Festival om natur & videnskab
23.—25. maj i Søndermarken

BLOOM

BLOOM

– festival about science and nature

Bloom is the biggest science and nature festival in Denmark. The festival has free entrance and takes place in Søndermarken, Copenhagen on 23–25 May 2025.

Bloom brings science and ideas out of the laboratories and auditoriums and helps us reflect on the world, the universe, and ourselves.

Under the swaying treetops of the historical park Søndermarken, Bloom presents some of today’s most recognized scientists, researchers, philosophers, and artists. Explore talks, walks, music and art while casting a curious gaze at the mysteries and wonders of nature.

Bloom takes place in Søndermarken in Copenhagen on 23–25 May 2025 and is free for everyone to attend.

Dive into our English program below.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONTENT AT BLOOM 2024

FRIDAY

TALKS

17.00–17.45
How Emotions Are Made / Lisa Feldman Barrett / Mastermind / Summer

Does your anger feel the same as mine? And what exactly happens inside the brain when we feel joy or sadness? Neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett turns our ideas of how emotions are made upside down.


18.10–19.00
The Art of Deep Time / Katie Paterson / Mastermind / Summer

Can we sense the deep past of our planet and the universe? Scottish artist Katie Paterson explores the connections between life on Earth and the farthest reaches of time, nature, and the universe.


20.00–21.00
Magic Mushrooms / Ali Hakami Zanjani / Walk / Wanderlust (limited capacity)

Dangerous narcotics or revolutionary natural medicine? The active compound in psychedelic mushrooms, psilocybin, is more popular than ever – also in research laboratories. Biophysicist Ali Hakami Zanjani guides us through the latest discoveries in the magical world of mushrooms.


20.50–21.45
Pangaea Ultima / Katie Paterson, Rob Dunn, Jan Zalasiewicz & Peter Stanners / Symposium / Summer

Where will humanity be when the continents collide once again? Join three of this year's keynote speakers on a journey into Earth’s distant future to the supercontinent Pangaea Ultima.

MUSIC

19.00–19.45
Søn / Concert / Under the Oak

With poetic nerve and uncompromising compositions, Søn has left a unique mark on the sound of Danish rock in 2024.


21.45–22.30
PRISMA / Concert / Under the Oak
Under the Oak

Get a dose of electro-infused indie rock when the sibling duo PRISMA takes the stage with a high-energy and stylish live show.


22.45–23.15
802 / Concert / Under the Oak

802 wraps up Bloom's Friday program with an innovative and heavy interpretation of the shoegaze genre, blending dream and distortion into a higher unity.


23.15 – 00.00
DJ LoveCatt / DJ / Under the Oak

DJ LoveCatt has a pulsating heart for house music. Her energetic DJ sets are delivered with spontaneity, seasoned with inspiration from disco and funk.

The British biochemist Nick Lane
The British biochemist Nick Lane
PRISMA
PRISMA

SATURDAY

TALKS

12.30–13.15
Colonial Botany / Martha Ann Fleming, Casper Andersen, Jens Soelberg & Emmy Laura / Symposium / Spring

The Natural History Museum of Denmark holds botanical findings from around the world. But what stories of nature and colonialist expeditions does this plant collection tell? Three researchers shed new light on the colonial history of botany.


13.30–14.15
What is Love? / Lisa Feldman Barrett & Cat Bohannon / Mastermind / Summer

What happens in our brains when we are in love? And is there an evolutionary reason behind love blindness? Two of this year's keynote speakers try to make sense of the essence of love.


15.15–16.00
The Origin of Life / Nick Lane / Mastermind / Summer

How did life arise from inorganic molecules? The British biochemist Nick Lane dives deep into the history of evolution and into the human body to find answers to one of biology's greatest mysteries.


15.45–16.30
Microbe Music / Signe Lykke, Tom Gilbert & Victor Boy Lindholm / Live Artistic Research / Under the Oak

Can the DNA of a gut bacterium turn into classical music? Composer Signe Lykke has, in collaboration with leading microbiologists, created four unique compositions to be performed spontaneously by the string quartet NOVO Quartet throughout Bloom.


16.40–17.30
The Microbes Among Us / Rob Dunn / Mastermind / Summer

The American biologist Rob Dunn wants to challenge our microbe-blindness. With his original research experiments, he has found evidence that everywhere – from our navels and the walls of our homes to wild nature – there are microorganisms that are better to cooperate with than to kill.

17.15–18.00
The Power of Seeds / Vandana Shiva & Signe Voltelen / Symposium / Under the oak

The fight for climate change must be fought with quantum philosophy and plant seeds. The Indian science activist Vandana Shiva, often referred to as the Gandhi of grains, unfolds her view on the power of plant seeds.

