Cars, climate change and chart hits at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park science festival

Presenter Neil Monteiro on stage (Image: Archant)

Make the Future Live’s return to Stratford gave families the chance to take part and watch science experiments, as well as enjoy a show by singer and Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon.

School groups who visited the festival saw a variety of experiments, including one by presenter Neil Monteiro.

He said: “We need more and more kids to be aware of the big challenges in energy and climate change.

“With more events like these, showcasing the work scientists are doing now, I hope we can see more kids wanting to help solve these problems into the future.”

Activities for youngsters also included making cars powered by salt water and learning code.

Big-named acts also performed on the main stage across the weekend, including popstar Alesha Dixon, who performed some of her biggest hits on Saturday.

The event also presented a variety of vehicles powered by different fuel sources.

These sources, including petrol and solar power, were tested in specially designed cars driving around a track to see which could travel the furthest.

Various groups from universities and other areas had the chance to build their own cars for showcasing at the festival in the eco-marathon.

Competitors came from all over Europe with the chance to compete with cars that had taken a year to build.

The high temperatures proved to raise the stakes as teams had to adjust their cars to deal with the heat while on the track.

Members of the public visiting the festival came for all reasons. Some were enjoying the sunshine, while others came for the cars on display.

One such person was Jody Hughes, a carer from Blackheath who said: “I came last year and I was so happy to hear they were doing it again.

“I love watching the cars so I’m hoping to see lots more different ones this year.

“With the sun shining it’s been a great day! It’s great to have an event that’s free for everyone to enjoy.”