Pestival

Curators of insect eco-entertainment, showcasing the ingenuity of insects through arts & culture
WINNERS OF: The Observer Ethical Awards 2010: Conservation

05/05/2026

This weekend! Zombie Ant Fungus arrives at The Royal Institution. Don't miss an explosive evening of art, science and performance. Tickets in bio

01/05/2026

🧠🍄🐜
ZOMBIE ANT FUNGUS: THE CHEMISTRY OF CONTROL
A radical new live performance at the Royal Institution
What if something could take control of your body…
and you wouldn’t even know?
Based on the real biology of Ophiocordyceps — a parasitic fungus that hijacks ants — this immersive show blends:
🎭 theatre
🎶 sound + music
🧪 neuroscience + mycology
🧠 behaviour + control
Part science.
Part performance.
Part experiment.
Created by Pestival, Zombie Ant Fungus explores where chemistry becomes communication — and how unseen systems shape autonomy, agency, and the boundaries of the self.
✨ Two nights. Two panels:
🔬 Saturday — scientists unpack the real biology
🎭 Sunday — artists explore science through culture
📍 London
📅 9–10 May
🎟 Link in bio
Come and experience science — not as explanation, but as something you feel

21/04/2026

The brilliant John Lloyd will be joining us at the Royal Institute on Sunday 10th May for a post show culture discussion alongside these fascinating speakers, Anna Dumitriu — internationally recognised artist working with microbiology and biotechnology, Andrew Adamatzky — pioneer using fungi and slime moulds to explore distributed intelligence, Jason Singh — Vocal artist, composer and sound innovator, known for transforming natural systems, science and environment into immersive live sonic performance, and Bridget Nicholls — cultural entomologist and founder of Pestival
Not to be missed! Get your tickets from the link in the bio.
"From its outset in 1800, the Royal Institution was so popular that Albemarle Street had to be made into the first one-way street in London. As a fan of the Christmas lectures since I was a child, I’m convinced that Pestival’s wildly original musical Zombie Ant Fungus will turbo-charge the RI’s reputation for making science fun – and supply some great material for the QI ‘Z’ series."
— John Lloyd

17/04/2026

There's nothing wrong with being sexy... As our favourite photos of Cordyceps fungus infecting insects by shows. "I’m looking for research into stridulating cricket thighs stimulating cordycrps growth 😉" - Bridget Nicholls, Pestival founder

14/04/2026

Join us at the Ri for the family premiere of an exciting new performance blending neuroscience, fungi, sound and behaviour.

This Zombie Ant Fungus performance will be a shorter 30‑minute version and afterwards, everyone will have the chance to explore more about the fantastic world of fungi at a mini‑festival!

At The Royal Institute, Saturday May 8th 2pm. Tickets in bio

09/04/2026

The first live show about body hijacking in nature. A performance where science meets theatre. Biology meets opera. What's controlling you? Zombie Ant Fungus The Chemistry of Control at The Royal Institute of Science this May. Tickets in bio

02/04/2026

Pestival presents:
A live experiment in control - where chemistry becomes behaviour.

Zombie Ant Fungus: The Chemistry of Control
At the Royal Institution
9–10 May
Tickets in bio

28/03/2026

Taking a break from across time zones and continents while rehearsing, we reflect on the origins of this day. Did you know that daylight saving time was invented by insect enthusiast, George Vernon Hudson who simply wanted more daylight to study his favourite invertebrates? That's our kind of guy. Happy Spring Equinox

12/03/2026

Let the rehearsals begin...
Zombie Ant Fungus The Chemistry of Control

04/03/2026

Read The Ant That Climbed by Bridget Nicholls “The zombie ant doesn’t teach us that free will is an illusion. It teaches something quieter, and more demanding: that agency is fragile, distributed, and deeply entangled with the systems we inhabit.” Link in bio

25/02/2026

Is Cordyceps Evil - Or Are We Just Projecting? Read the new article by Bridget Nicholls at Pestival (link in bio)
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