17.30–18.15
Beer / Sotirios Kampranis, Christina Chatzinikolaou & Bodil Sofie Espersen / A Taste of... / Sprout (limited capacity)

Malt, hops, yeast, and water. How do you experiment with the taste of one of the world's oldest beverages? And how do you brew beer for a spring festival? Join a brewmaster and a plant biochemist, when they unfold the science behind the bitter and aromatic drops.

MUSIC

14.20–15.00
Astrid Sonne / Concert / Under the Oak

With an authentic voice and innovative compositional strength, Astrid Sonne opens new sonic spaces in the intersection of classical and electronic music.


19.10–19.55
Helena Gao / Concert / Under the Oak

Helena Gao invites you into her experimental pop universe as she kicks off Saturday night's program with razor-sharp vocals and self-ironic playfulness.


22.00–22.50
Kind mod Kind / Concert / Under the Oak

When darkness descends over Søndermarken, Kind mod Kind presents a cocktail of vulnerable pop and uninhibited club vibes.


22.50–00.00
Enterthevoigt / DJ / Under the Oak

With creative and challenging DJ sets, Enterthevoigt captivates dancers and curious minds in a web of funk, soul, disco, and house.

SUNDAY

TALKS

13.40–14.30
Eve – the Evolution of the Female Body / Cat Bohannon / Mastermind / Summer

The history of evolution has a blind spot: the female body. The American researcher and author Cat Bohannon retells the history of evolution and traces threads back to our forgotten ancestresses among the many 'Eves' of evolutionary biology.


15.30–16.30
Geoengineering / Carolin Löscher / Walk / Wanderlust (limited capacity)

Can we manipulate the weather to avoid climate catastrophes? Marine biologist Carolin Löscher explores the wild perspectives of artificial weather control.


15.30–16.15
The Earth After Us / Jan Zalasiewicz / Mastermind / Summer

What fossils will humans leave for future archaeologists and geologists? With his feet firmly planted in the deep past of the Earth and his eyes set on an equally distant future, geologist Jan Zalasiewicz offers some speculative insight into humanity's footprint on the planet.


17.00–17.45
The Darkness Manifesto / Johan Eklöf & Victor Boy Lindholm / Mastermind / Summer

What happens to life in a world that never turns off the lights? The Swedish biologist and bestselling author Johan Eklöf sheds new light on the planet's lack of darkness.

MUSIC

16.15–17.00
Astrid Engberg / Concert / Under the Oak

Modern R'n'B meets jazzy experimentation and classical soundscapes as Sunday vibes peak with Astrid Engberg's kaleidoscopic music at Under the Oak.

ART

During the entire festival, you can experience unique artworks, installations, and performances that bridge science and art.


Vortex / AVPD / Installation

Inspired by the maelstrom, the tornado, and the spiral arms of galaxies, artist duo AVPD has developed a sense-shifting installation artwork in the heart of the festival site, which both frames and challenges the sensation of the classic festival space.


Bruddet / Motherboard / Installation

A 5-meter-high installation 'Bruddet’ (The Breach) sets the stage for the interdisciplinary community Motherboards' interpretation of modern opera at this year's Bloom.


Kun stemmen bliver tilbage / Motherboard / Performance

The second part of an interdisciplinary opera trilogy stages the human voice at Bloom 2024 in three artistic formats surrounding the installation 'Bruddet' (The Breach).


Matters of Time / Honey Biba Beckerlee / Installation

Time is relative, fluid, and invisible. Yet it can be measured incredibly precisely. This year at Bloom 2024, artist Honey Biba Beckerlee has created a time-exploring installation inspired by the ultra-accurate atomic clocks.


Cocktail Printer / Svend Sømod / Interactive installation

At this year's festival, you'll find the interactive installation 'Cocktail Printer' by artist Svend Sømod – a transparent bar cabinet with over 30 different types of spirits, liqueurs, and syrups that makes algorithm-programmed cocktails on demand.


Microbe Music / Signe Lykke / Performance

What do music and microbes have in common? Inspired by meetings with evolutionary biologist Tom Gilbert, composer Signe Lykke has written four musical interpretations of our symbiosis with microbes.


Ven / Simon Hjermind Jensen / Installation

Artist Simon Hjermind Jensen's 'Ven’ (Friend) is inspired by the trees growing in Søndermarken. The light and airy character of the figure creates a sympathetic presence and playfully poses the question: How do we cultivate a friendly relationship with nature?

KIDS

Bloom’s Kids area is brimming with science and a festival atmosphere. Here, children and adults can try fun activities and learn about everything from the secrets of the Universe to the smallest insects. The area is open Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM.

In the Kids area, you can meet our partners: Brorfelde Observatorium, ZOO, Copenhagen Contemporary, Statens Naturhistoriske Museum, LIFE Fonden, Naturvejlederne på Frederiksberg, Aarhus Universitet & Studio Olafur Eliasson.