BLOOM
BLOOM
– festival about science and nature
Bloom is the biggest science and nature festival in Denmark. The festival has free entrance and takes place in Søndermarken, Copenhagen on 23–25 May 2025.
Bloom brings science and ideas out of the laboratories and auditoriums and helps us reflect on the world, the universe, and ourselves.
Under the swaying treetops of the historical park Søndermarken, Bloom presents some of today’s most recognized scientists, researchers, philosophers, and artists. Explore talks, walks, music and art while casting a curious gaze at the mysteries and wonders of nature.
Bloom takes place in Søndermarken in Copenhagen on 23–25 May 2025 and is free for everyone to attend.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONTENT AT BLOOM 2025
FRIDAY
16.30-17.30
The Life of Plants / Emanuele Coccia / Mastermind / Summer
Plants are the foundation of our world. Italian plant philosopher Emanuele Coccia puts these oxygen-producing beings at the centre of philosophy and our lives in his new green existential thinking.
18.15-19.00
How Wine Works / Qian Janice Wang & Christoffer Brandt / Talk & Taste / Sprout (limited capacity)
How different do conventional wine and natural wine taste? Taste for yourself and learn more about the latest developments and science behind the noble drops with taste researcher Qian Janice Wang and wine expert Christoffer Brandt.
18.15-19.00
The Nutmeg’s Curse / Amitav Ghosh / Mastermind / Summer
According to Indian climate writer Amitav Ghosh, the root of today’s exploitation of Earth’s natural resources lies in historical colonialism. Experience one of the great authors of our time as he leads us out of that impasse in our imagination, where the climate crisis remains a backdrop only.
19.00-19.50
Brimheim / Concert / Under the Oak
Like a flower blooming from the mud, Brimheim gives voice to life’s fragmented layers with her dreamy and untamed indie rock.
20.00-20.45
Unknown Territory, Uncharted Waters / Anders Dunker & Helen Scales / Masterminds / Summer
We’re moving into unknown territory. The climate is changing, and nature is under pressure from human interference. Philosopher Anders Dunker dives into a dialogue with marine biologist Helen Scales about the last Wild West: the ocean.
21.15-22.00
Songs from Other Worlds / Marguerite Humeau & Dehlia Hannah / Live artistic research / Summer
Could elephants have become the dominant species on Earth? And what if humans lived like termites in gardens filled with fungi? The French artist Marguerite Humeau, currently exhibiting at ARKEN, creates alternative worlds and surreal ecosystems where other life forms have evolved in beautiful and unsettling ways.
22.00-22.50
DAYYANI / Concert / Under the Oak
With a powerful voice and playful songwriting, DAYYANI is well on the way to reshaping the sound of Danish electronic pop.
23.00-00.00
Téa / DJ / Sprout
Téa closes out Friday at Bloom with an eclectic mix of groovy house and percussion-driven rhythms.
SATURDAY
12.00-12.45
The Illusions of AI / Serge Belongie / Mastermind / Summer
Does your AI also feel strangely... human? American computer scientist and AI research pioneer Serge Belongie breaks the illusion and sheds new light on why we attribute human traits to chatbots and language models.
13.30-12.00
The Age of Living Machines / Susan Hockfield / Mastermind / Summer
The world of biology holds the key to the next technological revolution. Neuroscientist and former MIT president Susan Hockfield unfolds the sweeping story of how tomorrow’s engineering is inspired by nature.
14.15-14.55
Stella Darla / Concert / Under the Oak
Stella Darla’s salty nordicana sets the tone for life lived at the crossroads between the big city and the wind-blown west coast.
15.15-16.00
How Life Works / Philip Ball / Mastermind / Summer
What is life? And can you write a manual for one of the universe’s most complex phenomena using only four letters? British science writer Philip Ball guides us into the new biology and rethinks what life is and how it works.
15.30-16.15
The Memory of Glaciers / Andri Snær Magnason / Mastermind / Summer
A glacier is no longer a symbol of eternity but of Earth’s impermanence. Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason weaves together climate science, mythology, and social critique as he tells the story of the life and death of glaciers.
15.30-16.30
The Invasion of Squirrels / Claudia Rosa Romeu / Walk / Wanderlust (limited capacity)
We’re seeing more and more invasive grey squirrels than native red ones in our forests and cities. Could the key to the grey squirrels’ success be found in their stomachs? Biologist Claudia Rosa Romeu is on the trail of one of the overlooked issues of the biodiversity crisis.
16.45-17.30
The Stories of Our Climate / Amitav Ghosh & Andri Snær Magnason / Masterminds / Summer
Can climate change be captured in words and storytelling? And why do the Nordic and Indian creation myths resemble each other so much? Two of the world’s leading climate authors meet for the first time as Indian writer Amitav Ghosh and Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason take the stage for a conversation about the imprint of the climate crisis on the art of storytelling.
16.45-17.30
Ants, Machines and Other Minds / Wang & Söderström, David Nash & Mette-Marie Zacher Sørensen / Live artistic research
What is it like to be an ant? An oak tree? Or a robot? Artist duo Wang & Söderström talk with an ant researcher and a digital aesthetics researcher about the intersections of art, sensory biology, and technology.
17.30-18.30
The Invasion of Squirrels / Claudia Rosa Romeu / Walk / Wanderlust (limited capacity)
We’re seeing more and more invasive grey squirrels than native red ones in our forests and cities. Could the key to the grey squirrels’ success be found in their stomachs? Biologist Claudia Rosa Romeu is on the trail of one of the overlooked issues of the biodiversity crisis
18.15-19.00
The Living Robots / Philip Ball, Agnete Kirkeby & Johanna Seibt / Symposium / Summer
In 2020, scientists created living robots from the cells of the African clawed frog. But is science ready for Dr. Frankenstein’s dream of artificial life to become reality?
