Cardiff University researchers, artists and festival audiences came together at the Pandemonium stage at Green Man 2026 to explore some of society's most pressing challenges.
Green Man is Wales' largest music, science and contemporary culture festival, attracting around 25,000 visitors each day. Pandemonium is Green Man's interactive challenge-and-solution stage, bringing together researchers, artists and the public to tackle complex social issues through creativity and participation.
Through a series of immersive and participatory experiences in Einstein's Garden , the 2026 Pandemonium programme showcased five Cardiff University-led projects, each designed to encourage audiences to engage with research in creative, thought-provoking and interactive ways:
- Tasty Plastics: An Edible Banquet Experience explored naturally derived alternatives to plastic. Postgraduate researchers Stephen Cheung and Jake Henn challenged audiences to rethink sustainable materials, with some participants even given the opportunity to taste the future.
- Greetings From Creepy Futures: Wish You Were/Weren't Here, led by Dr Katarzyna Stawarz examined the ethical implications of emerging technologies and asked audiences what they might be willing to sacrifice in an increasingly digital world.
- Engineering Peace: The Bridge We Choose? You Decide! saw Dr Venkat Bakthavatchaalam use storytelling, games and audience participation to explore how engineering, empathy and creativity can contribute to more peaceful and sustainable societies.
- Doctors & Dragons: A Live Quest! brought cancer research and clinical trials to life through an interactive role-playing adventure led by the Cardiff Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC).
- Fact Traitors: How Faithful Are You to the Truth? invited audiences to investigate a fictional public health crisis while learning how misinformation and infectious diseases spread, led by researchers Bethan Mansfield and Alex Cusmano.
Together, the activities demonstrated how creative collaboration can spark curiosity, encourage dialogue and bring complex research topics to life in ways that resonate with broad public audiences.
Supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) , the Pandemonium programme demonstrated how universities and cultural organisations can work together to make research more accessible, relevant and engaging for diverse audiences.
Cardiff University's involvement in Green Man 2026 builds on a longstanding partnership with the festival, which entered a new chapter earlier this year with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding focused on research, innovation, education, public engagement and student opportunities.
In 2026, ten Cardiff University students secured internships through the University's Student Futures+ programme, undertaking roles across communications, event management and sustainability while contributing directly to the delivery of one of Wales' leading cultural festivals.
Cardiff University and Green Man share a belief in the power of bringing people together through ideas, creativity and curiosity. We are both committed to making a positive contribution to Wales and beyond through research, education, culture, innovation and community engagement. This year's Pandemonium programme is a wonderful example of that partnership in action. Across the festival, Cardiff University researchers, students and creative collaborators invited audiences to explore some of the most important issues facing society, from sustainable materials and future technologies to cancer research, misinformation and inclusive engineering, our researchers are engaging festival audiences in conversations about some of the most important challenges facing society today.
As Cardiff University and Green Man look ahead, the new MoU will support the continued development of initiatives such as Pandemonium while creating new opportunities for collaboration , innovation and public engagement , ensuring research continues to connect with communities in creative and impactful ways.
