What we do
North Pennines Stargazing Festival 2026
The North Pennines Stargazing Festival is back for 2026 – running between Friday 16 October and Sunday 1 November. This year is the tenth edition of the annual festival. Events are being organised by the North Pennines National Landscape team and a variety of other organisations and businesses – all with expert astronomer guides to help you enjoy the fabulous dark night skies in the North Pennines.
The North Pennines is the darkest mainland National Landscape and is one of the darkest areas in the country. The festival has been running since 2017 to make it easy for people to celebrate the area’s dark night skies.
- All of the events in the festival will be listed below – with clickable links for more information.
- Bring warm/waterproof clothes/a torch (red light if you have one). No dogs please – they’re a trip hazard in the dark around telescopes.
- All events MUST be booked in advance (apart from the Moon trail at Bowlees Visitor Centre) – see individual events for ticket booking links.
The festival programme:
The programme will be posted here as soon as it is finalised. Once launched we will send out an enewsletter to let everyone know – if you’re not already signed up, you can do that here.
Celebrating dark skies in the North Pennines National Landscape
Stars and songs family event
Family friendly stargazing at Bowlees Farm
Stargazing Festival wraps up for another year
Roundup of ninth North Pennines Stargazing Festival
Star-bathing for beginners
Top tips for stargazing in the North Pennines darkest skies by astronomer Richard Darn
North Pennines Stargazing Festival programme launches
A celebration of dark skies
Dark Skies
Celebrating the dark skies in Swaledale
Stars, stories and nature discovery
Family friendly fun at Low Birk Hatt Farm
North Pennines Stargazing Festival 2024
The North Pennines Stargazing Festival 2024
Eighth North Pennines Stargazing Festival programme launches
The North Pennines Stargazing Festival 2024
The Nest – skygazing pavilion at Talkin Tarn
Heritage skills used to build the skygazing pavilion
Fellfoot voices: Investigating slow trail routes
Walking six new trail routes
All aboard for Star Camp 2023
Star Camp is all about creating unforgettable experiences.
Newsletter October 2023
Our latest news, events and activities
Discover the creatures of the night
Nocturnal creatures of the North Pennines
North Pennines Stargazing festival 2023 newsletter
All the details for the 2023 Stargazing Festival
Fellfoot voices: A new venture starts
The start of a Fellfoot Forward traineeship
The story of the Border Astronomical Society (BAS) and beyond
From humble beginnings to an observatory
Power lines undergrounded at Tindale Tarn
Undergrounding of power cables protects species
Bird’s nest inspired stargazing pavilion for Talkin Tarn
Volunteers will learn traditional skills making hazel panels for a stargazing pavilion at Talkin Tarn
Under the same sky
Women from different backgrounds share a stargazing experience
Launch of North Pennines Stargazing Festival 2021
The 2021 Stargazing Festival runs from 22 to 31 October
Stargazing Week comes to an end
A round-up of #NorthPennStarWeek20
Things that go screech in the night
Dr Martin Kitching looks at creatures of the night in the North Pennines
Daily star tips
What to see each night during #NorthPennStarWeek20
Encountering wildlife under the stars
Guy Broome shares clips of wildlife observed at night
Keeping dark places dark
Why light pollution matters and how we protect our dark skies
A star society
An interview with Duane Cox, Chairman and Founder of Bishop Auckland Astronomical Society
How to take a photo in the dark
Gary Lintern shares some of the secrets of astrophotography
An unexpected evening with the Northern Lights
Richard Darn tells us what keeps him coming back to the North Pennines
Camping under the stars
An interview with Alison Lamb of Doe Park Caravan Site
Focusing on the stars
An interview with North Pennines astrophotographer ,Gary Lintern
Dark skies on our smallholding
Night life on a smallholding
Journeys in astronomy
Astronomer and science educator Andrew Gray shares his astronomy journey
Creative writing challenge
A dark skies creative writing activity for children and families
Chasing the Northern Lights
Dr Martin Kitching tells us about the Aurora Borealis
Night creatures world cup
A fun 'world cup' of night-time wildlife
Wild Wednesday
Fun activities to do at Bowlees or at home
Star Art 2020
Launching the North Pennines Star Art competition
Exploring Andromeda
Andromeda is the furthest object visible to the naked eye
How dark is it?
How dark is the darkest mainland AONB?
Moon trail at Bowlees
Self-guided family trail at Bowlees Visitor Centre
What can you see in the night sky?
A guide to the night sky with highlights of the coming months
Top ten stargazing spots
Where to see the stars in the North Pennines National Landscape and UNESCO Global Geopark
North Pennines at Night virtual exhibition
Night photography from the North Pennines AONB
North Pennines Stargazing Week 2020
Celebrating the darkest mainland National Landscape
Celebrating the dark
Enjoying the beauty of dark night skies from home
You may also like...
Did you know…
