Organisers have announced that the 2026 edition of the Asteroid Day Festival will take place on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 June 2026 at Cercle Cité in Luxembourg-Ville.

Recognised by the United Nations, Asteroid Day is a program led by the Asteroid Foundation, a Luxembourgish foundation benefiting from the institutional support of the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA). The 2026 edition is supported by the National Research Fund (FNR), the André Losch Foundation, and the Œuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte.

The free event is open to the public and, with discussions focused on planetary defence and space exploration, will feature contributions from astronauts Julie Payette, Mike Foreman and cosmonaut Dorin Prunariu, as well as scientists, policymakers, European institutions and space agencies, highlighting Luxembourg's role as a leading European space nation.

As part of the ASPIRE educational program, visits and exchanges with students will be organised in several Luxembourgish schools on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June. The public programme of the festival will begin at the Cercle Cité with an interactive opening evening on Friday 26 June, which will be followed by a full day of conferences and exhibitions on Saturday 27 June..

Asteroid Day Festival Opening Night - Friday 26 June, from 19:30 to 22:00

The festival opens with a live Space Trivia session, bringing audiences together for an entertaining introduction to space science and discoveries.

The evening continues with Astronomer for a Night, an immersive astronomy experience led by Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi. Participants will observe asteroids, planets and deep-sky objects live through the Virtual Telescope Project while exploring new approaches to making astronomy accessible through sound and haptic technologies.

Asteroid Day Festival Public Day - Saturday 27 June, 10:00 to 18:00

The festival’s main public day will fill Cercle Cité with talks, demonstrations, exhibitions and hands-on activities exploring space science, planetary defence and space exploration. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet Canadian astronaut Julie Payette, NASA astronaut Mike Foreman and Romanian cosmonaut Dorin Prunariu, alongside scientists and experts working on asteroid missions, planetary defence and future space exploration.

The programme will also feature participation from the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the European Space Agency (ESA), the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA), representatives linked to the European Commission's Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS), the European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC) as well as companies and organisations active across the space and education sectors in Luxembourg and the Greater Region.

The organisers said the festival highlights Luxembourg's important role in the international space sector while giving young people, families and educators direct access to the experts, technologies and ideas shaping the future of space exploration.

Entry to all events is free; however, as places are limited, registration is required.

Registration details and the full event programme can be found at: https://asteroidday.org/events-in-luxembourg/