A journey into the heart of research, from space exploration to genetics, from the Big Bang to music. A place to meet astronauts, scientists, athletes, artists and science communicators, to experience science first-hand in every dimension, to explore discoveries and innovations, to learn through curiosity and fun, and to offer everyone the chance to understand and explore our universe in an interactive, engaging way. All this and more is Passion, the theme chosen for the new edition of Focus Live 2025, taking place at the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci in Milan from 7^th to 9^th November, with three days of talks, workshops and immersive experiences.

The Festival of Knowledge, created and organised by Focus –  Italy’s most widely read magazine among enthusiasts of technology, science, sustainability and innovation, directed by Gian Mattia Bazzoli  – reaches its eighth edition this  year, confirming the success of a format that in 2024 attracted and engaged more than 18.000 visitors.

“As every year, Focus Live returns in November. In this new edition, everything is connected by a single thread: passion. This theme truly represents us: it drives the Focus editorial team, and we know it belongs to our readers too, who have always been passionate about science and discovery. But it’s also what we’ve seen in the countless scientists, astronauts, communicators, athletes and explorers who’ve joined us over the years. We’ve seen them up close, met them, and watched them in action. Beyond their undeniable expertise – and sometimes genius – there’s always something they share: an inexhaustible energy. We’ve realised that this passion is what drives a researcher not to give up and an explorer to look beyond the horizon. And it’s exactly this energy we’ll be celebrating from 7^th to 9^th November at the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci in Milan,” said Gian Mattia Bazzoli, Editor-in-Chief of Focus.

Open to the public and completely free of charge (booking required), Focus Live has, for eight years, invited people to reflect on the crucial role of science in shaping our future, and to explore the achievements of human knowledge in an accessible, engaging way: from physics to medicine, biology to genetics, environmental protection to technology and digital communication. Throughout the festival, visitors will be guided on an experiential and exploratory journey to discover how, even in science – where method and rationality reign supreme – passion, together with curiosity, is the essential force that drives researchers to persevere and redefine our future.

Focus Live 2025 will open on Friday 7^th November at 10 a.m. with a very special guest: ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who will share her “space passions”, between personal experiences and reflections on the future of space exploration and research.

The programme will feature over 100 events, with innovative formats, a mix of genres and disciplines – music and nature, theatre and biology, sport and technology, cooking – and a wide range of authoritative voices animating the Main Stage, Speakers’ Corner, Creators’ Corner and Kids Area.

The festival will come to life across its stages, each opening a window on curiosity. On Main Stage, leading figures from science and culture will explore some of today’s most fascinating and topical themes. Among them: how our body might react if it had superpowers; the new frontiers of genetic research with Luigi Naldini, Director of the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy; the Olympic championMara Navarria on science, sacrifice and the joy of achieving a dream; journalist Matteo Bordoneanalysing the age-old bond between humans and cats; physicist Guido Tonelli exploring the “wonder of the quantum void”; and Massimo Temporelli, who will literally draw physics live on stage. Visitors will also discover the chemistry of chocolate with Ernst Knam, learn how neuroscience reveals the unconscious mechanisms behind our purchasing choices with Vincenzo Russo, hear the extraordinary story of a musician who underwent brain surgery while awake with neurosurgeon Christian Brogna, and learn how to avoid the traps of pseudoscience with Beatrice Mautino. The Main Stage will also host key institutional voices, including Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Italy’s Minister for the Environment and Energy Security, who will address the topic of the energy transition.

For those seeking a more focused and personal deep dive, the Speakers’ Corner will offer direct contact with experts. This space will host in-depth dialogues, where visitors can, for example, watch the 3D printing of organs with the University of Milan, explore how artificial intelligence can help prevent crime, discover how organoids work with Simona Lodato  from Humanitas University, and debunk fake news about neurodivergence withAntonella Costantino. They will also be able to look at the future of agriculture with Patrick Gerlich, and go in search of lost civilisations with Carolina Orsini from Mudec in Milan. Next door, the Creators’ Corner will give a platform to digital science communicators who bring science to life on social media every day. For younger visitors (aged 2 to 13), the Kids Area, curated by Focus Junior, will feature a 300-square-metre laboratory where children can discover the joy of STEM subjects by getting hands-on with science. Throughout the festival, attendees can book guided tours of the Leonardo Galleries and the Spazio Area, step into the shoes of a real astronaut at Base Marte, or try The Touch, an innovative sensory escape game blending reality and virtuality in a Mars-based adventure. The new i.lab Sostenibilità will also be open, inviting visitors—through games, experiments, and immersive installations—to understand what makes a product or an action sustainable, taking into account every element within its wider system.

