- Confirming itself once again as the world’s most ambitious science and music festival, STARMUS, in partnership with ESET, will bring the most inspiring debate on the future of the planet to Bratislava turning the Slovak capital into the world’s science capital for a whole week this May
- The multi-day event brings a spectacular opening concert, 4 days of exclusive lectures; its exclusive musical program with the STARMUS signature night events Sonic Universe Concert and the popular Star Party; the open campus STARMUS Camp, with which science will take to the streets of the city, and its prestigious award, the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication
- STARMUS will bring 9 Nobel laureates, astronauts, top researchers and the greatest eminences in climate change, environment, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to the city
- Tickets are available through the popular website www.ticketportal.sk and have gone on sale with an early bird discount available until April 15
BRATISLAVA, March 20 — STARMUS has announced today an unparalleled lectures program for its seventh edition which is meant to be the most inspiring debate on the future of our home planet. As announced in May 2023, the prestigious STARMUS Festival, — the brainchild of astrophysicist Garik Israelian, PhD and Queen guitarist Brian May, also PhD in astrophysics — will hold its next edition in Bratislava this May.
In this seventh edition STARMUS will kick off with a spectacular performance by a legendary musician to be announced soon with the full line-up, followed by a 4-day programme of the unique STARMUS Exclusive Talks with more than 50 world-class speakers and world-renowned artists in the popular Ice Hockey Stadium, Ondrej Nepela Arena. Full program available here.
STARMUS Opening Concert, Sunday May 12
Legendary artist performance – Theme and details of this incredible show to be unveiled very soon with the full line-up.
Day 1, Monday 13 May
Opening lecture by Dr Jane Goodall, DBE – the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace
- Lectures: Mary Robinson, Katharine Hayhoe, Nathaniel Keohane, Mary Kaldor, Steven Chu, Sylvia Earle, Maureen Raymo
- Panel Discussions: Damia Barcelo, Ros Rickaby, Bob Bishop, Olivia Lazard, Svitlana Krakovska and Chris Rapley, Staffan Qvist
Day 2, Tuesday 14 May
- Lectures: Edvard Moser, Charlie Duke, Tony Fadell, Bernhard Schölkopf, Richard Marko, Neil Lawrence, Philip Torr, Gary Marcus, Roeland Nusselder
- STAR Party: artists to be announced soon with the full line-up
Day 3, Wednesday 15 May – Stephen Hawking Medal Award Ceremony & Sonic Universe Concert
- Award ceremony hosted by popular science comedian Robin Ince and STARMUS founders Garik Israelian and Brian May
- Sonic Universe Concert headlined by The Offspring and Tony Hadley as special guest followed by more one-off special performances
Day 4, Thursday 16 May
- Lectures: Pietro Barabaschi, Martin Rees, George Smoot, Michel Mayor, Laurie Anderson, Anton Zeilinger, Donna Strickland, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Kurt Wüthrich
- 108’ Round Table – Starmus most exclusive round table in tribute to Yuri Gagarin historic flight becoming the first human spaceflight (live streaming on STARMUS youtube channel)
- Panellists: Jane Goodall, Kip Thorne, Laurie Anderson, Chris Hadfield, Dexter Holland, Garik Israelian, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Martin Rees, Katharine Hayhoe and Steven Chu
Day 5, Friday 17 May
- Lectures: Kam Ghaffarian, Kathryn Thornton, Chris Hadfield, Kip Thorne & Lia Halloran, Carole Mundell, Dante Lauretta, Brian Green
- Panel Discussion: Joel Parker, Patrick Michel, Scott Hubbard, Garret Reisman
-Closing of the festival-
–Full program available on STARMUS website www.starmus.com
In parallel, from 12 to 17 May, STARMUS will hold its STARMUS Camp & City Program in the heart of Bratislava, Hlavné námestie (the city’s main square), and in cooperation with different Slovak academic institutions, invading the streets and universities of the Slovakian capital with the magic of science bringing it closer to the general public.
- STARMUS Camp: 12 booths of science exhibitions and live demonstrations and 6 food trucks
- STARMUS Camp Stage: presentations, panel discussions and a vibrant music program full of performances by local and international talents which will be unveiled soon with the full line-up.
This is the first edition of STARMUS which focuses on Planet Earth, as the most amazing planet in the universe. As in previous editions, the festival will bring together a large cast of Nobel Prize winners – such as Michel Mayor, Emmanuelle Charpentier or Kip Thorne-; astronauts who have made history in the space race – such as Charlie Duke or Chris Hadfield- and world icons such as Dr Jane Goodall DBE and the music legend Brian May, also co-founder of the festival.
The festival also brings an unprecedented musical program with exclusive performances by the popular Californian punk-rock band The Offspring, Tony Hadley -the former lead singer of the British pop icon from the 80’S Spandau Ballet- and more one-off live performances to be announced soon with the full line-up of this amazing edition.
As if this were not enough, the festival brings to Bratislava its signature prestigious Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication which awards excellence across four categories: Music & Arts, Science Writing, Films & Entertainment, and Lifetime Achievement. The winners are selected by the STARMUS Advisory Board made up of a prestigious cast of eminent figures such as Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Peter Gabriel, David Eicher, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Richard Dawkins, Tony Fadell, Jill Tarter and STARMUS co-founders Brian May and Garik Israelian.