18.15-19.00
The Kingdom of Bacteria (Smagen af... Bakterieriget) / David Zilber, Morten O. A. Sommer & Bodil Sofie Espersen / A Taste of... / Sprout (limited capacity)
Have we underestimated the importance of bacteria in our food? And are we making full use of their potential today? Fermentation expert David Zilber and microbiologist Morten O. A. Sommer guide us through the magical world of bacteria.
19.00-19.50
Elias Rønnenfelt / Concert / Under the Oak
With one of last year’s best albums under his belt, Elias Rønnenfelt enchants Søndermarken with his poetic country rock.
19.50-20.50
Another Green World / Emanuele Coccia & Stig L. Andersson / Masterminds / Summer
Should the cities of the future be cultivated – not built? Can a meeting between natural philosophy and city planning point the way toward a different, greener world? Plant philosopher Emanuele Coccia and architect Stig L. Andersson share their visions for nature’s role in the cities and landscapes of the future.
21.15-22.00
Into the Psychosphere / Jakob Kudsk Steensen & Melanie Challenger / Live artistic research / Summer
Did life emerge in an underwater volcanic landscape? Based on his exhibition 'Psychosphere', artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen enters into dialogue with writer Melanie Challenger about the origins of life and the spread of different forms of intelligence.
22.00-23.00
PAYDAR / Concert / Under the Oak
As darkness falls over Søndermarken, PAYDAR serves up a high-energy cocktail of Middle Eastern melodies and hybrid beats.
23.00-00.00
Harrison Heat / DJ / Sprout
Harrison Heat keeps the Saturday party going with his colourful blend of Chicago house, disco and techno.
SUNDAY
12.00-12.45
Memories of the Earth System / Signe Lykke & Sofia Ribeiro / Live artistic research / Under the Oak
Can Earth's deep memory be turned into classical music? Composer Signe Lykke speaks with climate scientist Sofia Ribeiro and sound researcher Anette Vandsø about transforming the climate of the past into sheet music.
12.15-13.00
How to Be Animal / Melanie Challenger / Mastermind / Summer
Are humans really as exceptional as we think? And can we truly understand what it means to be human without understanding what it means to be animal? British science writer Melanie Challenger challenges our notions of human uniqueness and embraces our animal origins.
13.45-14.30
The Urban Naturalist / Menno Schilthuizen / Mastermind / Summer
A retro revolution is underway in biology: Anyone can go on nature expeditions and do fieldwork again. Join Dutch evolutionary biologist Menno Schilthuizen in his search for new species in the urban jungle.
14.30-15.10
Uden Ord / Concert / Under the Oak
Uden Ord enriches Bloom’s Sunday programme with their poetic and sensuous art rock.
15.15-16.00
The Kingdom of Fungi (Smagen af... Svamperiget) / Lene Lange, Kim Wejendorp & Bodil Sofie Espersen / A Taste of... / Sprout (limited capacity)
Can fungi save the world? Taste the fruits of the fungal kingdom and discover their many possibilities with Denmark’s leading fungi researcher Lene Lange and development chef Kim Wejendorp.
16.00-16.45
Like a Lichen / MAR/MÆR, Sascha Hellmann Hansen & Anders Djurslev / Live artistic research / Under the Oak
What can we learn from merging with the lichen that grows on oak bark? Performance duo MAR/MÆR explores the lichen’s symbiotic life form in dialogue with a lichenologist. What is it like to be – and to camouflage oneself as – a double organism made up of fungi and algae?
18.00-18.45
Tigeroak / Concert / Under the Oak
Settle in beneath the oak trees as Bloom is wrapped in Tigeroak’s cotton-soft, Nordic neo-soul.
ART
During the entire festival, you can experience unique artworks, installations, and performances that bridge science and art.
Last Survivors / Stine Deja / Installation
Artist Stine Deja has created three giant hybrids of humans and one of the world’s most resilient organisms: the microscopic tardigrade. Her work 'Last Survivors' is a spectacular vision of the future, depicting survival in an extreme world.
Unearthed / Signe Lykke & NOVO Quartet / Classical Concert
Can 540 million years of Earth's deep history be translated into classical music? In dialogue with leading climate scientists, composer Signe Lykke has created a new quartet piece for NOVO Quartet, inspired by the planet's elements.
Camouflage Strategy / MAR/MÆR / Performance
Can we merge with the bark and lichen of a tree? Performance duo MAR/MÆR brings their ‘Camouflage Strategy’ to Bloom – a performance where body, textile and movement blend with Søndermarken’s oak trees.
Sense Machine / Wang & Söderström / Installation
Floating among the treetops, a bodiless sensory apparatus is glimpsed. Is it a magnified insect antenna or a strange receiver transmitting signals from other species’ sensory worlds? Wang & Söderström’s ‘Sense Machine’ explores perception and intelligence at the intersection of nature and technology.
Ven / Simon Hjermind Jensen / Installation
Sewn architecture inspired by nature’s forms. A familiar figure returns to Bloom as architect Simon Hjermind Jensen once again installs his 6-metre-high creation ‘Ven’ in Søndermarken.
KIDS
Bloom’s Kids area is brimming with science and a festival atmosphere. Here, children and adults can try fun activities and learn about everything from the secrets of the Universe to the smallest insects. The area is open Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM.
In the Kids area, you can meet our partners: Brorfelde Observatory, Copenhagen ZOO, Copenhagen Contemporary, Natural History Museum Denmark, The LIFE Foundation, Naturvejlederne på Frederiksberg, Science Club Denmark & Danish Museum of Science and Technology.
