Event Information

Renovation works

Kielder Observatory is nearly 20 years old, and we’re in the middle of some important renovation and repair work to help look after the building and secure its future.

While that work was underway, some further issues came to light which meant we had to temporarily close the main Observatory building to visitors. Forestry England, our landlord, is now leading the repair work with specialist engineers and contractors.

While that happens, we’re doing everything we can to keep Kielder Observatory doing what it does best. We’re working to bring parts of the site back into use safely, including the Sir Patrick Moore Observatory (the larger of our two observing turrets) and a new temporary building where we can welcome visitors.

That will allow us to keep running complete astronomy experiences while the main building is repaired. We expect that temporary setup to be in place in the coming weeks, so you can continue to book with confidence.

In the meantime, our events are still very much happening. We’ve been relocating them to places including Kielder Waterside and our Observatory at Twice Brewed Inn, and the feedback has been brilliant. Guests are still enjoying telescopes, stargazing, planetarium experiences, talks and activities with the same Kielder Observatory team under Kielder’s exceptionally dark skies.

If your event is affected, we’ll get in touch with you directly with the confirmed location and your options, so there’s no need to contact us in advance, and we’ll keep this page updated as things progress.