In addition, the STARMUS organization has signed agreements with the main Slovak universities and academic institutions, like the Comenius University in Bratislava or the Academy of Fine Arts & Design, the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, the Alexander Dubcek University of Trencin and the Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia. Through these academic collaborations, STARMUS will carry out its “City Program” with exclusive activities between the speakers and the Slovak academic environment as well as several volunteer programs to be part of the festival.
The tickets for the most awaited event of the year, will be on sale through the popular portal www.ticketportal.sk .
In its mission to bring science closer to the general public, festival tickets are for all audiences and include access to the entire festival program. Also, until April 15, there is an ‘early bird’ discount available: Student Tickets* for 98 euros and General Attendees tickets for 198 euros. Subsequently, tickets will be priced at 150 euros for Students and 250 euros for General Attendees.
- Tickets include:
- STARMUS Exclusive Lectures, May 13, 14,16,17
(at the Ice Hockey Stadium, Ondrej Nepela Arena)
- Star Party, May 14
(at the Devín Castle)
- Stephen Hawking Medal Award Ceremony & Sonic Universe Concert, May 15
(at the Ice Hockey Stadium, Ondrej Nepela Arena)
For this year’s edition, STARMUS has partnered with Slovak cybersecurity giant ESET, a research-first company proudly manifesting its support for science through the ESET Science Award. This is also the reason why the festival is celebrating its seventh edition in Bratislava, capital of Slovakia
In addition, STARMUS VII is sponsored by VÚB Banka – the second largest bank in Slovakia and the first bank to declare its commitment to sustainability and environmental protection with the Green Manifesto 2020-; OMEGA, the renowned Swiss watchmaker and traditional STARMUS sponsor, and KIA Slovakia as the Mobility partner of this very special edition.
In terms of public support for this unique celebration of science, music and the environment, STARMUS VII will be held under the auspices of the President of the Slovak Republic and the Mayor of Bratislava and under the patronage of the European Commission Representation in Slovakia.
Undoubtedly a unique multidisciplinary event that will put the Slovak capital in the international spotlight for an entire week and will once again confirm STARMUS as the most inspiring science and music festival in the world.
For more information visit Starmus.com
About STARMUS
Since the very first homo sapiens looked up at a star-filled sky, we have been awestruck by the vastness of the cosmos. Even today, we remain humbled by the sheer immensity of space, especially as progress in physics and astronomy has made us aware of the tremendous distances involved – even to our closest neighboring stars.
Created by Garik Israelian PhD, astrophysicist at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC) and Sir Brian May PhD, astrophysicist and the lead guitarist of the iconic rock band Queen, Starmus is a festival of science, art and music that has featured presentations from astronauts, cosmonauts, Nobel Prize winners and prominent figures from various scientific
disciplines and musical backgrounds. Starmus brings Nobel laureates, eminent researchers, astronauts, thinkers and artists together to share their knowledge and experiences, as we search for answers to the great questions.
Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication Stephen Hawking and Alexei Leonov, together with Brian May and Garik Israelian, worked to create the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication in 2015, awarded to individuals and teams who have made significant contributions to science communication. Previous Stephen Hawking Medal winners include Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, Elon Musk, Jean-Michel Jarre, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Brian Eno, Hans Zimmer, and the Apollo 11 documentary.
About ESET
For more than three decades, ESET has been providing innovative, state-of-the-art digital security for millions of businesses, consumers, and critical infrastructure. A proven pioneer in heuristics detection, machine learning and AI algorithms, ESET offers unmatched prevention-first cybersecurity solutions powered by renowned global Threat Intelligence, and an extensive R&D network led by industry-acclaimed researchers.
To stay ahead of emerging cyber threats, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use solutions unobtrusively protect and monitor 24/7 not just to stop attacks in their tracks, but to prevent them from happening in the first place. For more information, visit www.eset.com or follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
About VUB
VUB is the second largest bank in Slovakia and the first bank to declare its commitment to sustainability and environmental protection with the Green Manifesto 2020. The bank is constantly striving to expand its offer of sustainable financial products and has the ambition to be both a motivation and a partner for all clients in their efforts to lead a responsible life or business. Through its VUB Foundation, the bank has been awarding conservation projects for the fourth year in a row under the Atlas Environmental Award and is active in supporting the arts, education, communities and various social groups, and the restoration of cultural monuments.VUB is part of the Intesa Sanpaolo Banking Group, one of the largest banking groups in Europe and one of the world’s leading companies respecting sustainable business.
About KIA Sales Slovakia
Kia Sales Slovakia is sales subsidiary of Kia Europe and Kia Corporation – a global mobility brand that is creating innovative, pioneering and leading sustainable mobility solutions for consumers, communities and societies around the world. As a Sustainable Mobility Solutions Provider, Kia is spearheading the popularization of electrified and battery electric vehicles and developing a growing range of mobility services, encouraging people around the world to explore the best ways of getting around. Kia’s innovative products continue to attract great acclaim, the EV6 battery electric vehicle becoming the first Korean car to be named European Car of the Year in 2022.
Kia Sales Slovakia is the authorized distributor of Kia vehicles in Slovakia, committed to providing exceptional automotive solutions to customers across the country. With a diverse lineup of cutting-edge vehicles led to sales 10 000 units in 2024, including hatchbacks, crossovers, SUVs and electric models, caters o the evolving needs and preferences of Slovakian drivers. Dealership network, consists of 31dealers showrooms and services, ensures widespread accessibility and unparalleled service, supported by professionals dedicated to delivering a seamless automotive experience.
Further information can be found here: www.kia.sk
