Aberdeen will burst into life from 19-22 July when the Tall Ships Races 2025 arrive in the city, and the University of Aberdeen is looking forward to being part of the fun with a variety of events.
The Tall Ships Races will bring 45 vessels and an estimated 400,000 visitors to the region to enjoy Europe’ s largest free family event.
The University is a partner of the event and whether it’s exploring our research, enjoying some storytelling, or getting creative through hands-on activities, there’s lots of ways to get involved throughout the course of the four-day extravaganza. Among the activities the University is part of is Festival of the Sea – a programme of maritime events taking place around the city.
On July 21, members of the public can enjoy a thought-provoking discussion looking at ‘who should own the ocean and the products derived from it’. An international panel of experts in ocean diplomacy, science and art will share their thoughts at the event which will take place in the Sir Duncan Rice Library.
The following day, July 22, the University Collections will host an online event entitled: ‘Festival of the Sea: Online Talk – Sea Monsters of Medieval and Renaissance Maps with Chet van Duzer. Chet van Duzer is a renowened historian of cartography.
In addition to the Festival of the Sea programme, the University will also be part of the Tall Ships Discovery Zone, which will feature fun and informative activities for all the family in the city’s Castlegate. Researchers from across the University will be showcasing their work related to the sea, marine wildlife and costal communities through fun, interactive hands-on-activities.
Visitors will be able to find out more about the importance of fish in our diets from scientists from the Rowett Institute while researchers from the School of Biological Sciences will show what it’s like to be a marine mammal researcher, offering up the chance to get a close up look at bones and teeth from various species and learn how these mammals are studied. The University’s Linguistics department will be on hand to explore the linguistic connections between local doric and our North Sea Neighbours; and people can get hands-on in an interactive activity from the School of Law and the Marine Biodiversity Centre, exploring how medicines are made.
Staff from the Confucius Institute will also be part of the celebrations, allowing visitors of all ages to step into the world of Chinese culture; and the National Decommissioning Centre will help people to step into the secret underwater world of offshore energy structures with an immersive VR Experience. Meanwhile, the School of Engineering will have its Wee Holo Cam on display, a state of the art piece of equipment which is being used to discover new species of microorganisms in our seas and waterways.
Rachel Elliot from the University of Aberdeen’s Public Engagement with Research Unit said: “The Tall Ships Races is definitely one of the highlights of the North East’s event calendar this year, and we are all excited to be a part of it.
“From the events taking place during the Festival of the Sea programme to all the fantastic research in action that will be featured in The Discovery Zone, the University’s presence during the course of the Tall Ships Races will be informative, interesting and entertaining with something on offer for all the family.
“We look forward to meeting people from across the region and beyond and showing them just a sample of what the University has to offer. It’s going to be a fantastic few days for the city and we are all really looking forward to taking part.”
For more information about all the University events taking place during the Tall Ships Races, visit The Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025 | What's On | The University of Aberdeen.