Curiosity is packing its bags for the French coast as the Montpellier Tourisme officially details the upcoming return of the Festival Va Savoir ?! from October 21 to 25, 2026. Designed for explorers of all generations, the event brings hands-on science out of the academic lecture halls and directly into the streets, libraries, and community spaces of Montpellier and its surrounding metropolitan area.
Interactive Science Takes Over the Metropolis
Montpellier Tourisme reports that the five-day festival offers an entirely free roster of games, experiments, investigations, and workshops built around participatory research. Visitors can dive into marine biology, dig into soil samples, identify local bird species, measure radioactivity, and track elusive seahorses in their natural habitats. The goal is to demystify scientific inquiry by letting the public observe, manipulate, and test concepts firsthand.
The schedule kicks off across the Metropole’s network of media libraries on Wednesday, October 21, and Thursday, October 22. Local residents can drop into neighborhood-specific events designed to bring interactive learning close to home. On Thursday afternoon, October 22, the spotlight shifts to the i.PEICC association in the Mosson district for an afternoon packed with scientific challenges and local discoveries.
Television Icon Fred Courant Joins the 2026 Lineup
This year’s edition features a special guest appearance by Fred Courant, the beloved former host of the legendary French educational television program « C’est pas sorcier ». Courant brings his trademark investigative energy to the festival, hosting exclusive sessions that blend live interviews, on-stage experiments, and television-style quiz games. Festival-goers can test their wits against friends and family in game-show formats designed to make complex research accessible and genuinely entertaining.
The Grand Weekend Finale at Médiathèque Émile Zola
The celebration culminates in a massive weekend event on Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25, at the Médiathèque Émile Zola. This central hub will host family-friendly games, researcher meet-and-greets, and specialized workshops exploring everything from local ecology to escape-game logic puzzles.
While admission to the festival grounds and general events is entirely free and open to the public, certain specialized workshops require advance registration. Detailed schedules and booking links are available directly through the official Festival Va Savoir ?! online platform.
