Cambridge Science Centre and the Upbeat Big Band are bringing Offbeat Science back to the Cambridge Junction this November.
Prepare for an uproarious show of music and live science that blurs the lines between pulse-raising big band jazz and explosive scientific discovery!
Is it Jazz? Is it Science?
Set against a live soundtrack of jazz, tango, blues, and soul, Offbeat Science asks: Is it jazz? Is it science? It could be both, but it will definitely be mayhem.
This year, we are taking this awe-inspiring collaboration to a new level. The Upbeat Big Band will feature vocals from Andrew Farrer and Chloe Grimes, alongside guest musicians and Argentine tango dancers – including UK stage tango champion David Chartoriski and Bethshona Kenny – who will perform whilst demonstrating scientific principles like the conservation of momentum.
A Sensory Scientific Adventure
This year’s show will have a biological theme, with a focus on the human senses. Watch, listen and feel as the five most famous senses (hearing, smell, taste, sight, and touch) are demonstrated live on stage, before we dive into the science of lesser-known senses like proprioception and balance.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Cambridge Science Centre show if we didn’t take a few wild tangents to explore wider scientific principles. The team test the physics of a bowling ball pendulum (as we hope the laws of physics don’t deviate when bowling balls are involved!), alongside the magic of explosive chemistry, and our fire tube returns as we visualise sound live on stage.
Offbeat Science is a spectacular demonstration of how music and science – far from being worlds apart – sit alongside one another in harmony, as part of the everyday wonder of life.
Key Event Details:
- Date: Sunday, 15th November 2026
- Time: Two performances: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm and 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
- Location: J2, The Cambridge Junction
- Age: 7-years-old and above
Offbeat Science is brought to you in partnership with Cambridge Junction, Cambridge Jazz Festival, and Cambridgeshire Music.
