Hunter Science Festival returns to Newcastle Museum with bubbles and battle bots(newcastle council)
Newy 87.8 FM – Giant bubbles and battle robots will feature when the Hunter Science Festival returns to Newcastle Museum on Sunday 23 August for National Science Week.
The free, family-friendly festival will take over the Museum and surrounding grounds, bringing together scientists, educators and innovators across 40 stalls. It is supported by a $20,000 National Science Week grant from the Australian Government.
City of Newcastle's Director of Museum, Archive, Libraries and Learning, Julie Baird, said the festival, now in its fifth year, attracted 7,000 visitors in 2025 and will expand in 2026 with more exhibitors, more activities and a new outdoor stage.
The stage in Museum Park will host science magic from The Pretty Amazing Jono, explosive demonstrations from Fizzics Education and bubble theatre from The Bubble Laboratory, making its festival debut.
Lake Macquarie City Council's Fab Lab will bring Hunter Combat Robotics to the festival for the first time, with visitors able to drive palm-sized 3D-printed battle robots in a purpose-built perspex arena.
Other attractions include a robot dog, a humanoid robot from the University of Newcastle's NUbots team, solar-powered mini electric vehicle racing, a radio telescope and the returning HMRI Poo Palace.
Newcastle Museum will also host Glenrock Ghost Fungus Tours founder Karen Livesey on 17 August and a Marie Curie Lecture Tour talk on 21 August. National Science Week runs from 15 to 23 August 2026.
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