Pint of Science is Back in Gipuzkoa

Pint of Science returns to Gipuzkoa on May 19, 20, and 21 with nearly 50 scientific events and new features to celebrate its 10th anniversary

• The free science-in-bars festival celebrates its tenth edition on May 19, 20, and 21 in 5 bars in Donostia, and will also take place in Lasarte (19th), Errenteria (20th), and Irun (21st).
• This year, Pint of Science adds sessions in both Basque and Spanish, along with talks interpreted in sign language, ensuring more and more people gain access to science each year.
• Topics include artificial intelligence, cosmic radiation, cancer, personalized medicine, how the brain works, and much more!
• The full program is available at: Events in Donostia-San Sebastian | Pint of Science ES.

With over a thousand events across 75 cities, the festival will fill bars throughout the country with science on May 19, 20, and 21. Through 20–30-minute talks, monologues, and live experiments, researchers from all fields will share their work in a much more relaxed and informal setting than usual.

In Donostia, Pint of Science will take place at Bidassoa Taproom, MalaGissona, Duit, Antonieta, and Alboka bars. Additionally, on the 19th at Buenetxea (Lasarte), the 20th at Kantina Lekuona (Errenteria), and the 21st at Altzola (Irun). With a total of 49 scientific talks covering everything from artificial intelligence to sustainability, medicine, and learning, Donostia will host more talks than any other city in Spain.

Among the researchers participating this year in Donostia’s Pint of Science are Iliana Quiñones (neurobiologist at BCBL and Biogipuzkoa), Eneko Aguirre (director of the Hitz Center for Language Technology), and Iñaki Ordoñez (astrophysicist at Aranzadi and director of the Pamplona Planetarium).

Pint of Science Donostia continues its commitment to accessibility. Science outreach increases public interest in science and technology. A study led by FECYT and LaCaixa Foundation shows this clearly. That’s why we strive to offer talks in Basque, Spanish, and English, as well as in sign language—so that everyone can enjoy science in their preferred format.

You can find the full program on the website: https://pintofscience.es/events/donostia-san-sebastian

One of the festival’s goals is to establish a direct dialogue between researchers and the public. Paula Vázquez Aristizabal, Aitor Manteca, and Núria Alegret—researchers and communication leads for this edition—explain:
“We often think science is complicated, but maybe that’s because it hasn’t been explained well. Pint of Science is special because we use clear, accessible language, and bars create a unique and informal atmosphere that encourages people to ask questions and understand complex science in simple ways.”

Carlos Peris Torres, national coordinator of Pint of Science and a researcher himself, adds:
“Each Pint of Science edition is an adventure. Each of the 1,000 talks this year is a chance to inspire and spark curiosity. Every moment with the audience reminds us why we do this—because science is not just knowledge, it’s also passion, emotion, and human connection.”

Ten Years of Pint of Science

Over its nine editions in Spain, Pint of Science has organized 1,800 events in 750 bars, with over 4,300 researchers and 110,000 attendees. This tenth edition will be the biggest yet in terms of events and participating cities.

Pint of Science was born in May 2013 in the UK when researchers Michael Motskin and Praveen Paul hosted a lab event to share their work with people affected by mental illnesses. Seeing its positive impact, they thought, “If people come to the labs, why not take science to where people already are—bars?”

Little did they imagine that a few years later, their idea would spread worldwide. In 2025, the festival will take place across five continents in 27 countries. Australian scientists will be the first to raise a pint for science, followed by a three-day global marathon of science and bars.

The nonprofit Pint of Science España is responsible for organizing the event in Spain, supported by more than 600 volunteers (13 in Donostia) and numerous sponsoring and collaborating institutions.

On May 19, 20, and 21, let’s raise our glasses to science and its outreach in bars across the country!

Pint of Science 2025 is a free event for all attendees, made possible by collaborating organizations such as Biogipuzkoa, CFM, CIC biomaGUNE, DIPC, Fomento San Sebastián, CIC nanoGUNE, Polymat, 3DforScience, Labbox, Technoform, CESIF, VHIO, Miltenyi, Plan Complementario, JJNN, and Vadillo Asesores, as well as many other local partners.