Win a pair of tickets to a talk by a renowned astronomer

Every year, the wonders of the night sky are celebrated in North Yorkshire with a dedicated festival that attracts thousands of visitors to marvel at the stars and galaxies above.

The county holds the accolade of being one of the best locations nationally to go stargazing after both the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks gained the coveted International Dark Skies Reserves designation five years ago this month.

Other sites that have protected status include the Grand Canyon and Death Valley National Parks in America, Mont-Mégantic National Park in Canada and NamibRand Nature Reserve in Namibia.

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Ribblehead Viaduct by James Allinson

Ribblehead Viaduct. Credit: James Allinson

The Dark Skies Festival has been held in North Yorkshire since the inaugural event in 2016 and celebrates one of the most breathtaking natural spectacles in England.

Beneath some of the darkest skies in the country, you can see thousands of stars, distant planets and even the Milky Way arching over our stunning landscapes in North Yorkshire.

There are events for families, first-time stargazers and those wishing to expand their knowledge or astrophotography skills further.

The festival's organisers work with local astronomy clubs and other star-loving organisations to help you discover the wonder of the night skies above the National Parks.

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Two people walking in the dark in the Dales stargazing

Stargazing at Twistleton Scar. Credit: Danny Law

To celebrate the next festival, which will run from Friday 13 February to Sunday 1 March 2026, we’re offering one lucky winner an unforgettable Dark Skies experience in the Yorkshire Dales.

The prize includes:

Two tickets to an exclusive Dark Skies event at the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes in Wensleydale on Friday 20 February 2026. The event will be hosted by renowned astronomer Richard Darn, who will give a talk to help the audience explore the cosmos, learn about the constellations and witness the wonders above. The event also includes a supper.

Up to £200 towards an overnight stay at a Dark Sky Friendly accommodation provider in the Yorkshire Dales, so you can relax, recharge and enjoy the tranquillity of our spectacular starry skies.

Enter now

To stand a chance of winning the pair of tickets to the Dark Skies Festival event and a stay at one of the designated accommodation providers in the Yorkshire Dales, simply answer the following question:

Question: What is the name of the headteacher at the school where Ben McAuley has landed his dream job as a teaching assistant? 
(Clue: The answer may be in the video!) 

The closing date for entries to the competition is Thursday 8 January 2026.

ENTER NOW

Terms and conditions apply

  • entry is restricted to people aged 18 and over
  • the winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries
  • the prize is non-transferable with no cash alternative
  • the voucher provided for a stay with a Dark Skies Friendly accommodation provider must be taken for the night of Friday 20 February 2026
  • if all accommodation is fully booked, then the voucher cannot be transferred for another date
  • the winner must confirm any dietary requirements ahead of attending the Dark Sky Festival event’s supper

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Competition terms and conditions

Your North Yorkshire publication competition and prize draw terms and conditions

  1. The competition is open to all UK residents aged 18 years or over.
  2. All correct and eligible entries into the competition will be entered into the prize draw.
  3. All competition entries must be submitted online or on a postcard or letter to Editor, Your North Yorkshire, Communications Team, North Yorkshire Council, County Hall, Racecourse Road, Northallerton, DL7 8AD and only one entry per person is permitted.
  4. The opening date and closing date for entries to the competition shall be as specified in competition information. Entries received after this time will not be considered or entered into the prize draw.
  5. The entity offering the competition is North Yorkshire Council of County Hall, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 8AD. North Yorkshire Council accepts no responsibility for entries not received for whatever reason, including, but not limited to human error, any technical fault, technical malfunction, computer hardware or software failure, satellite, network or server failure of any kind.
  6. One winner from the prize draw entries will be chosen by random draw on the draw date.
  7. Winners will receive the prizes as specified in the competition information from North Yorkshire Council or the provider of the prizes (as applicable).
  8. Winners will be notified before the notification date and must provide a valid UK postal address to claim the prizes. If a winner does not respond to North Yorkshire Council within five business days of being notified by North Yorkshire Council, then the winner's prize will be forfeited and North Yorkshire Council will select another winner from the prize draw at random.
  9. The prize for the winner is non-exchangeable, non-transferable and no cash alternative is offered.
  10. The decision of North Yorkshire Council regarding any aspect of the competition and/or the prize draw is final and binding and no correspondence will be entered into in respect of the same.
  11. The winner's name and county can be obtained by sending a stamped addressed envelope to the Communications Team, North Yorkshire Council, County Hall, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 8AD no earlier than 42 days nor later than 84 days after the date of the closing date of the prize draw.
  12. Participants are deemed to have accepted and agreed to be bound by these terms and conditions upon entry. North Yorkshire Council reserves the right to refuse entry, or refuse to award prizes to anyone in breach of these terms and conditions.
  13. North Yorkshire Council reserves the right to hold void, cancel, suspend, or amend the competition and/or the prize draw where it becomes necessary to do so.
  14. Insofar as is permitted by law, North Yorkshire Council, its agents or employees will not in any circumstances be responsible or liable to compensate the winner or accept any liability for any loss, damage, personal injury or death occurring as a result of taking up the prize except where it is caused by the negligence of North Yorkshire Council its agents or employees. Your statutory rights are not affected.
  15. Winners may be required to participate in publicity related to the prize draw which may include the publication of their name in any media.
  16. Personal data supplied during the course of the competition and the prize draw may be passed on to third parties only insofar as required for delivery of the prize in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation.
  17. The competition and prize draw will be governed by English law submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
  18. By entering the competition, participants acknowledge that, if selected as a winner, they may be asked to take part in promotional activities related to the prize.

Privacy notice

This privacy notice is designed to help you understand how your personal data is processed in relation to any Your North Yorkshire competition. This notice should be read in conjunction with our corporate privacy notice.

Who are we?

North Yorkshire Council is a ‘Data Controller’ as defined by Article 4(7) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This means that we have a duty of care towards the personal data that we collect and use. The Council has appointed Veritau Ltd to be its Data Protection Officer. Their contact details are:

Data Protection Officer (Veritau Ltd)
County Hall
Racecourse Lane
Northallerton
DL7 8AL

infogov@northyorks.gov.uk / 01904 552848.

By entering this competition you are giving your consent for us to contact you in the event that you are the winner. We will never pass on your details without your consent or use your information for any other purpose. Personal data of the winner may be passed on to third parties only insofar as required for delivery of the prize.

If you are unhappy with the way in which your data has been handled or the way in which a data protection request has been answered then you may complain to our data protection officer.

If you are still unhappy with the response from our data protection officer, or if you would rather complain straight to a regulator, then you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office which regulates data protection and information governance matters in the UK.

First Contact Team
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Email: casework@ico.org.uk

For further information on how we processes your personal data, including your rights, please refer to our corporate privacy notice.