FestMat Breaks Attendance Record, Drawing 22,000 People Over 4 Days

The National Mathematics Festival (FestMat) concluded its fourth edition this Sunday (the 30th) with a new attendance record: 22,000 people They participated in the four-day program at Axia Marina da Glória in Rio de Janeiro. Organized by IMPA, the event reaffirmed its mission to bring mathematics closer to children, young people, families, and educators through interactive experiences, culture, technology, and entertainment.

“The Festival was designed to bring mathematics closer to society, to show that the subject can be fun and engaging, while also highlighting its applications and practical usefulness in everyday life. “This year’s festival was a success; we set a new record for attendance, with activities for all ages,” said Marcelo Viana, director general of IMPA.

Held from August 27 to 30, FestMat 2026 had the theme “Math Is Pop – Discover the Worlds of Math.” For the first time, the program was organized around the language of comic books, taking visitors on a journey through six mathematical universes: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Probability, Dynamics, and Logic.

During the first two days, the Festival welcomed only students from public and private schools that had registered in advance. More than 14,000 children and teenagers enjoyed the activities spread throughout the pavilion. Among the visitors was a group of 12 students from the Mahatma Gandhi Educational Institute in Piauí, who traveled to Rio de Janeiro to experience the Festival. For some of them, the experience included their first plane ride.

“It’s a bold project because we mobilized an entire city so that these boys could be here. We sought out help to bring them here,” said Cristiany Siqueira Dantas, the institution’s director.

The program showed the students that concepts learned in the classroom are also present in real-life situations. “The Festival has several attractions that show how algebra, geometry, and arithmetic are applied in practice. In other words, it includes everything we put on paper,” said one of the students.

Over the weekend, FestMat opened its doors to the general public. Over the course of four days, visitors of all ages were able to participate in exhibitions, games, challenges, immersive experiences, robotics, lectures, roundtable discussions, workshops, and artistic performances. Among the attractions were Firjan SESI’s square-wheeled bicycle, a giant chess set, and an escape room featuring challenges from OBMEP (Brazilian Public School Mathematics Olympiad). The public also had the opportunity to enjoy theater performances and a screening of the documentary “Counted Out – Math Is Power.”

“I brought my kids here so they could learn a little more about math. They’re having fun, but the parents are having even more fun. The Festival features games that do a great job of introducing math to children. It’s a really cool incentive for all ages,” said Fernanda Freitas, a resident of Rio de Janeiro.

The program featured discussions on topics that connect mathematics to contemporary challenges. IMPA researcher Pavel Petrov gave a presentation titled “Mathematics and Ecology: Modeling Acoustic Noise in the Ocean,” demonstrating how applied mathematics and computing can help us understand the impacts of noise pollution on marine ecosystems.

Computer scientist Nina da Hora, executive director of the Instituto da Hora, discussed how images are translated into information for computers and how this process forms the basis for how artificial intelligence works. She also raised questions about the limits of this translation. “Turning the world into numbers doesn’t mean capturing it completely. That’s the main reason we can’t translate the entire world into just vectors and numbers,” she said.

The training of young researchers was the topic of the roundtable discussion “How to Turn Students into Researchers? – The Math En Jeans Experience.” The discussion highlighted the initiative’s impact on students’ academic and social experiences. “We want to expand this knowledge and show that all students who come here can be part of this math club,” explained Isabela Alcantara, an education analyst at Firjan Sesi and the roundtable moderator.

The Festival also served as the venue for the presentation of the IMPA Journalism Award. Learn more here.

Since its inception, the National Mathematics Festival has welcomed more than 75,000 visitors over four editions (2017, 2022, 2024, and 2026). The new attendance record solidifies the Festival’s role as a meeting place between mathematics and society, bringing the discipline closer to audiences that extend far beyond the classroom. The next edition will be held in 2028.