London is getting ready to celebrate 15 years of award-winning free science talks bringing cutting-edge discoveries to the iconic Southbank.
On Saturday 23rd May 2026, from 1:00pm-4:00pm, Queen’s Stone on the Southbank will once again transform into a hub of awe and scientific wonder, as ZSL’s Soapbox Science sees world-leading women and non-binary researchers take to their soapboxes and present their groundbreaking research at this free, live event.
Marking 15 years of challenging stereotypes and bringing science to city streets across the world, this year’s London event will treat the Southbanks’ visitors to a stellar line-up of esteemed scientists with each speaker set to captivate, astonish and amaze their audience from the banks of the Thames.
Founded by ZSL’s Institute of Zoology’s Professor Nathalie Pettorelli and UCL’s Professor Seirian Sumner in 2011, Soapbox Science aims to address gender imbalance within the global scientific community and inspire the next generation of scientists.
Science on the Southbank - what to expect at London 2026
With this special anniversary edition of the event also marking the 200th anniversaries of both founding organisations, attendees will hear from scientists from both conservation charity ZSL and world-renowned university UCL. UCL’s Professor Sudaxshina Murdan will explain why doctors may soon be using printers to treat fungal infections, while ZSL’s Sophie Ledger will dive into how we know which animals are most at risk of going the way of the dodo – and how that empowers us to save them.
To celebrate the occasion, Soapbox Science’s founders will also be making their debuts speaking on the Southbank’s soapboxes to share their work, with Nathalie Pettorelli speaking on how future-proofing our cities relies on sharing them with nature, and Seirian Sumner making the case for why we should all consider giving wasps a little more love.
15 years of challenging stereotypes and inspiring future scientists
With women making up only 33% of scientists globally, and many reports still fail to consider non-binary people when monitoring for diversity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), Soapbox Science has spent the last 15 years working to address this imbalance, and has expanded far beyond the capital city where it all began.
The programme has delivered over 300 events in 90 cities across 17 different countries - from Brazil to Australia - and celebrated the work of almost 4,000 scientists across the world.
The Southbank event is one of 42 events set to take place globally across 2026, including in Nigeria, Finland and Indonesia.
Co-founder Professor Nathalie Pettorelli from ZSL said: “We’re all born curious about the world around us, yet far too many women and non-binary people are made to feel that they can’t pursue a career in science. How many discoveries are we missing simply because the people that would ask the right questions aren’t able to get into the room to ask them?
“That’s why we’ve spent the last 15 years spotlighting women and non-binary scientists and their incredible discoveries – not only platforming the world-leading scientists of today, but inspiring the pioneers of the future.”
Founded in 1826, ZSL has spent two centuries working to restore wildlife and support ecosystems around the globe. Today our mission continues through conservation projects in more than 80 countries, alongside our two conservation zoos: London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo.