diff --git a/src/aare/gui/aaregui_logo.svg b/src/aare/gui/graphics/aaregui_logo.svg
similarity index 100%
rename from src/aare/gui/aaregui_logo.svg
rename to src/aare/gui/graphics/aaregui_logo.svg
diff --git a/src/aare/gui/gui.py b/src/aare/gui/gui.py
index 66d7558b..9ce12798 100644
--- a/src/aare/gui/gui.py
+++ b/src/aare/gui/gui.py
@@ -4,28 +4,39 @@ import traceback
 
 from PySide6 import QtGui
 from PySide6.QtCore import QCommandLineParser, QCommandLineOption
-from PySide6.QtWidgets import QApplication, QMessageBox
-
+from PySide6.QtWidgets import QApplication, QMessageBox, QSplashScreen, QProgressBar
 
 from aare.common.logger_config import setup_logger
 from aare.gui.main_window import MainWindow
-#from aaregui.widgets.login import LoginDialog
+from aare.gui.widgets.splash_screen import LoadingSplashScreen
 from aare.common.beamline import MXBeamline, mx_beamline, cfg_get
 from aare.gui.auth import auth
 
 logger = setup_logger("aareGUI")
 
 def main():
+    """Wrapped gui as main function to make tests easier"""
+    splash = None
     try:
+        #define application
         app = QApplication(sys.argv)
         app.setApplicationName("AareGUI")
         app.setApplicationVersion("0.3.1")
         app.setOrganizationName("PSI")
         app.setOrganizationDomain("psi.ch")
+
+        #set icon
         basedir = os.path.dirname(__file__)
-        icon_path = os.path.join(basedir, "aaregui_logo.svg")
+        icon_path = os.path.join(basedir, "graphics/aaregui_logo.svg")
         app.setWindowIcon(QtGui.QIcon(icon_path))
 
+        #show splash screen
+        banner_path = os.path.join(basedir, "graphics/aare_banner.png")
+        splash_pix = QtGui.QPixmap(banner_path)
+        splash = LoadingSplashScreen(splash_pix)
+        splash.show()
+        splash.set_progress(10, "Initializing Application...")
+
         # Create the parser
         parser = QCommandLineParser()
         parser.setApplicationDescription("PSI AareGUI")
@@ -87,6 +98,7 @@ def main():
         )
         parser.addOption(predZmqOption)
 
+        splash.set_progress(30, "Parsing Arguments...")
         parser.process(app)
 
         base_url = parser.value(urlOption)
@@ -107,6 +119,7 @@ def main():
             default_image = None
 
         try:
+            splash.set_progress(50, f"Connecting to {base_url or 'backend'}...")
             token = auth(base_url)
             if not token or token.count(".") != 2:
                 raise RuntimeError(
@@ -114,7 +127,9 @@ def main():
                     "Please check the server is running (it may still be initialising)."
                 )
             logger.info("Authentication successful")
+            splash.set_progress(80, "Authentication successful...")
         except Exception as e:
+            splash.finish(None)
             logger.error(f"Cannot connect to AareDAQ server. Exiting. {e}")
             logger.error(traceback.format_exc())
             QMessageBox.critical(
@@ -124,7 +139,7 @@ def main():
             )
             sys.exit(1)
 
-
+        splash.set_progress(90, "Loading Main Window...")
         win = MainWindow(base_url=base_url,
                          token=token,
                          default_image=default_image,
@@ -133,9 +148,14 @@ def main():
                          beamline_cam_addr = default_beamline_cam_addr,
                          gonio_cam_addr = default_gonio_cam_addr,
                          gonio_cam_id = default_gonio_camera_id)
+
+        splash.set_progress(100, "Ready")
+        splash.finish(win)
         win.show()
         sys.exit(app.exec())
+
     except Exception as e:
+        splash.finish(None)
         logger.error(f"Error starting GUI: {e}")
         logger.error(f"Traceback: {traceback.format_exc()}")
 
diff --git a/src/aare/gui/widgets/splash_screen.py b/src/aare/gui/widgets/splash_screen.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6cc759f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/aare/gui/widgets/splash_screen.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+from PySide6.QtCore import Qt
+from PySide6.QtWidgets import QSplashScreen, QProgressBar, QApplication
+
+
+class LoadingSplashScreen(QSplashScreen):
+    def __init__(self, pixmap):
+        super().__init__(pixmap)
+        self.setWindowFlags(Qt.WindowStaysOnTopHint | Qt.FramelessWindowHint)
+        self.progress = QProgressBar(self)
+        # Position the progress bar at the bottom of the splash screen
+        self.progress.setGeometry(10, self.size().height() - 30, self.size().width() - 20, 20)
+        self.progress.setStyleSheet("""
+            QProgressBar {
+                border: 1px solid #444;
+                border-radius: 5px;
+                text-align: center;
+                background-color: #222;
+                color: white;
+            }
+            QProgressBar::chunk {
+                background-color: #0078d7;
+            }
+        """)
+
+    def set_progress(self, value, message=None):
+        self.progress.setValue(value)
+        if message:
+            self.showMessage(message, Qt.AlignBottom | Qt.AlignCenter, Qt.white)
+        QApplication.processEvents()
\ No newline at end of file