With over 3,000 visitors, Mines Saint-Étienne closes out the 2026 edition of the Science Festival in style! Visitors of all ages and backgrounds threw themselves into the workshops, exhibitions and other presentations designed to approach science in an unconventional way. The result: a renewed interest in the world of science, and perhaps even the spark of future vocations.
La Soucoupe and Explora: playful explorations
The events “La Soucoupe fête la Science” and “Explora fête la Science” brought together 1,000 participants on 3 and 7 October in Saint-Étienne. Organised by La Rotonde, the activities sparked the imagination of younger visitors through space exploration, experiments and interactive workshops.
Everything was designed so that everyone could touch, question and test — in short, discover science in an accessible, hands-on way!
Nuit de la Recherche: science in pyjamas
On Friday 9 October, curious minds gathered at the Mining Museum in Saint-Étienne until late into the night. And with a programme like this, there was no question of nodding off!
Meetings with scientists, workshops and laboratory experiments, games, virtual reality, moonlit walks and a pyjama party: the 1,000 visitors to the Puits Couriot let themselves be carried away by an extraordinary evening built around the theme of dreams.
Science at the village in Gardanne
The Aix-Marseille-Provence campus of Mines Saint-Étienne hosted the Gardanne Science Village* from 8 to 10 October. Here too, the focus was on the joy of discovery through hands-on activities, interaction and building.
Mission accomplished for over 1,600 participants, who expanded their knowledge while having fun on this scientific playground set up especially for the occasion!
The strong turnout at all these events allows Mines Saint-Étienne to reinforce its commitment to promoting and democratising scientific culture. Beyond this flagship event, the School remains engaged throughout the year through initiatives led by La Rotonde, its Centre for Scientific, Industrial and Technical Culture.
*The Gardanne Science Village was co-organised by the Gardanne media library and La Rotonde – Science Centre of the École des Mines de Saint-Étienne, Aix-Marseille-Provence Campus, with the participation of numerous partners.
