Royal Institution CHRISTMAS LECTURES 2025 Livestreams

Filming of the 2025 CHRISTMAS LECTURES will be livestreamed from the Royal Institution’s iconic theatre on 11th, 13th and 16th December
Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock
Paul Wilkinson
 

  • ҹèƵ, Drake Circus, ҹèƵ PL4 8AA (Please note: Finish times are flexible to nature of filming)

  • ҹèƵ, Drake Circus, ҹèƵ PL4 8AA (Please note: Finish times are flexible to nature of filming)

  • ҹèƵ, Drake Circus, ҹèƵ PL4 8AA Saturday 13th and Tuesday 16th December 2025 (Please note: Finish times are flexible to nature of filming)

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We’re delighted to announce we are one of the livestream venues for this year’s CHRISTMAS LECTURES from the Royal Institution.
Running for 200 years, the CHRISTMAS LECTURES were started by Michael Faraday to inspire and engage young people with science, and this year leading space scientist Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock as she takes us on an epic voyage through time and space.
This event is perfect for all the family! Children and people of all ages can come and watch the magic of the Lectures unfold in real time as they’re filmed in front of an audience in the Ri’s Theatre in London. They’ll have the chance to get involved with hands-on activities, and be amazed by the mysteries of the Universe.
Joined by a host of very special guests - from astronauts to history-making astronomers - Maggie will explore the extraordinary breakthroughs that have revolutionised our understanding of the universe, enabling us to see ever further into space, and ever further back in time.
Maggie helped develop the James Webb Telescope, the most powerful space telescope ever created – which launched on Christmas Day 2021 before travelling a million miles to begin its orbit of the sun. Unpacking James Webb’s latest breathtaking images, Maggie will reveal how this “time-travelling” telescope is now rewriting the story of the Big Bang and allowing us to witness the birth of the first stars and galaxies that followed.
As NASA prepares to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972, Maggie will investigate how manned spaceflight has transformed our relationship with our nearest neighbour – and with our home planet. And, delving further back in time, she’ll explore how the night sky has always held a fascination for humanity - investigating what the moon and stars meant to ancient societies across the world.
Maggie will also explain how the latest space technologies – from probes and orbiters to the most recent Mars rovers - are shedding astonishing new light on the planets in our solar system. And we’ll discover why in 2025 we’re on the cusp of even more remarkable discoveries about our universe.
She will reveal just how far our understanding of space has come in the two centuries the Ri CHRISTMAS LECTURES have been around – looking back on previous Lectures on astronomy – from the first of these in 1826 to the 1977 lectures hosted by famed astronomer Carl Sagan, when the only known planets at that time were the eight in our solar system (thought to be nine at the time).
Maggie will also scour the Royal Institution archives to uncover some of the original props from these historic lectures, plus she’ll recreate - and supersize - some the most memorable demos from space lectures past.
In this iconic anniversary year, these lectures will be a true celebration of our universe and of the astounding human endeavours that are allowing us to solve its mysteries.

Please email Dr Jenny Sharp (jenny.sharp@plymouth.ac.uk) if you have any questions about the livestreaming event.

#XmasLectures @Ri_Science
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Lecture descriptions (subject to change)

Lecture 1

We begin by exploring the technology that’s allowed us to look out and discover that there are other worlds beyond our own. 
While advanced telescopes put paid to some of the early theories about life on our nearest neighbours, they’ve also opened up a host of other places we could look for it. 
We’ll leave the Earth and look back at our planet from orbit to find out what life looks like from space, how we think it might have emerged here, and how we might identify another ‘habitable planet’… if it’s out there. 
We’ll meet the astronauts who can tell us more about what it takes to send human life out into space, share the latest news on the Artemis mission to the Moon, and demonstrate how future human settlements could use lunar resources to survive. 
With creative experiments and citizen science projects, is series Lecture one brings space exploration to life for audiences of all ages. 
Lecture 2

In the second lecture, our search for extraterrestrial life continues as viewers are taken on a whirlwind tour through our Solar System — from the blazing Sun to the edge of the ‘heliosphere’ where space becomes interstellar.
 
Dame Maggie delves into historic and current missions to planets like Mercury, Venus, Mars, and the gas giants, highlighting the growing evidence that moons such as Europa and Titan may harbour conditions suitable for life.
Lecture two celebrates landmark space missions, such as the Voyager probes, and explores the evolution of our understanding of planetary science. 
The discoveries made along this cosmic journey underscore how much we have learned — and how much remains to be discovered. 
Lecture 3

Dame Maggie’s final lecture ventures into the vast Universe in search of life beyond our Solar System.
With the help of the groundbreaking James Webb Space Telescope, our audience will discover stunning new images of distant stars, galaxies, and planets. 
Dame Maggie then explains how scientists are identifying potential signs of life on exoplanets — worlds orbiting stars beyond our own — using state-of-the-art tools to search for ‘biosignatures’ and ‘techno signatures’ that could hint at life or advanced civilizations, and we’ll discuss whether we should attempt to contact alien lifeforms, and what we might say to them. 
Finally, we’ll delve into the mysterious world of black holes, dark matter and dark energy. With such a vast Universe, 95% of which is invisible to our telescopes, there is still so much out there for us to discover. 
By connecting ancient questions with modern technology, Dame Maggie closes the series with a sense of wonder and a call to the next generation of explorers.
 

How to apply for places at the livestreaming events at the ҹèƵ

The filming of the CHRISTMAS LECTURES is spread over three evenings: Thursday 11th, Saturday 13th and Tuesday 16th December. 
You can apply for places at one of the events. There is no charge for the event.
  • Timing: The event at the ҹèƵ will start at 17:30 (the filming at the RI starts at 18:00) and the finish will be between 19:30 and 20:00 (it depends on how long any breaks in filming will be).
  • Location: ҹèƵ main campus (PL4 8AA) – the exact location will be given nearer the time.
You'll participate in experiments and activities alongside those at the Royal Institution.
Each evening will be a standalone event, with only a few references to the previous ones so in order to give as many young people the chance to attend, we ask that you attend just one of the three evenings. 
All children (under 18) will need to be accompanied by an adult and all adults will need to be accompanied by a child/children!
To apply for a place, please complete the . 
Christmas lectures 2025 Royal Institution and CGI
 

Event photography and video

Please be aware that some of the ҹèƵ's public events (both online and offline) may be attended by University staff, photographers and videographers, for capturing content to be used in University online and offline marketing and promotional materials, for example webpages, brochures or leaflets. If you, or a member of your group, do not wish to be photographed or recorded, please let a member of staff know.