Physics Festival

Discover the wonders of physics

Excite your mind at this intriguing and explosive celebration of physics. Welcome to the professor and the layman, family and friends, of every generation.

What to expect Location

The Physics Festival is a free event open to everyone, which tries to show you all the cool facets of physics, for professors, students, but most of all families and anyone who might be interested.

Besides numerous day long experiments and demonstrations, this day will feature a number of live exciting physics shows, opportunities to ask all your physics questions to experts (for example, on climate change).

What to expect?

An open festival with experiments, market stalls, foodtrucks and more

The Domplein will have 15 market stalls with various experiments and demonstrations. In between them, we have arranged other bigger experiments and places where you can experience physics yourself. On stage, we will host the different shows: the Bonn Physics Show, the Experts on Stage (where you can ask all your physics related questions to professors from Utrecht) and the Spin Up Spin Down quiz.

Physics Festival

Market stalls

  1. Astronomy
  2. Microwaves and More
  3. Physics Festival Information
  4. Optics
  5. Van de Graaff Generator
  6. KIJK
  7. Climate Physics
  8. Particle Physics
  9. History of Physics
  10. Sound Wave Interference
  11. Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream
  12. Magnetism
  13. Student Challenge Information
  14. Physics Games
  15. Build your Own Steamboat

Big experiments

  1. Vortex Cannon
  2. VR: Experience Relativity!
  3. Gyroscope
  4. Walk on Water
  5. Pendulum
  6. Float your Own Steamboat

On Stage

  • Bonn Physics Show
  • Experts on Stage
  • Spin Up Spin Down quiz

Foodtrucks

  • Friethoes
  • Indy Truck

Location

At the heart of Utrecht city centre

The Physics Festival will take place at the Domplein, in Utrecht.

Live Physics Show

Bonn Physics Show
Bonn Physics Show

Be amazed by the Physics Show performed by Herbert Dreiner and his team, who travel the world to perform breathtaking shows.

They include parts specifically for children age 10 and older, and more advanced shows about elementary particle physics.

More about the Bonn Physics Show.

Experts on Stage
Experts on Stage

Black holes? Climate change? The smallest particles of the universe? Physics and technology?

Meet the climate experts live on stage, and ask the brighest professors from Utrecht University your burning questions about the world we live in.

Spin Up Spin Down
Spin Up Spin Down show

Test your knowledge of physics during this game by answering the questions with the possible quantum states of a particle: either Spin Up (arms in the air), Spin Down (arms down your body) or in a superposition of both (arms horizontally).


Facets of Physics

Discover all the facets of physics

There are so many fields of physics it is hard to show them all! During the Physics Festival, we create a large selection of aspects that make physics cool to watch and interesting to see. Among other things:

Particle physics
Cloud chamber

Are you also so curious about what we are made of? What are the smallest building blocks of our universe?

Watch live the signatures of these particles, see muons rushing through a cloud chamber and see Einsteins relativistic effect with your own eyes.

Climate physics
Wave tank

How do waves travel the ocean? How are clouds formed? How are chemical dispersed through the atmosphere? It's all physics!

Test it in the wave tanks of the IMAU, the climate institute of Utrecht University!

Electromagnetism
Ferrofluids

What is magnetism? You can definitely feel it, but can you also see it? Can you make objects float and lock them in a fixed position?

Dive in the exciting world of superconductivity, magnetism and quantum mechanics!

And there's more! For example:

Cool stuff


For kids

Kids are the future!

Physics is fun for every age: from young to old, there is always something to discover. All the experiments and activities are accessible for kids as well, with information available for every level. There are also activities specifically for kids:

Build your own steam boat and compass!
Steam boat
Compass

It only takes physics and a few building blocks to create a working steam boat. Build your own during this day, and race against other boats!
Moreover, always be sure which way to go thanks to a compass you build yourself!


Experience it yourself

Experience it yourself

Be a physicist for a day and take part in these experiments. Find out why you don't fall off your bike, feel the power of moving air and impress your friends by walking on water!

Gyroscope
Walk on Water
Vortex cannon

A true festival

A true festival

Trek na het ontrafelen van al die geheimen van de natuur? Even uitrusten na het uitvoeren van je eerste experiment? Zelfs natuurkundigen houden van lekker eten en gezelligheid! Kies voor een leuk spelletje tussendoor bij de spelletjeskraam, of plof met je Thaise maaltijd van Indy Truck of je frietje van Friethoes neer op een bankje terwijl je geniet van de vrolijke sfeer om je heen!

Indy Truck

Indy Truck

Indy Truck kookt lekkere en gezonde Aziatische gerechten. Vanuit hun mooie bus worden de heerlijkste Thaise curry’s, soepen, salades en meer geserveerd!

Check them out on Facebook!

Friethoes

Friethoes

Met verse en eerlijke producten bakt Friethoes de allerlekkerste friet. En deze prijswinnaar is niet alleen een aardappelkunstenaar, de truck ziet er ook nog eens top uit!

Check them out on Facebook!


Meet the students

Meet the students

who will solve tomorrow's problems

Contrary to popular belief, students aren't always the noisy, drunk people you might encounter on a Thursday night. Meet the physics students from Utrecht University, who can tell you all about physics, the experiments, student life and what studying physics in Utrecht is all about.

A-Eskwadraat
Did you know that this whole event is organised by students? Look at www.a-eskwadraat.nl for more activities organised by Study Assocition A–Eskwadraat.