Herstmonceux Astronomy Festival 2026
Three nights of stargazing, guest speakers and planetarium shows among the green telescope domes of the former Royal Greenwich Observatory — the festival's 22nd year.
- When
- Where
The Observatory Science Centre, Herstmonceux, Hailsham BN27 1RN
- Info
Visit the-observatory.org for tickets and the speaker programme
The Royal Greenwich Observatory moved its telescopes to Herstmonceux in the 1950s to escape London's glare, and the green-domed site it left behind now hosts one of the country's longest-running astronomy festivals — the 2026 edition is the 22nd. Across the August bank holiday weekend the Science Centre fills with guest speakers, astronomy societies, planetarium shows and trade stalls, with the historic telescopes open and stargazing after dark, weather permitting.
Daytime sessions and children's activities make it a family weekend as much as an enthusiasts' one. Herstmonceux is forty minutes from Rye, and the same weekend the town has its own draw — the Rye International Jazz & Blues Festival runs 27 to 31 August.
Stay at The River Haven
The Observatory is a forty-minute drive from The River Haven, an easy run home when the evening stargazing winds down. Book both nights of the bank holiday weekend, stay late at the telescopes, and take breakfast on the Rother before the next day’s talks.
