Newbury, August 15, 2023 – The moonlit magic of the Festival of the Moon has officially graced Newbury’s town centre, commencing its captivating three-week journey on Tuesday, August 15th. This highly anticipated festival comprises an array of over 100 lunar-inspired family and community events set to unfold throughout the town.

Visitors across all generations lined up outside Corn Exchange auditorium to experience the first viewings of the festival’s centrepiece attraction, the awe-inspiring “Museum of the Moon” – a breathtaking creation created by acclaimed UK artist Luke Jerram.

This six-meter diameter masterpiece, accurately scaled at 1:600,000, bathes the surroundings in a celestial glow, meticulously crafted using satellite imagery from NASA. The installation comes to life accompanied by an immersive surround sound composition by the BAFTA-winning composer Dan Jones.

In the words of Jessica Jhundoo-Evans, Director of the Corn Exchange, “It’s incredibly impressive, amazing and awe-inspiring. I’ve just walked in and seen it for the first time. I’m really excited to be working with Visit Newbury and hopefully thousands of people will come and see it over the next three weeks.”

Organized by Visit Newbury, the Festival of the Moon expands upon this showpiece installation with local businesses hosting over 100 moon-themed events between 15 August and 3 September. This enchanting festival boasts an eclectic range of activities, from enlightening educational talks to serene health sessions like yoga and tai chi under the moonlit sky. Additionally, lunar-themed markets and immersive art workshops provide diverse experiences for all visitors.

Newbury BID chairman and The Catherine Wheel landlord Warwick Heskins said: “The whole point of [the festival] is to drive football into Newbury.  There are 30,000 tickets available to come see the Museum of the Moon, plus over 100 separate events all round town, so just think about the extra number of visitors that’s going to bring into Newbury. If everyone who comes in pops into a restaurant, a coffee shop, goes into the shops beforehand, the extra income this will bring in to the Newbury economy will be fantastic.”

For a comprehensive list of festival events and further information, please visit the Visit Newbury website at https://visitnewbury.org.uk/festival-of-the-moon/.