Coronavirus – Edinburgh Science Festival 2020 cancelled
Edinburgh Science Festival cancelled in response to Covid-19 pandemic
Following close monitoring of the ever-changing situation regarding the global spread of COVID-19 and having held discussions with key partners, Edinburgh Science is sorry to announce the decision to cancel this year’s Edinburgh Science Festival, scheduled for 4-19 April.
With the Festival less than three weeks away from opening and a programme of over 270 events, this has been a complex process for the organisation to manage, but the health and wellbeing of the visitors, participants and staff remains Edinburgh Science’s number one priority.
The Festival’s key venue partners, the National Museum of Scotland, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and City Are Centre managed by Museums and Galleries Edinburgh on behalf of The City of Edinburgh Council have all announced their closures today until further notice.
All customers will be refunded immediately. If anyone experiences a delay they are advised to contact boxoffice@scifest.co.uk.
The board and directors of Edinburgh Science would like to pay tribute to the hard work of the Festival’s core team in developing this programme and to the much wider network of dedicated and creative people they rely on for the successful delivery of all projects.
Festival and Creative Director Amanda Tyndall said: “Now more than ever it is imperative that the public have access to robust, evidence-based science, delivered in a manner that is accessible to them. The Science Festival remains committed to that goal and to working with our wonderful partners across the science sector to help connect people with the latest science in these unsettling and challenging times.
We are exploring how we might do more online and whether any elements of the Festival might potentially be run later in the year and will keep you informed as plans develop. For now, we would like to thank our funders, sponsors, partners, participants and audiences for their loyalty, support and understanding in these unprecedented times.’’
Into the Blue, large-scale outdoor photography exhibition showcasing the beauty, biodiversity and fragility of Scottish coasts and seas, will go ahead as planned. It opens on Portobello Promenade on Wednesday, 18 March. This exhibition is curated by Emily Raemaekers from the Science Festival with support from Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 2020. It’s a free, family-friendly and drop-in activity, open every day until 27 April.
Through a series of arresting images, Into the Blue invites its audiences to consider the human impact on and responsibility for water, one of the most precious resources on Earth, and ask how we can live in harmony with our watery, blue planet?
