What about is COPERNICUS FESTIVAL?

Copernicus Festival is a popular science event where we showcase the relationship between science and other parts of culture. Together with invited guests, we discuss how scientific discoveries and theories influence the contemporary worldview, and we face questions that have always inspired people of science, philosophy and culture.

The festival is organised by the Copernicus Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies at the Jagiellonian University, the Copernicus Centre Foundation, the Tygodnik Powszechny Foundation and the publisher of Tygodnik Powszechny.

Copernicus Festival is a free and open to all event. This year’s edition of the Copernicus Festival explores the complex processes of human evolution, the cosmos and the emergence of consciousness. Copernicus Festival is a free and open to all event. This year’s edition of the Copernicus Festival explores the complex processes of human evolution, the cosmos and the emergence of consciousness. The programme will feature lectures by leading scientists from around the world, discussions, film screenings and artistic events. Our guests will include: consciousness researcher Anil Seth; paleoanthropologist John Hawks; and cosmologist Hiranya Peiris, who specialises in cosmic microwave background radiation.

2026 edition of Copernicus Festival is more than special. For the very first time, we have managed to establish a partnership with the European Research Council, meaning that our festival guests will include numerous recipients of prestigious ERC grants.

We’ll see you between May 19 and 24 at the Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow!

Take part in the COPERNICUS FESTIVAL ‘26

All events are free of charge!

In person

Come to free events in Krakow

Online

Visit the YouTube channel

Guests of the festival

Special Events

ERC Stage

19 - 20 May – European Research Council (ERC) Sessions

Learn more
NCBR Stage

21 May – National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) Sessions

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NCN Stage

22 May – National Science Centre (NCN) Session

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News

Main Program

Day 1: Tuesday

May 19, 2026

SYMMETRY BREAKING

14:30
Conversation

Serengeti – the Motherland of Humankind

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

15:45
Year in science

Climatology

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

17:00
Discussion

Modern Cancer Therapies

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

18:30
ERC Talks

Cryptography in Crypto

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

19:45
Conversation

Opening Gala

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

Day 2: Wednesday

May 20, 2026

STRUCTURE

14:30
Conversation

On the Waves of the Universe

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

15:45
Year in science

Physics

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

17:00
Discussion

The Edge of the Universe, and The Frontiers of Physics

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

18:30
ERC Talks

The OGLE Project: From Free-Floating Exoplanets to Primordial Black Holes

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

19:45
Lecture

Decoding the Cosmos

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

22:00
Movie

U Are the Universe (dir. Pavlo Ostrikov, Belgium, Ukraine 2024, 101’)

Cinema Mikro

Free of charge

Day 3: Thursday

May 21, 2026

ADAPTATION

14:30
Conversation

Improbable Probability

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

15:45
Year in science

Complexity economics

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

17:00
Discussion

Emerging technologies

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

18:30
ERC Talks

AI Applications in Science

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

19:45
Lecture

The Complex World

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

22:00
Movie

State of Emergency (dir. Jan Hřebejk, Czech Republic 2024, 100′)

Cinema Mikro

Free of charge

Day 4: Friday

May 22, 2026

EVOLUTION

13:00
Kraków City

City, science and business: an alliance of convenience or a union of choice?

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

14:30
Conversation

All Shades of Green

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

15:45
Year in science

Synthetic Biology

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

17:00
Discussion

What exactly is life?

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

18:30
ERC Talks

Architektura genów a nowotwory

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

19:45
Lecture

Why Shape Matters: How Cells Build Our Bodies?

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

22:00
Movie

Heart of Oak (dir. Laurent Charbonnier, Michel Seydoux, France 2022, 80′)

Cinema Mikro

Free of charge

Day 5: Saturday

May 23, 2026

COGNITION

14:30
Conversation

Why we still need philosophy today?

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

15:45
Year in science

Neurobiology

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

17:00
Discussion

Little Brains, Big Brains

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

18:30
ERC Talks

Proportional Participatory Budgeting

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

19:45
Lecture

What is consciousness, and could AI have it?

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

22:00
Movie

Agent of Happiness (dir. Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó, Hungary, Bhutan 2024, 93’)

Cinema Mikro

Free of charge

Day 6: Sunday

May 24, 2026

RELATIONS

14:30
Conversation

The Age of Mammoths

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

15:45
Year in science

Paleoanthropology

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

17:00
Discussion

Are We Facing a Crisis in Relationships?

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

18:30
ERC Talks

Why do we need linguistic diversity?

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

19:45
Lecture

A new history of Homo sapiens

Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow – Main Stage (Hall F)

Free of charge

The Jagiellonian University is implementing the commissioned project "Copernicus Festival 2025-2027. Organization of three editions of an international festival popularizing science." The commissioned project is financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.