The inaugural Geek Picnic was held at New Holland Island in Saint Petersburg, Russia on August 6, 2011. It was an open air city picnic (hence the name of the festival) that attracted around 1,500 attendees. The festival’s programming included several scientific shows dedicated to robotics and 3D printing as well as a variety of indoor and outdoor activities such as jumping stilts, monocycles, a gaming area, and a sports area.
The first Geek Picnic was a success so it was decided to hold it annually. The program of the 2012 edition was much more impressive. It featured a robotics exhibition, an informal job fair for programmers and other IT specialists, TED-like lectures and workshops conducted by Russian IT experts from the country’s leading companies, and a recreational area with gaming space, sports, an open library, and a picnic. The event drew about 7,000 attendees.
In 2013, Geek Picnic expanded to two days and was relocated to Yelagin Island. It was the first installment of Geek Picnic to feature four thematic areas: Science, Technology, Art, and Picnic. In 2014, Geek Picnic took place in two cities for the first time. There was a winter session in Moscow and a summer picnic in Saint Petersburg. Since 2015, the festival has been held in summer in both cities. Since 2016, Geek Picnic has been expanding to other Russian cities and abroad.
Geek Picnic is the largest festival of its kind in Russia and arguably in all of Europe. It attracts over 25,000 attendees (as far as flagship festivals in Saint Petersburg and Moscow are concerned) every year. Speakers invited to Geek Picnic include famous scientists, educators, entrepreneurs, astronauts, engineers, historians, writers, etc. Each Geek Picnic offers a variety of entertaining and educational events and activities such as lectures, exhibitions, showcases, presentations, contests, interactive activities, etc. No wonder it is so popular among all those who consider themselves geeks.
In 2020, the event was held online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo: geek-picnic.me
