Stories from under the darkest skies

This was a wonderful festival. Everyone involved was extremely helpful and the price was so reasonable. I enjoyed all the events I went to and the lantern walk and concert were awesome.

Mayo Dark Sky Festival is a must do on my annual calendar. From the first one I attended in 2017, to the one just gone, I’ve never come away without learning something or meeting new people. What really stands out for me is the warmth of the community. Organizers, experts, and local volunteers create an atmosphere that’s welcoming, educational, and genuinely fun. It’s my annual pilgrimage to Mayo!

As a lone attendee I really appreciated the kindness and friendliness. Wild Nephin is a very long drive for me but it was stunning. After the long drive on Friday it was great to hop on the courtesy bus – which was also great craic! Thanks for a fantastic festival

I enjoyed the festival very much. My main interest is in the astronomy end but I like the way you broaden it to include music and art.

This is a such a well run and inclusive festival. The attention to detail is brilliant. Thank you to everyone involved in the organising and managing of this festival as it is genuinely a highlight of our year. See you in 2026 for the 10 year anniversary. Can’t wait already.

Lovely mix of free and paid for events. Very family friendly and excellent value for money.

Great community event that was able to address the interests of the entire family and was fun and sociable

What I appreciated was how art, music, photos, poetry was all connected with getting across the need to appreciate DarkSkies and to incorporate that vibe in teaching the necessity of the Dark Sky and preventing light pollution.”

This is our third year attending. We’re a family of five and each time we love being there. We initially came for the astronomy, but in the last couple of years have also attended archaeology talks and those on nature. It’s that variety of topics – with science at the centre, but with others (the history of the local area, the natural world) circling around it – that make this a festival not just about the universe but also about how we experience life. For us as a family we’ve found that even though we listen to the science, what we’re really left with at the end of the weekend is a renewed sense of Wonder. Thank you for that.”

A great Festival for the non specialist, well worth attending. What is the secret that enables you to put on such a high quality Festival in a slightly remote rural area?”

Diverse and delightful as always. It really is something special. Thank you

I really enjoyed my time at the Mayo Dark sky festival. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. We made new connections. The talks at hotel Newport were world class. I’m sorry I hadn’t gone to the festival sooner.