Maths Week celebrates 20 years with special events in Derry

Maths Week, the all-island festival celebrating the joy of maths, returns across Northern Ireland from Saturday, October 11 to Sunday, October 19 2025, marking its 20th anniversary with its most ambitious programme yet.

The Maths Week team will be taking their live pop-up maths exhibit to the Guildhall in Derry (11.00am – 4.00pm) on Saturday October 18, this Maths Week, with activities for all the family. Everyone can pop in for a taste of the lighter side of maths puzzles, games and challenges to engage and entertain people of all ages. It’s free and no booking is required.

Maths Week works with schools, colleges, libraries, museums and community organisations to promote enjoyment of maths and numbers which form part of everyday life for everyone across society and the economy. By the end of this year’s festival, total participation over two decades will exceed five million people across the island, north and south.

Maths Week has become the world’s largest maths festival, engaging hundreds of thousands of people each year. Teacher surveys show that 85% of students felt more positive about maths after taking part.

Maths underpins many of Northern Ireland’s fastest growing industries, from advanced engineering to the renewable energy, the agrifood industry, technology, medtech and financial services.

Employers continue to report strong demand for maths-based skills, while research shows that STEM graduates enjoy stronger career prospects and higher lifetime earnings.

At the same time, Maths Week highlights that maths is for everyone, of all ages and abilities, and is part of everyday life from budgeting to design, sport and technology.

This year’s anniversary programme celebrates two decades of success while looking to the future. Maths Week 2025 will feature activities throughout Northern Ireland, along with online workshops, school events, public lectures, trails and broadcasts.

Highlights include the internationally renowned ‘Mathmagician’ Andrew Jeffrey performing at Holy Cross College, Strabane, and at The Guildhall, Derry.

Known for his unconventional teaching style, highly respected Dr. Tom Crawford of Oxford University will visit schools in Dungannon and Armagh.

Derry will also host Maths in the City on Saturday, October 18, bringing hands-on problem-solving and puzzles to the city centre.

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Eoin Gill, Director of Maths Week, said: “Maths Week was created to replace any sense of fear with curiosity and enjoyment. Over the past 20 years we have seen that when maths is made visible, playful and relevant, people thrive. Last year more than half a million people took part across the island, a clear sign of the appetite to connect with maths in new and positive ways.

“As we look ahead, maths will be central to our progress and prosperity. It drives innovation, fuels creativity and shapes the solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. The task for the next 20 years is to ensure that every child in every community can see themselves as capable of doing maths.

"The legacy of Maths Week will be a generation of problem solvers and innovators who see maths as part of who they are and as a key to building our shared future.”