From October 25-31, visitors to Royal Albert Hall in London will be able to have their own encounters with extraterrestrial life. Through a series of exhibits, performances and events, families can engage with a wide range of topics on the theme of outer space, aliens and UFOs. It isn’t clear whether the organizers are going for a mainstream science approach, sensationalist exposition about UFOs, or a little bit of both. But those inclined to believe that UFOs have an extraterrestrial origin are likely to be pleased by some of the information on display. Promotional flyers for the event playfully depict a flying saucer beaming light down into the iconic 19th Century museum (pictured left).

For example, on October 25 noted UK researcher Nick Pope will lead a discussion about the release of secret UFO files by the UK government. Pope worked in the Ministry of Defense for 21 years, and during the 1990s he conducted investigations into reports of unidentified flying objects. He will guide the audience through some of his investigations and discuss examples from the recently released case files.

The more skeptical or scientifically minded will find events to their liking as well. On Sunday October 31, Dr. Lewis Dartnell will give a lecture on the current state of research in Astrobiology. Dartnell’s academic work at the university College of London focuses on terrestrial extremophile microbes in harsh earth locations like Antarctica. He is also author of the book Life in the Universe: A Beginner’s Guide. This promises to be quite an engaging talk for those interested in an exciting emerging scientific discipline.

On a less serious note, the organizers will also be screening classic science fiction films like E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Barbarella. All of those sound like a fun (if slightly nerdy) evening out.

Attendees won’t need to worry about going hungry during their interplanetary sojourn, either. On-site catering will include alien invasion cup-cakes, martian munch-boxes, sweeties from the cosmic candy shop, and cocktails including the Milky-Way, E-tini and Barbarella on the Beach.

You can find a complete schedule of events on the Royal Albert Hall website here.