Families are invited to enter their pop star era this summer as the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford officially launches its brand-new Setting the Stage: Pop Academy event program.
Running throughout the school summer holidays from 18th July to 31st August 2026, the interactive experience is heavily inspired by the museum’s current temporary exhibition, Setting the Stage: 70 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest. The curated activities are designed to bring the magic of performance, music, and stagecraft to life, giving visitors of all ages the chance to step directly into the spotlight.
The headline interactive feature is the Recycled Remix Lab (tickets priced at £2 per child, under-5s and adults free). In this hands-on workshop, children can give old electronic devices a new lease of life while experimenting with physical vibrations, acoustics, and simple circuits to create their own unique musical beats.
A wide variety of completely free activities are also included alongside general museum admission. Families can take part in neon silent discos, dive into dressing-up stations, and capture memories at dedicated pop star photo opportunities. A self-guided Pop Academy trail will also run across the entire venue, allowing visitors to hunt down historic musical objects from the museum’s permanent collections.
For those looking to test their musical trivia, a free Setting the Stage interactive game show will run daily, led by the museum’s expert team of Explainers. The show ties directly into the main exhibition, which highlights the broadcast technology that has powered the Eurovision Song Contest over the last seven decades.
Extending the musical theme, Pictureville Cinema’s popular Kids’ Club will get a Pop Academy makeover. Special Saturday editions will feature high-energy sing-along screenings of family favourites like Frozen and Moana. An extended program of daily family films will also run all summer, keeping holiday entertainment budget-friendly with all Kids’ Club tickets priced at just £3.
Beyond the music schedule, visitors can still explore the museum’s permanent interactive spaces. This includes the hands-on light and sound experiments in Wonderlab, and the Sound and Vision galleries, where guests can try their hand at live radio broadcasting or explore the history of practical special effects for film and TV.
Other summer highlights include the return of the retro gaming zone Power Up (entry £3), featuring classic consoles from the 1970s arcade boom up to modern releases, and daily documentary screenings on Yorkshire’s largest IMAX screen.
General museum admission remains completely free, though entry slots must be pre-booked online ahead of arrival.
