How to get involved
Taking place 28 October – 18 November 2023, Cumbria Dark Skies Festival will celebrate the county’s diverse stargazing opportunities and we are looking for events to include in the festival calendar.
You can submit your event details using the free online form, which will be used to create your event listing on visitlakedistrict.com.
There will be collective Cumbria Dark Skies marketing activity for relevant events and activities taking place during the festival period. That includes PR activity, downloadable assets and digital promotion including website, social media and enewsletters.
At the same time, you will remain fully responsible for the overall development, booking process, promotion and delivery of your individual event(s).
Read on for more inspiration on your event…
Introduction to stargazing
Take a small group out to enjoy the night sky, providing advice on how to keep safe and warm as you point out perfect places to view the stars.
Stargazing walk
Take a group on an easy night-time hike to really soak experience the stars.
Dine and stargaze evening
Wrap up warm and offer an al fresco experience under the stars, or perhaps provide a hearty meal afterwards.
Astronomy/space talks
Give visitors more of an insight into what’s above them by hosting an expert in the field, or an enthusiastic amateur!
Night-time art events and installations
Put a new perspective on a piece by holding a night viewing – perfect for keen night-time photographers!
Guided Night swim experience
Go wild and offer a truly unforgettable experience.
Dark skies photography experience
Help visitors snap the perfect long exposure – where would you recommend as the best place to shoot?
Get in touch if you need help sourcing someone who could run a session or activity as part of your event. The festival will act as a catalyst for the Dark Skies season, so even if your event doesn’t take place within these dates – or you will be running further events later in the year – then we’d love to know about these too.
Extra Resources
Don’t forget, if you are interested in developing your Dark Skies offer then you can make the most of our resources – including a self-accreditation charter – to market your business as ‘Dark Sky friendly’.
This is free of charge to access, and once completed you are welcome to use the ‘Dark Sky friendly’ logo in your marketing. Members of Cumbria Tourism can also benefit from an additional listing on the Dark Sky Cumbria section on visitlakedistrict.com.
To access these resources, head to our Dark Skies business support hub.
Get In Touch
Contact campaigns@cumbriatourism.org with details of your event and any questions. Listing an event is free, however it must be relevant to the theme and we reserve the right to limit the number of featured events if necessary.
The Cumbria Dark Skies Festival is organised by a partnership of organisations including Friends of the Lake District, Cumbria Tourism, Forestry England, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, National Trust and the Lake District National Park Authority.