hunts, spectacular demonstrations, and discovery trails for children.
• Laboratory visits: open houses in the research laboratories of the University of Tours to discover the daily life of researchers.

Current and engaging themes

Each edition of the Fête de la Science revolves around a national theme. In 2025, the theme invited the public to explore all forms of intelligence and rethink what it means to be intelligent. The workshops offered covered a wide spectrum: discovery of astronomy, object detection by artificial intelligence, preventive archaeology, virology, and environmental sciences.

A free and family-friendly event

The Fête de la Science is an entirely free event open to all. It plays an essential role in the dissemination of scientific culture to the general public in Tours. Researchers from the University of Tours and its partner laboratories mobilize each year to make science accessible, demystify research, and inspire vocations in the younger generation. The event also welcomes many school groups throughout the week preceding the Science Village.