Festival of Social Science
The Festival of Social Science is a fantastic opportunity for children and grown-ups alike to get hands on with fun and engaging activities, peek into the world of research and learn something new about our world.
The Festival celebrates the creative, engaging, and impactful work that social science researchers do to help us understand and influence the world around us, and we are excited to be returning with a packed programme of fun and activities.
Festival theme
The theme for 2026 is Money, Finance and the Cost of Living, and we will be exploring areas such as:
- Personal finances
- Teaching children about money
- Understanding and support for the cost-of-living crisis
- The economy and how it works
- How businesses make money
- Starting your own business
Oxford 2026 programme: Thursday 29, Friday 30 & Saturday 31 October
With our theme for 2026 of Money, Finance and the Cost of Living, the Department of Economics is running a fascinating webinar at 1300-14:00, part of their renowned What Economists Really Do series, entitled:
How Is Our World Changing? What Economists Can Tell Us About Work, Technology and Everyday Life
Our three panellists are:
The way we work and make everyday decisions is changing. What can economics tell us about what is happening, and how we might respond?
This special What Economists Really Do episode brings together three University of Oxford economists working on different aspects of these changes.
We’ll hear about diversity and opportunity in the workplace, the growing use of AI and what it could mean for work and daily life, and financial literacy, particularly among young people. The speakers will share insights from their research and discuss what they have learned.
We also want to hear what the audience thinks. At the start of the event, we’ll run a short live survey on some of the questions the speakers will be discussing, before returning to the results later to see how they compare with what the research tells us.
Join us to hear what economists are discovering about some of the changes affecting our lives, take part in the survey and put your questions to the panel.
Join us at the Pitt Rivers Museum for a free programme of sensational social science activities happening all day 10:00-15.00!
All across the museum, you'll have the chance to explore:
- Too hot to shop - find out how climate change and hot summers are impacting our food, and make an origami pumpkin to take home
- The case of the costs we don't count - find clues to solve the mystery of hidden costs
- Who wants to be an entrepreneur? Find out how to balance work-place stress and life outside work by creating your own ‘zine in our creative studio, where you’ll fold, draw and write an entire mini-mag about work, rest and play!
- Sustainable style studio - take part in a fashion shoot and catwalk in outfits from the sustainable mix-and-match wardrobe, filled with rented and recycled items
- Your money, your choice - truth or myth PIP quiz, and try out some spending tools - with our Local Policy Lab fellows!
- How would you invest £100,000? Plan it out, and try your hand at Green Skills Bingo - with our Local Policy Lab fellows!
Entry is free to the Pitt Rivers Museum and to all our activities
Continuing with the festival theme of Money, Finance and the Cost of Living, head to the Ashmolean Museum 11:30-15:30 and join a coin-handling session.
Taking place in the Money Gallery on level -1, you will have the chance to handle coins from different time periods and other places, with the help of a volunteer team.
Entry is free to the Ashmolean Museum and to all our activities
Supported by the University of Oxford's ESRC Impact Acceleration Account
About the Festival of Social Science
The ESRC Festival of Social Science is an annual, UK-wide, free celebration of the social sciences. The festival consists of a series of events run each autumn, delivered by ESRC's 'festival partners', higher education institutions spread across the UK. Events range from exhibitions, lectures and panel debates through to performances, guided walks and workshops.
The festival is an opportunity for anyone to explore topics relating to social science, from health and wellbeing to crime, equality, education and identity, through events run by researchers from UK universities.
There's no cost to attend, and most events are open to everyone, though some are aimed at specific groups.
Intended audience
A family-friendly event for curious minds of all ages. Everyone welcome!
