As anticipation builds for this year’s Science in the City Festival, a series of pre-festival events promises an inspiring celebration of science, creativity, history, and innovation. These events are being held between the 30th August and 25th September, they showcase the powerful role community has in shaping and enriching the festival.“Our pre-festival programme is more than just a warm-up, it’s a lab for community-driven innovation,” said Karen Fiorini, Festival Manager. “These events allow communities to get involved, share their perspectives, and co-create a festival that reflects Malta’s diverse voices.”Before the main festival returns to the streets of Valletta around the Triton Fountain and Sala San Duminku, on 26th and 27th September, the pre-festival line-up is designed to challenge, entertain, provoke thought and offer communities a chance to explore pressing scientific questions, emerging technologies, and overlooked histories, through the arts, dialogue, and hands-on experiences.30th August – Fort St Angelo (7 years+)This year’s pre-festival programme invites everyone to a number of beautiful venues all over the island. The first event “Using Science to Unravel the Past”, immerses participants in archaeological science with object scanning, bone analysis, and digestive system simulations, uncovering how we reconstruct stories from history through science.3rd September – Valletta Design Cluster (6 years+)For the very brave, “SARA and BRIAN’s Brains”, offers the unique opportunity, for attendees, to try their hand at brain dissection, no prior experience necessary. This playful, tactile look at how scientists study the brain using jelly models, gives kids the chance to understand neuroscience.11th September – Notarial Archives (16 years+)In “Read our past, to write a better future, experiences of slavery in Malta”, attendees can reimagine the past through reinterpretation of original archival documents, uncovering new meanings and cultural insight.15th September – Valletta Design Cluster (11 years+)“Analysing the X and Y of the Maltese”, sees genes in action, giving attendees the chance to extract DNA and take part in genetic research.18th September – Argotti Gardens (12 years+)“Flashbacks from a Fragile Planet” presents a visually rich talk that traces Earth’s climate history, revealing why today’s crisis is both urgent and unprecedented. Tackling serious social issues, “Exploitation and Human Trafficking in Malta”, historical roots and current realities examines the ongoing realities of trafficking in Malta, contextualised through the island’s past.25th September – Valletta Design Cluster (16 years+)Lastly, A Malta–Romania Curator talk, “The Intertwine Between AI and the Arts”, invites participants to a cross-cultural exploration of AI’s impact on creativity through live workshops and panel discussions.What sets this European Researchers’ Night, Science in the City Festival apart is its community-first approach. Each of these events is developed in collaboration with researchers, artists, NGOs, community members and students, ensuring that the ideas and issues being explored resonate with Malta’s people and culture.This year, the Science in the City team takes its commitment to the community one step further, in a collaboration with APS Bank. The APS Hub in St Julians, created to foster community collaboration, cultural expression, and accessibility, will allow individuals to meet the team on Mondays.It will also host events and an exhibition about the festival. Between the 26th August and the 25th September. Visitors are welcome to engage in the “Community Canvas” during banking hours, to share thoughts on science communication.Other activities include; two “Memory Makers: Exploring our memories through objects” a creative, interactive workshop introducing the idea of objects as triggers for personal and collective memory and “Changing Tides: Save Sorna Island” a workshop that looks to tackle climate-related issues and explore the consequences of the attendees’ choices.Visit the Science in the City social media platforms or website for more information about the events.Share with someone who you want to go with!•