The British Science Festival 2025 is coming to Liverpool next week, with free events taking place across the city. We know that accessibility can look different for everyone, so we’ve brought together resources to help you plan your visit with confidence.
Easy-Read Guide for Bluecoat
Bluecoat is one of the main festival venues, with events on Wednesday 10, Saturday 13, and Sunday 14 September. To support visitors who may find easy-read formats helpful, we’ve created a dedicated Easy-Read Guide. It includes practical details on how to get there, quiet spaces, accessibility features, and tips for making your visit more comfortable.
👉 Read the BSF Bluecoat Easy Read Guide – Updated2
This guide has been created in consultation with Blue Room, the Bluecoat’s inclusive arts project supporting learning disabled and neurodivergent artists.
Accessibility Across Festival Venues
Every festival venue is different, with a variety of facilities and layouts. Detailed accessibility information for each location is available at the link below, including Blue Badge parking, toilets, quiet spaces, multi-faith prayer rooms, induction loops and wheelchair access.
👉 Explore full venue accessibility info
Support During the Festival
Support is available throughout the festival if you need it:
- Festival staff in pink t-shirts will be available to help.
- Sunflower lanyards can be collected from the Info Desk on Peter’s Lane during opening hours, for anyone who would like to discreetly indicate they may need extra support.
- Assistance dogs are welcome at all venues.
Explore some events
Bionically beautiful: Tilly Lockey
Advocate, social media star and presenter Tilly Lockey, is changing how the world sees bionics and human augmentation. Drawing on her passion for fashion and sci-fi, Tilly explores the future of accessible, inclusive technology and challenges the stigmas that surround it in this inspiring talk.
🗓️ Talk – Saturday, 19:30–20:30
📍 The Black-E, Main Space
- Fully wheelchair accessible
- Quiet space available
- Hearing loop systems in performance and exhibition spaces
Geophonic: A rock and walk performance
Take part in sound walk and performance where geology, sci-fi and rave culture meet. Guided by performers and unique aluminium geophones, you’ll uncover the stories of the rocks beneath Liverpool’s streets and connect with the natural world.
🗓️ Activity Walk – Saturday, 11:30–12:30 & 14:30–15:30;
Sunday, 11:30–12:30 & 15:30–16:30
📍 Bluecoat
- Route (approx. 1km) is step-free and wheelchair accessible
- Some sections include cobblestones and uneven bridge surfaces
- All performances BSL interpreted except 11:30 Saturday 13th September
Giest
Discover Geist at Liverpool ONE – a large interactive art installation inspired by ghost particles. Use your movements to trigger particles of light and see how art, technology and science connect. Based on neutrino research at the University of Liverpool and STFC Daresbury, Geist explores what these mysterious particles can reveal about the universe.
🗓️ Interactive Art – Wednesday – Sunday September, 10:00–22:00
📍 Liverpool ONE, Paradise Street
- Audio description available
- Fully wheelchair accessible
The lost girls of autism
Discover how autism research has overlooked women and girls for decades, and how new studies are changing the story. Authors of the book The Lost Girls of Autism explore what a fuller picture of autism can tell us.
🗓️ Talk – Wednesday, 15:00–16:00
📍 Bluecoat, Performance Space
- Ticket required
- Quiet space available
- Fully wheelchair accessible
- Talk room is fitted with induction loop
Prescribed Cannabis: Patient Stories
Since 2018, cannabis has been available on prescription in the UK – but what impact has this change had, and what does it feel like to be prescribed something usually illegal? This patient-focused event includes a short film, discussion and Q&A, where researchers share their work and the lived experiences of people prescribed cannabis medicine.
🗓️ Talk – Wednesday, 12:00–13:00
📍 Garden Room, Bluecoat
- Fully wheelchair accessible
- Space to self-medicate available
- Quiet space available
👉 Find out more
Embracing Autistic Joy
Join a conversation that challenges stereotypes and highlights the diverse experiences of autistic happiness – from short bursts of pleasure to deeper states of “flow.” The talk will be followed by a drop-in craft activity, inviting you to get hands-on and explore joy and creativity in new ways.
🗓️ Talk – Wednesday, 12:00–13:00 (Performance Space)
🗓️ Craft Activity – Wednesday, 13:00–14:00 (The Bistro)
📍 Bluecoat
- Quiet space available
- Fully wheelchair accessible
- Talk room is fitted with induction loop
Hearing the bigger picture
Can you help improve new audio-visual hearing aid algorithms?
Join Bryony Buck (Edinburgh Napier University) for a lively conversation about hearing loss, where she’ll discuss audio-visual speech enhancement developments and invite your feedback.
Using real-time examples, together we’ll explore what future hearing aids should be like. This new tech is vital: hearing loss affects over 20 per cent of us globally but very few people are getting help.
🗓️ Talk – Thursday, 13.30 – 14.30
📍 Redmonds Building, Large Lecture Theatre
- Fully wheelchair accessible
- Accessible toilets are available on all floors.
We have over 100 other events to choose from. Explore all British Science Festival Events here.