WEAVE is the next-generation wide-field survey facility for the William Herschel Telescope (WHT). Expected to start operations in early 2018, its goals are to complement the major space- and ground-based programmes in the current and coming decade, including Gaia, LOFAR and APERTIF, by providing a dedicated wide-field optical spectroscopic instrument in the Northern Hemisphere.

Its wide-ranging science goals cover various fields of Galactic and extragalactic astronomy. There are currently six independent WEAVE surveys planned, each with their own dedicated Science Teams, that will use a large fraction of 5 years of WHT time. WEAVE, with its nearly 1000-fibre MOS mode and IFU modes, will also be accessible to the wider astronomical community through open competition outside of this time.

A short overview of each of the planned WEAVE surveys is provided below, starting from surveys focusing on the nearby Universe and extending towards higher redshifts.