The Royal Institution (Ri) has today invited expressions of interest from organisations who want to bring the magic of the Christmas Lectures to their own audiences – from cinemas, theatres and science centres to universities, businesses and museums – via a live feed direct from the Ri’s Theatre in London.
Filmed in the Ri’s iconic Theatre in mid-December each year – the same Theatre where the CHRISTMAS LECTURES have been given since John Millington’s first series in 1825 – the Ri first introduced a simultaneous livestream in 2018, to enable anyone not easily able to travel to central London, to still enjoy being among the first to watch the Lectures unfold.
Now, in the Lectures 200th anniversary year, the Ri is seeking the highest-ever number of livestream partners, to add their venues to others such as Jodrell Bank, The Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, TechFest, and The Cambridge Museum of Technology.
In the 2025 CHRISTMAS LECTURES to be broadcast on BBC Four and iPlayer in late December, Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock will take viewers on an epic journey through space and time, exploring 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.
Katherine Mathieson, Director of the Royal Institution (Ri), said: “Being the first to watch each year’s CHRISTMAS LECTURES unfold during the live filming is a special experience. So as we continue to widen access to science through the Ri, we are keen for as many young people and their families as possible to have the opportunity to join with everyone in the Ri Theatre.
“Simultaneously livestreaming – using the same feed the BBC uses to record for broadcast – allows us to welcome anyone throughout the UK who isn’t able to attend the Lectures in person.
“And in this very special 200th anniversary year, we can’t wait for an equally special set of Lectures from BBC Sky at Night’s Dame Maggie.”
Shaaron Leverment, Chief Executive of the Association of Science Discovery Centres, said: “Science and discovery centres and museums have livestreamed the iconic CHRISTMAS LECTURES for the past few years, sharing the energy and excitement of this all-time favourite science event with new audiences at venues across the UK.
“With Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock giving the Lectures this year, we're expecting great interest across all regions, and we’re delighted to be supporting our friends at the Ri to take their unique demonstrations and accessible science to many, many more people.”
Established by Michael Faraday in 1825, the CHRISTMAS LECTURES from the Royal Institution were broadcast on the BBC in 1936, making them the first science show on UK national television, and have been broadcast every year since 1966. With over 3 million views on BBC Four and iPlayer for Chris van Tulleken’s 2024 series, they continue to be the world’s leading science lectures for young people.
In the 2025 CHRISTMAS LECTURES – a centrepiece of Discover200, the Ri’s year-long celebration of the 200th anniversaries of the Lectures, Ri Discourses and the discovery of benzene – Dame Maggie will reveal how the “time-travelling” James Webb Space 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. And as NASA prepares to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972, she will investigate how manned spaceflight has transformed our relationship with our nearest neighbour.
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.
The Ri is inviting any venues keen to involve their local audiences in the magic of the CHRISTMAS LECTURES filming – including universities, science centres and planetariums – to express interest in being a 2025 Ri livestream partner. Expressions of interest can be made via the Ri website.
The Royal Institution is grateful to its CHRISTMAS LECTURES Title Partner, CGI, and to Supporting Partner Aberdeen Investments for their generous support for the Ri in producing this year’s Lectures.