Greenwich’s planetarium will soon close for more than two years

It’s not often that Londoners get to witness astronomical phenomena, but if you’re in the right spot at the right time, there is a chance you could catch a dazzling meteor shower or even the northern lights. That said, there is one place in the city where you can explore the wonders of our universe up close, anytime of the year – the Peter Harrison Planetarium at Greenwich’s Royal Observatory. 

But this month will be your last chance to visit the London’s only planetarium for a while. The observatory has announced that its planetarium will close to the public for more than two years. It’ll be worth the wait though – the closure is part of the observatory’s major £77 million makeover, a project that has been titled First Light and coincides with its 350th birthday. 

As part of the transformation, due to be complete by spring 2028, there’ll be a new entry pavilion and garden walk, accessible routes to the Great Equatorial Telescope and Planetarium (including a lift tower), refreshed galleries with interactive displays, a revitalised landscape and new space with shops and cafés called ‘Astronomers Court’. 

Work will start in September, with the planetarium due to shut on September 8. If you want to experience the planetarium before it goes on its two year hiatus, you can book into one of its remaining shows here. There’ll be several one-off screenings in its final month, including films on Chinese astronomy (August 9) and the historic contributions of Arabic astronomers (August 23) as well as a showing of ‘The Wild Robot’ (August 30) accompanied by related scientific activities for kids. 

When the plans were announced, chief executive of Royal Museums Greenwich Paddy Rodgers said: ‘Through this project we aim to inspire new audiences and advance our remit as a place for the public understanding of astronomy as decreed by our Royal Warrant. The Royal Observatory has long been a place of curiosity, meticulous observation and creative thinking. This encapsulates the spirit of this project.’

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