Brainiac Live!

Brainiac Live! comes to the Grand Opera House on Sunday 13 September, a family science show that's back for 2026 after picking up the Olivier Award for Best Family Show in 2025. If you've got kids and a bit of curiosity, it's the sort of thing that works well as a Sunday afternoon out.

It's live science on stage, and they describe it as "the biggest and most volatile science live" — which gives you a fair idea of the energy. The set is built around explosive experiments, with microwave stakes, grills and live risk stakes. It's not a lecture; it's a show where things actually happen in front of you, and the "explosive" part isn't just a turn of phrase.

It's a family show, and they've set the age at 5+, so it's geared for younger children and their parents rather than a specialist science crowd. The Olivier Award from 2025 puts it in good company for family theatre, and it's returning for 2026 with that same live, high-energy approach. If you're looking for something to do with the kids that's a bit more active than a cinema trip, this fits the bill.

It's a paid show, and you can get tickets online at atgtickets.com/york or at the box office. It's on Sunday 13 September at the Grand Opera House in York, and it's suitable for ages 5 and up.