Fête de la Science en Haute-Garonne
National scientific culture event, coordinated in Haute-Garonne by Instant Science. Free and open access.
About Fête de la Science en
The Science Festival in Haute-Garonne is the departmental version of the Science Festival, a free national event organized annually by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. In Occitanie, the event is coordinated by the association Instant Science (based in Toulouse, Fleurance, Montpellier, and Tarbes), in partnership with the Regional Academic Delegation for Research and Innovation (DRARI) and the Occitanie Region. The coordination in Haute-Garonne is led by Nelly Pons for Instant Science.
For about ten days in October, dozens of laboratories, universities, museums, media libraries, and associations in Toulouse and the department open their doors to the public: science villages, conferences, workshops, laboratory visits, participatory experiments, meetings with researchers, screenings, and activities for all audiences, both school groups and the general public. The event is entirely free.
Science Festival in Haute-Garonne: Scientific Culture with Free Access
The Science Festival is a national event held annually since 1991 by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. Its purpose: to allow as many people as possible to discover the world of research and scientific approaches, through thousands of free activities across metropolitan France, overseas territories, and internationally.
Regional Coordination by Instant Science
In Occitanie, coordination is provided by the association Instant Science, born from the merger of Science Animation and À Ciel Ouvert, two associations that have been working for over 30 years in scientific mediation and cultural engineering in the region. Instant Science leads the event with 13 departmental coordinations, including that of Haute-Garonne (31) led by Nelly Pons.
A Multi-Site Event in Toulouse and the Department
Each year, the Science Festival in Haute-Garonne takes place in a multitude of locations: Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier, Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, research organizations (CNRS, INRAE, CNES, INSERM…), major cultural institutions (Cité de l'Espace, Quai des Savoirs, Muséum de Toulouse, Musée Saint-Raymond, Musée Aeroscopia), media libraries, high schools, and associations in Saint-Gaudens, Rieumes, and throughout the department. The science villages (festive and friendly gatherings over a weekend) are highlights particularly appreciated by family audiences.
Program and Themes
Each edition is driven by a national theme that inspires the programming of hundreds of local project leaders. The detailed regional program (activities, workshops, conferences, locations, times) is published a few weeks before the event on the official website fetedelascience.fr and on the Instant Science website.
A Free Event Open to All
All activities of the Science Festival are free and open access, without prior reservation for most activities (except for specific workshops with limited capacity). The event is aimed at school groups (from primary to high school) during the week, and at the general public on weekends through the science villages.
Fête de la Science en — edition 2026
The 2026 edition of the Science Festival in Haute-Garonne takes place from Friday, October 2 to Monday, October 12, 2026, throughout the department (Toulouse, Saint-Gaudens, Rieumes, and other communes). The 2026 national theme is «Savvy Flavors», an exploration of the links between science, cooking, taste, and food, on the occasion of the centenary of the creation of the Michelin star and the bicentenary of Brillat-Savarin's The Physiology of Taste. All activities are free.
Science Festival 2026 in Haute-Garonne — «Savvy Flavors»
The 35th edition (national count, subject to change) of the Science Festival takes place from October 2 to 12, 2026 throughout France. In Haute-Garonne, the event is coordinated by Instant Science with the support of the Regional Academic Delegation for Research and Innovation and the Occitanie Region.
The 2026 Theme: «Savvy Flavors»
The common thread of the 2026 edition explores the links between science and food in all their dimensions: kitchen chemistry, microbiota, agronomy, neuroscience of taste, food anthropology, robotics in cooking, environmental sciences… This theme inspires the activities offered throughout the region: experimental workshops, sensory experiences, guided tastings, meetings with researchers, exhibitions, debates, shows, projects bringing together researchers, chefs, producers, and citizens.
Locations and Formats in Haute-Garonne
As every year, the 2026 edition will involve a wide variety of locations in Toulouse and throughout the department: science villages over a weekend (precise locations and dates to be confirmed in the regional program), activities in universities (UT3 Paul Sabatier, UT Jean Jaurès), research organizations (CNRS, INRAE, CNES, INSERM…), cultural facilities (Cité de l'Espace, Quai des Savoirs, Muséum de Toulouse, Musée Saint-Raymond, Musée Aeroscopia, metropolitan media libraries), and other communes in the department (Saint-Gaudens, Rieumes, etc.).
Detailed Program: Coming Soon
The detailed regional program (activities per day, times, precise addresses, access conditions) is currently being developed by local project leaders and will be published in the weeks leading up to the event. Sources to consult:
- Official national website: fetedelascience.fr (Occitanie page)
- Regional website: instantscience.fr
- Toulouse Métropole website: dedicated Science Festival page
Highlights Fête de la Science en 2026
- 2026 national edition from Friday, October 2 to Monday, October 12, 2026 (11 days)
- 2026 Theme: «Savvy Flavors» (science, cooking, taste, food)
- Haute-Garonne Coordination: Instant Science (Nelly Pons)
- Completely free event, for all audiences
- Science villages, workshops, conferences, laboratory visits
- Multiple locations: universities, museums, media libraries, research organizations in Toulouse and throughout the department
- Detailed regional program announced a few weeks before the event
Prices Fête de la Science en 2026
Practical information — Fête de la Science en
Practical Information
Access
The Science Festival in Haute-Garonne takes place at multiple sites in Toulouse and the department (universities, museums, media libraries, research organizations, high schools). The detailed program with addresses and access conditions for each activity is published on fetedelascience.fr in the weeks leading up to the event.
Prices
Free admission for all activities. Some workshops with limited places may require prior registration, indicated in the program.
Audience
All audiences: families, children, teenagers, adults, curious individuals, students. Activities dedicated to school groups (primary, middle, high school) during the week by reservation from institutions.
Contact
Occitanie Coordination (Instant Science): 05 61 61 00 06 — [email protected]
Haute-Garonne Coordination: Nelly Pons — [email protected] — 06 75 15 83 50
Festival-goer photos
No photo yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Vous avez repéré une erreur ou une information manquante ?
Aidez-nous à garder cette fiche à jour. Toute proposition est relue par notre équipe avant publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No review yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community