On March 27 and 28, hundreds of residents and visitors gathered in Elan Valley and Rhayader for the inaugural Elan Dark Sky Festival, celebrating one of the best stargazing locations in the world.

Hosted by the Elan Valley Trust, the festival featured two nights and a day of dark sky-themed activities, including stargazing, expert talks, crafts, and astrophotography.

Highlights included lantern-making workshops led by artist Zoe Matthews, attended by Llanidloes Cubs, Scouts, and local residents at the Lost Arc. On Saturday evening, more than 100 participants paraded their lanterns beneath Caban Coch Dam, accompanied by the Aberystwyth Samba Band.

Wildlife walks with experts Sorcha Lewis, Hazel Lee, Janice Vincett, and Hsin-Jung Lu offered attendees the chance to hear nocturnal birds and bats while learning about other night-active creatures that benefit from dark skies.

Musical performances added to the festival’s atmosphere, with Holly Blackshaw and Toby Hay performing an acoustic set in Nantgwyllt Church, lit by candles, lanterns, and fairy lights. Storyteller and harpist Mair Tomos Ifans hosted an outdoor storytelling session under the moon, sharing Welsh and European tales about the night sky.

The Elan Valley Trust Dark Sky team held three sell-out planetarium shows at CARAD in Rhayader, delighting audiences of all ages - including the youngest at just one year old - with constellations, solar system insights, and myths.

Visitors to the Elan Valley Visitor Centre enjoyed solar observation with First Light Optics, built puff-powered rockets with Mid Wales Astronomy, painted glass lanterns, created stone circles, and joined a livestream on New Zealand’s night sky with astronomer Gareth Davies.

The festival was organised by the Elan Valley Trust with support from Powys County Council and partial funding from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, alongside partners Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, Tŷ Penbont, Lost Arc, and CARAD.