Record numbers attend the 2025 Mayo Dark Sky Festival

The Mayo Dark Sky Festival returned on October 31 to November 2 for its most successful edition yet, drawing over a thousand visitors to the villages of Newport, Mulranny, and Ballycroy for a celebration of astronomy, nature, and culture under some of Ireland’s darkest skies.

Now in its ninth year, the festival has grown into a major event on Ireland’s cultural and scientific calendar, welcoming participants and speakers from across Ireland and abroad - including the Netherlands, the UK, and the USA. Over three days, attendees had the opportunity to take part in talks, guided walks, workshops, art, and music.

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Among the distinguished speakers were Seán Ronayne, wildlife sound recordist and author of Nature Boy; Professor Sera Markoff, a member of the international Event Horizon Telescope team studying black holes; and Professor Michael Burton, Director of the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium. Their presentations captured the festival’s central mission of raising awareness of the importance of preserving dark, unpolluted skies.

One of the weekend's highlights was Sunday evening’s lantern parade, which illuminated the town of Newport.

 Hundreds of handmade lanterns, including a specially commissioned pair of four-metre-high boxing hares, led more than 250 participants across the town’s iconic 19th-century viaduct and up to St Patrick’s Church overlooking the town. There, festival-goers were treated to a rousing closing performance by the acclaimed Irish band Kíla, bringing the weekend to a conclusion.

Pictured: Brendan Owen, Teemlens, at Mayo Dark Sky Festival

Festival Director Fiona Hopkins said: “This year’s Mayo Dark Sky Festival was our largest and most ambitious yet, and we’re thrilled to see so many people, from local families to international visitors, come together to celebrate our extraordinary night skies. The enthusiasm, creativity, and community spirit on display all weekend show how much people value the wonder of darkness and the need to protect it.”

The Mayo Dark Sky Festival is organised by a volunteer committee in partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, local communities, and organisations across the Mayo Dark Sky Park region.