The Elan Valley will host its first Dark Sky Festival this spring, with a two-day programme of walks, talks, music and stargazing events planned across the area and in Rhayader.

The festival will take place on Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28, marking more than a decade since the Elan Valley was awarded International Dark Sky Park status. Organisers say the aim is to celebrate the designation while also raising awareness of the impact of light pollution on wildlife, conservation and human wellbeing.

Events will be spread across several locations, including the Elan Valley Visitor Centre, Tŷ Penbont, CARAD in Rhayader, Lost Arc and the Cosmic Cwtch. Some activities are free and drop-in, while others require advance booking.

Friday evening’s programme focuses on night-time experiences in the landscape. Activities include a nocturnal creature walk and talk led by Sorcha Lewis, a dark sky bike ride with Pippa Boss, and a starlit concert featuring musicians Toby Hay and Holly Blackshaw. There will also be a light painting photography workshop with Dafydd Wyn Morgan and a drop-in stargazing session at Claerwen car park, hosted by the Elan Valley Trust’s dark sky team.

Saturday’s events begin during the day at the Elan Valley Visitor Centre with a programme of free, family-friendly activities under the banner “Mission Control: Elan Dark Skies”. These include solar observing sessions with First Light Optics and astro-archaeology craft activities run by Timescape Archaeology.

Visitors will also be able to watch a live video link showing views of the night sky from New Zealand, alongside an astronomy talk by New Zealand astronomer Gareth Davies.

Throughout the day, three planetarium shows will run at CARAD in Rhayader, offering guided tours of the galaxy. Young people from Radnorshire are also being invited to take part in a lantern-making workshop with artist Zoe Matthews, with the finished lanterns later forming part of an evening procession.

Saturday evening’s programme includes a dusk walk focusing on bats, birds and moths, followed by the lantern procession. Astronomer Rob Davies will give a dinner talk at Tŷ Penbont, while storyteller Mair Tomos Ifans will share stories inspired by the moon, stars and night sky. The festival will conclude with a stargazing workshop led by Rob Davies and Sam Price for a small group of people at the Cosmic Cwtch.

The Elan Valley was awarded International Dark Sky Park status by the International Dark Sky Association in June 2015, receiving silver-tier recognition. The designation covers the entire 45,000-acre estate and places restrictions on artificial lighting to protect dark skies. The area is widely regarded as one of the best locations for stargazing in the UK. The status also provides sanctuary for the abundance of wildlife and nature which can be found by day or night on the estate.

The festival takes place on Friday, March 27 (5:45pm-11pm) and Saturday, March 28 (11am-11pm) at a variety of locations.

The full programme and booking information is available at: https://elanvalley.org.uk/elan-dark-sky-festival-2026-full-programme/