UCD Festival 2025 vibrated with live music, creative workshops, cultural performances and campus spirit
From the cosmos to self-driving tractors, the UCD Festival offered a day of demonstrations, talks, discussions, and creative workshops. This free, oneday public engagement event continues to inspire the next generation of thinkers to explore and engage with the impactful research undertaken by UCD students, staff, and alumni.
Thousands participated in over 120 free events across eight festival zones in June 2025. The diverse programme allowed curious minds to explore everything from accessibility, sustainability and space exploration to DNA profiling, letterpress printing, and farm safety.
Festival highlights included the debut of the UCD Lyons Farm Showcase, a unique educational experience where visitors met goats, chickens, and lambs, and viewed the high-tech self-driving tractor and crop robot. Attendees also learned from students of Agriculture, Food Science, and Veterinary Medicine about how they gain practical experience while the farm conducts vital research, shaping the future of farming and food production.
Another first was the Amgen Biotech Zone, where visitors explored the world of biotechnology and met researchers from Systems Biology Ireland. ‘Fight Crime with Amgen DNA Detectives’ allowed attendees to go undercover and use real forensic science techniques to solve a mystery.
Live experiments in the Intel Science and Innovation Zone saw scientists showcase their research and student projects with interactive displays and workshops, attracting visitors of all ages. Pepper, UCD’s humanoid robot, welcomed guests to the Zone and in the Medtronic Engineering and Technology Zone, visitors engaged with student-built inventions and tech prototypes.
A standout moment was the inspiring conversation between writer, academic, and disability activist Sinéad Burke and UCD alumna and journalist Roe McDermott. Rick O’Shea’s literary programme featured musicians, writers, and thinkers. Special guests included Jan Carson, Claire Coughlan, Karl Geary, Maeve Stone, UCD’s Paul Perry, Páraic Kerrigan, Sylvia Leatham, and UCD Writer in Residence 2025 Annemarie Ní Churreáin.
Space enthusiasts were well catered for, as Dr Aidan Crowley from the European Space Agency (ESA) discussed some of the major challenges astronauts face in space. Dr Niamh Shaw and Andrew Smyth, aerospace engineer and Great British Bake Off finalist gathered crowds at the ‘Baking in Space’ event. Sustainability remained a central theme in the expanded Discovery Zone, with the introduction of the UCD Greenacre Sustainability Hub, highlighting UCD’s leadership in climate research and green innovation.
More than 100 science alumni celebrated their Milestone Reunion at UCD University Club and enjoyed a nostalgic look back at the evolution of UCD College of Science. The Festival commenced with the Michael Byrne Memorial Run on UCD’s Athletics Track, honouring the memory of UCD’s dear friend, ‘Old Man Belfield,’ and bringing together students, alumni, and friends in a community spirit event.
The Festival concluded with a special celebratory performance arranged by Dr Ciarán Crilly, Artistic Director of the UCD Symphony Orchestra. It marked the inaugural appearance of the UCD Alumni Orchestra, featuring 71 UCD alumni musicians in a concert created exclusively for the event, which ended the day on a powerful note.
A heartfelt thanks goes to the more than 1,000 staff and student volunteers whose energy, passion, and dedication brought life to every corner of the festival – and to all our guests, whose curiosity and enthusiasm made it a truly memorable occasion. The UCD Festival would not have been possible without the generous support of our pillar partners: Intel, Amgen, and Medtronic. ■
