Tenerife to Host Eighth Starmus Festival Celebrating Science and Art
The eighth Starmus festival will take place in the Canary Islands from October 17 to 22, featuring high-profile guests and the presentation of the Stephen Hawking Medal and the inaugural Jane Goodall Earth Award.
The Tenerife Island Council has announced that the eighth Starmus festival will take place from October 17 to 22. The event continues to establish the Canary Islands as a global hub where science and art meet. Officially presented at the Cuevas Blancas Science and Technology Park, the festival highlights the region's dedication to sharing scientific knowledge and technological innovation.
The event will be held primarily at the Pirámide de Arona, with a closing ceremony on the island of La Palma. High-profile guests include Brian May, Andrea Bocelli, and Sarah Brightman, as well as Nobel Prize-winning artificial intelligence expert Geoffrey Hinton. Organizers hope the festival will promote academic excellence and encourage critical thinking at a time when scientific evidence is frequently debated.
This year, the festival will present two major awards. The 2026 Stephen Hawking Medal will be given to British physicist Brian Cox, and the inaugural Jane Goodall Earth Award will be presented to Costa Rican economist Christiana Figueras for her work in sustainability and climate management. These awards, previously given to figures like David Attenborough and Hans Zimmer, reflect the festival’s goal of bringing science out of the lab and into the public eye.
Migdalia Machín, Minister of Universities, Science, Innovation, and Culture, and Rosa Dávila, President of the Island Council, noted that Tenerife is an ideal host due to its long-standing scientific infrastructure and excellent conditions for stargazing. Founded by astrophysicist Brian May and Dr. Garik Israelian, the festival honors the legacy of Stephen Hawking, whose visit to the island ten years ago inspired the project.
To mark the occasion, the organization has released a full recording of Hawking’s historic lecture on the expansion of the universe on its YouTube channel. The festival will conclude on October 22 in La Palma with a day of free lectures and a concert, fulfilling the founders' mission to make science accessible to everyone.