There’s no mystery to the best place to be on 2 May 2026 for aspiring detectives and fans of crime dramas and true crime podcasts.
When and where?
This free event is open to the public, with activities for all ages.
Where: University of Portsmouth: Portland Building, Richmond Building, Dennis Sciama Building.
When: Saturday 2 May 2026, 10am-4pm.
Book your place: Coming soon!
Festival of Crime
If the subject of crime fascinates you, then come and join us for a festival of interactive crime displays showcasing the most recent advances in tackling and understanding crime.
Hosted by the University of Portsmouth’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and with partners in policing, the fire service and the military, there will be something for everybody on the day.
From solving your own mystery through quizzes and puzzles and getting up close with crime scenes to meeting police officers and crime writers, the festival is open to all and is completely free to attend.
Join us for the Festival of Crime on Saturday 4th May 2024.
For interactive crime scenes, fingerprinting, meeting a best selling crime author, police officers, investigation dogs, crime experts, plus lots more. All absolutely free.
On the day, you'll get to
- Walk through interactive crime scenes and displays and help solve the crime with interactive CSI.
- Test your skills at identifying microscopic traces and matching finger marks.
- Understand the criminal mind as our psychologists present an interactive display.
- Try out our fully functioning mock courtroom.
- Learn about local services, like the team at Hampshire Police.
- Meet criminal and forensic psychologists, and learn about cybercrime, cyber security and forensic computing.
- Meet the university's current students and hear how they’re shaping their careers.
Take a look at what was on offer in 2024. The full 2026 schedule will be released very soon!
Put yourself in the shoes of detectives, forensic experts and criminology professionals, as you uncover clues to solve the crime!
Book your place - COMING SOON!
If you’re interested in studying, working, watching, understanding or you’re just absolutely fascinated by crime, the criminal justice process or forensics, then please come and join us at this totally free event.
If you have any questions, please contact the team at festivalofcrime@port.ac.uk