Among the confirmed guests are researcher Nicole Soranzo, who studies the DNA of Europeans; Elio e le Storie Tese, who will deliver a “very serious” lesson on their unique vision of musical passion; astrophysicists  Amedeo Balbi and Luca Perri, and science communicator Federico Taddia with a surprising take on Albert Einstein.

Rounding out the programme will be two evening shows: on Friday 7^th November at 8.30 pm, Federico Basso will host La scienza vista dal Basso, a light-hearted quiz show that makes learning about science fun; while on Saturday 8^th November at 8.30 pm, Massimo Polidoro will present Delitto al museo, an immersive crime night that will take participants inside the minds of investigators and the labs of forensic scientists to solve a mysterious case set in the museum itself.

The festival will close on Sunday at 6.30 pm with Luca Perri and Giacomo Moro Mauretto in La passione è un motore o un freno a mano?

What’s new

Many new features for this year’s edition of the festival. The first big news is that Focus Live 2025 will take place in the Cavallerizze area of the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci. Located next to the Enrico Toti submarine, between the Monumental Building and the Aeronaval Pavilion, the Cavallerizze are today the result of an important architectural restoration and urban redevelopment project. Originally built in the 19^th century, when the Olivetan monastery was converted into barracks, the spaces feature vast interiors, exposed brick walls and large windows.

Inside, visitors will find a large 5-metre-diameter inflatable planetarium, created in collaboration with PLANit. This won’t just be a place to gaze at the night sky, but a truly immersive, hands-on experience.

There will also be another stage — the most immersive of all — located in the Outdoor Area. After all, passion is not just something to listen to, but something to live. The Experience Areas will be richer than ever: visitors can step inside a tent used by researchers from the University of Milano-Bicocca for ice core drilling in glaciers and Antarctica, travel back in time to the Big Bang aboard a massive EGO Observatory truck, explore new worlds through virtual reality headsets, or play with the geometric tessellations of Università Cattolica. They can also test their skills on simulators, challenge artificial intelligence systems, or try rock climbing on an artificial wall — an exciting activity with wide-ranging physical and mental benefits.

Eni will also be part of Focus Live, presenting Supercalcolo, Super passione, an installation designed by Amigdala.ch (a Swiss studio specialising in new technology applications). The project explores the power of supercomputing — the silent force behind research, industry and everyday life — and builds unique stories in real time. Each visitor, through their own choices, will have the chance to create a personalised narrative with AI, both in text and voice form.

Event booking opens today on www.focuslive.it Two time slots are available: morning (10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.) and afternoon (2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m). Those wishing to stay all day can, of course, book both sessions.

Waiting for Focus Live 2025

Once again, Focus Live extends beyond its three festival days with a series of preparatory events, offering audiences a chance to experience science and culture in advance. For the first time, Aspettando Focus Live has expanded beyond Milan — visiting Naples in May and soon Turin, where on 25^th October at 3:15 p.m. at the Infini.to Planetarium, the event Sotto le stelle di Torino a caccia di nuovi mondi will take place — an immersive journey through exoplanets with astrophysicists. Davide Gandolfi and Gloria Guilluy, experts in exoplanetary research and climate.

Partners and sponsors

This year’s edition of Focus Live is made possible through the collaboration and support of a wide range of institutions, research centres and universities, including: ADMaiora, ASI, Business&Roads, European Gravitational Observatory (EGO), ESA, FBK, Human Technopole, IIT, INAF, Istituto Superiore Sant’Anna, JRC – Joint Research Centre, Kosmos, PLANit – Associazione dei Planetari Italiani, Politecnico di Torino, Smonting, Think About Science, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Università degli Studi di Milano, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Università degli Studi di Trieste.

Focus Live is a Mondadori Media event, organised in collaboration with the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci and numerous partners.

MAIN PARTNERS: Eni, Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security

PARTNERS: Bayer, Grotte di Frasassi, Humanitas University, Jordan Oral Care, Subito, Toyota Motor Italia

CONTENT PARTNERS: AIRC Foundation for Cancer Research, Mondadori Education

OFFICIAL RADIO: R101

In collaboration with the Cultural Olympiad of Milan Cortina 2026

AREA KIDS powered by Focus Junior

Advertising sales for Focus Live are managed by Piemme S.p.A., the brand’s exclusive advertising agency.

The communication campaign and creative concept for the event set-up were developed by Zampe Diverse, with production and organisational management by Left & Right.