The dark matters: dark-sky leisure events as regenerative spaces for climate justice

Abstract

Globally, the unprecedented brightening of the night sky poses severe consequences for all living things (Kyba et al. 2023). The call to protect dark skies has led to an increase in national parks hosting leisure-based festivals to raise awareness about the impact of light pollution. Taking an ecological justice lens that recognises environmental crises are deeply intertwined with social challenges, this paper contributes new knowledge by exploring the experiences and benefits of human and non-human stakeholder engagement in dark-sky festivals. Conducted during the North York Moors National Park, United Kingdom, Dark-skies Festival in February 2024, a novel methodology using sensory ethnography identified regenerative stakeholder practices and behaviours. The significance of this research is evident in the heightened ecological awareness of stakeholders participating in dark-sky festivals and the sustainable practices that are helping to mitigate light pollution in response to the climate crisis.