Berlin Science Week 2026: discoveries, conversations and a free weekend at HKW
by 
Babylon Radio
Listen nowA conversation about the mysteries of the universe, a science show with a sense of humour, or a chance to question a researcher over an experiment: Berlin Science Week offers plenty of ways to spend an afternoon differently. The festival runs from 1 to 10 November 2026, bringing research into the city’s cultural life.
Its new Festival Centre at Haus der Kulturen der Welt, usually called HKW, opens from 6 to 8 November. This is a good starting point if you would like several things to explore in one visit. Talks, performances, workshops and exhibition stands share the building, with a programme aimed at curious visitors as well as people working in science.
Start with a question that interests you
On Friday 6 November, the English-language In Touch with the Unknown brings astrophysicist Brian Schmidt and particle physicist Harry Cliff together with Clara Nellist. From 3.30pm to 4.30pm, they will explore the discoveries and unanswered questions changing our picture of the universe, from particles to its accelerating expansion.
It is a particularly inviting choice if you enjoy big questions more than technical jargon. The event connects the vastness of space with the human process behind research: noticing that a result does not fit, asking why, and working out what to investigate next.
Sunday’s Ig Nobel programme takes a more playful route. Founder Marc Abrahams introduces researchers whose unusual projects invite laughter and a second look. The English-language session runs from 4.30pm to 6pm on 8 November, with subjects including how people respond to children’s scents and live drawings of improbable research.
Photo: Berlin Science Week 2023 © Falling Walls Foundation
Meet the people behind the work
The festival is also a way to discover Berlin beyond its familiar sightseeing stops. The HKW programme includes hands-on exhibition stands where visitors can talk with researchers in English or German. Its Inspiration Stage gives emerging researchers a platform to explain their work and take questions.
For a different perspective, Who Belongs in Science? on Saturday 7 November combines the film She Measures the Earth with a conversation about routes into scientific work. It runs from 10.30am to 11.30am and is listed in German and English. You could make it the first stop in a morning of discovery rather than planning a full day of seated talks.
Beyond HKW, the organiser’s 29 October announcement highlights research activities in 33 neighbourhood libraries. The Knowledge Between Books programme is free and requires no registration. That gives newcomers another way to find an interesting event close to home, while getting to know a local library they can return to.
Families have their own programme at the centre, including hands-on activities, readings and live shows. The organiser provides a family-friendly filter, making it easy to build a visit around the interests of younger companions.
Plan your visit
All Festival Centre events are free. Book the free three-day pass through the organiser’s visitor page, then reserve a workshop separately if there is one you especially want to try. The wider city programme has its own booking arrangements, with most events free. Individual listings show their language, location and entry details.
HKW is at John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10. Take the U5 to Bundestag or bus 100 to Haus der Kulturen der Welt. Festival Centre doors open at 12.30pm on Friday, 10am on Saturday and 9.30am on Sunday, closing at midnight on the first two days and 7.30pm on Sunday.
Choose one talk that catches your imagination, leave time for an experiment or an unexpected conversation, and make a day of it. For more ideas as you build your life in Germany, explore Babylon’s local stories and join Babylon for free.
Top photo: Berlin Science Week 2023 © Falling Walls Foundation