On Sunday 16 March 2025 Professor Brian Cox and Composer, Jeff Wayne, join forces to host the world’s biggest YouTube streamed discussion about life on Mars. With an all-star curation of space and sci-fi experts, and stakeholder rock stars, the event will stream through The War of The Worlds YouTube Channel for free – join the discussion at 5pm on Sunday 16 March @twotwofficial .
With water recently found on Mars, and a slew of new missions to the Red Planet underway, the subject of Jeff Wayne’s magnum opus has never been more topical.
Professor Brian Cox comments: “I’m delighted to be part of a Mars Panel with Jeff Wayne! In fact I never believed I’d be able to say something like that! It’s an extremely exciting time to be talking about Mars because the question – Is There Life on Mars? – is increasingly relevant from a scientific perspective. We are now reasonably certain that the conditions for life to exist were present on Mars around 4 billion years ago, when life began on Earth. And, for the first time, we have a plan to return samples from below the Martian surface to Earth for analysis – the Mars sample return mission. However – I have to say that even though the discovery of life on Mars would be one of the greatest in history, I don’t expect to go to war with the Martians. They will be microbes at best. But, then again, I could be wrong …. The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one, I said…”
This ‘Life On Mars’ streamed event is the brainchild of composer, Jeff Wayne, the man globally renowned for reinvigorating the martian conversation when he first created the Musical Version of HG Wells’ novel, The War of The Worlds, back in 1978. Now for 2025, Wayne challenges mankind again, as he reignites the intriguing ‘life on mars’ question, delving into the cutting-edge state of play of Mars exploration, and what mysteries may soon be revealed; all ahead of The War of The Words 21-date UK and European ‘The Spirit of Man Tour’*, which launches on 28 March. The all-star panel will be hosted by Space Rocks founder, Alexander Milas, will include: Professor Brian Cox, Jeff Wayne, Blur drummer Dave Rowntree, Natural History Museum planetary scientist Professor Sara Russell, Enter Shikari frontman and The War of The Worlds’ Artilleryman Rou Reynolds and Professor at the Max Planck Institute and Senior Scientific Advisor for the European Space Agency (retired), Professor Mark McCaughrean. The conversation will address the ongoing importance of this monumental work of sci fi, and the scientific thinking it has inspired. Filmed at The War of The World’s Immersive Experience** in London, giant fighting machines and glimmering red-weed walls form the backdrop for this cosmic conversation.
Composer of The War of The Worlds multi-million selling album and tour, Jeff Wayne adds, “From David Bowie to Gustav Holst, to Hollywood and HG Wells, for centuries mankind has been fascinated about alien presence through music, film and literature. Professor Brian Cox and I will host a panel of carefully curated experts and musicians, in the world’s biggest ever live YouTube analysis about the possibility of Martian life. The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one, but there’s always been that ‘but’. I felt now was the time re-explore our fascination of Martians with such diverse and wonderful contributors to our round-table.”
Having spent a lifetime committed to the pursuit of life on mars through his compositions and productions of The War of The Worlds albums, numerous live tours and The War of The Worlds Immersive Experience in London, Jeff Wayne was celebrated for his exploits in space and Mars awareness in January of this year, when NASA named an asteroid after him. Discovered in 1997, the 55863 asteroid is now named 55863 Jeff Wayne which has been officially approved by NASA.
Is there life on Mars? The mission to discover more launches at 5pm (GMT) on Sunday 16 March ….
