Concert News
CHRIS PACKHAM, TANITA TIKARAM, GINA RIPPON, REGGIE WATTS, AND MORE JOIN THE COSMIC SHAMBLES FOREST OF SCIENCE AND CULTURE
Following the exciting launch of Latitude Festival’s newest arena earlier this year, The Cosmic Shambles Forest of Science and Culture today unveils a major new wave of names and programming for 2025, bringing together world-renowned scientists, beloved performers, pioneering musicians, and bold new experiences, all set in a captivating woodland wonderland.
This unique space, curated by the award-winning team behind The Cosmic Shambles Network, will blend science, music, literature, comedy and curiosity in unforgettable ways. Today’s additions raise the bar even higher.
Joining the line-up are some of the most distinctive voices from across science and the arts:
- Chris Packham – naturalist, broadcaster, author and activist
- Professor Gina Rippon – renowned neuroscientist and author of The Gendered Brain
- Tanita Tikaram – Legendary singer-songwriter behind “Twist in My Sobriety”, who has announced her new record LIAR (Love Isn’t A Right) for October 2025, a sequel to her 1988 debut, Ancient Heart
- Reggie Watts – multi-talented performer, musician and comedian known for his improvisational looping performances and as bandleader on Comedy Bang! Bang!
- Dr Anjana Khatwa – dynamic Earth scientist and presenter
- Dr Jess French – Best selling author, broadcaster and veterinary surgeon
- Professor Tamsin Edwards – leading climate scientist and IPCC author
- Dr Jen Gupta – award-winning astrophysicist and science communicator
- Dr Dean Burnett – neuroscientist and bestselling author of The Happy Brain
- Dr Kwame Asante – NHS doctor and rising star of stand-up comedy
- Rachel Taylor-Beales – Musician and artist
- Professor Elizabeth Black – Computer scientist and safe AI researcher
- Jax Leonard – Up and coming singer-songwriter
- Dr George Dransfield – Astrophysicist in the field of Exoplanetology
- John-Luke Roberts – Multi award winning surrealist comedian and writer
- Jess French – Wildlife expert, TV presenter and award-winning author focused on conservation and sustainability
They join a previously announced line-up including Robin Ince, Dr Helen Czerski, Reece Shearsmith, Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Professor Chris Lintott, Professor Kevin Fong, Dr Erica McAlister, David McAlmont, Suzi Gage, Joanna Neary, Subhadra Das, Nikesh Shukla, Lewis Hancox, and many more.
“We’re delighted to finally unveil more of what we’ve been planning for the Cosmic Shambles Forest at Latitude,” said Trent Burton, producer and co-founder of The Cosmic Shambles Network. “This space is a sort of evolution of what we’ve been doing at Latitude for years, and we’re excited to bring together all manner of people to celebrate curiosity in all it’s forms. Whether you’re after puppets or particle physics, microbiology or music or possessed ventriloquist dummies, there’ll be something to make you think, laugh, be curious about and celebrate in the Shambles forest”.
“The response to the Cosmic Shambles Forest has been incredible,” added Melvin Benn, Founder and Director of Latitude Festival. “When we first announced this new arena, we knew it would be special, but seeing how it’s evolved and grown with these remarkable new additions proves just how hungry our audience is for this blend of brilliant minds and bold creativity. These voices will make this space truly unforgettable. The Forest is quickly becoming one of the most exciting developments in Latitude’s history.”
Museum Street welcomes its final two exhibitors: Greenpower, who get young people building and racing electric cars, and The Centre for Computing History, home to decades of digital innovation. They join an already packed street of pop-up science and culture, including the National Physical Laboratory, Royal Museums Greenwich, the Crab Museum, and more.
After dark, the forest opens up to the stars. The Orwell Astronomical Society will lead stargazing and solar observation sessions across the weekend, letting festival-goers look up in wonder with expert guidance.
Also announced today is the full programme for the Cosmic Cinema, which transforms the forest by night into an open-air cinema of the strange, smart, and sublime. The weekend’s features include:
- Rapid Motion Through Space (2023), a joyride through the science and culture of speed in all its forms, directed by Trent Burton
- Curious People (2024), a behind-the-scenes look at the origin of Nine Lessons and the explosion of science entertainment featuring Robin Ince, Josie Long, Brian Cox, Chris Hadfield and more
- The Origins of a Bibliomaniac (2024), a tender and eccentric portrait of the original bibliomaniac of Shambles, Robin Ince’s father, books, grief and gigging
- The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961), a prophetic, apocalyptic British classic of nuclear catastrophe
- Dead of Night (1945), the supernatural horror anthology that helped shape the genre
- Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), a haunting masterpiece of Australian cinema, newly restored for 2025
These screenings will be accompanied by live introductions and discussion as part of Robin Ince’s Uncanny Film Club.
From the moment the gates open, the Cosmic Shambles Forest will pulse with energy, hosting live science talks, thrilling hands-on experiments, and curious minds gathering around the Discovery Sheds. The Apollo Stage will present everything from climate science to horror cinema, particle physics to literature, neurodiversity to space exploration, while special programming includes Thursday’s An Uncanny Hour: Live Late Night with Reece Shearsmith and Robin Ince, and Friday’s Nine Lessons for Latitude at the Listening Post.
With its café, bar, bookshop, and countless surprises tucked between the trees, the Forest represents a genuinely new destination for Latitude Festival. With its roots deep in creativity, curiosity, and a little bit of chaos, The Cosmic Shambles Forest is set to become an unmissable destination where human ingenuity and imagination collide. Whether you come to laugh, learn, listen, or just get lost in wonder, this new arena promises to make the world more wonderful and weird.