The Night Sky Show comes to Bournemouth Pavilion

If this week’s planetary parade has captured your interest, a new show coming to Bournemouth Pavilion in May will take you even deeper into the cosmos — revealing the science behind the spectacle and showing you how to spot the next breathtaking alignment for yourself.

Adrian West – better known as VirtualAstro – brings The Night Sky Show to Bournemouth on Saturday 9 May 2026.

Using a giant LED wall to flood the stage with breathtaking imagery, The Night Sky Show is a fully immersive experience that blends science, storytelling and Adrian’s engaging presence to make the cosmos come to life on earth. Designed for anyone who has ever looked up to the sky and wondered, the show takes audiences on an epic journey from our own “celestial backyard” to the furthest reaches of the observable universe.

Expect dazzling close-ups of the Moon, fly-bys of the planets, dramatic supernovas and a guided tour of the constellations you can spot above the South’s shoreline on a clear night. Adrian’s gift lies in making astronomy feel accessible and exciting - no heavy textbooks, no complicated equations - just big ideas made beautifully simple.
This Bournemouth date comes hot on the heels of one of 2026’s most talked-about sky events - the spectacular planetary parade on Saturday 28 February 2026.

On that evening, several planets - including Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn - will appear grouped across the sky in a rare and striking alignment visible from the across the UK. While not perfectly lined up in space, they’ll form a dramatic arc from our viewpoint on Earth, creating a must-see sight for early-evening stargazers along the Hampshire and Dorset coastlines.

As VirtualAstro, Adrian has built a loyal following of tens of thousands across social media thanks to his warm, memorable and refreshingly down-to-earth approach to astronomy. He is also the author of The Secret World of Stargazing and has collaborated with organisations including the BBC, the Met Office and the National Trust on accessible stargazing guides.

His mission is simple: to help people step outside, look up and feel connected to something bigger.

The Night Sky Show arrives at Bournemouth Pavilion on Saturday 9 May, with tickets on sale now via bournemouthpavilion.co.uk