Helios at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal

See the sun like never before as Luke Jerram’s iconic seven-meter sculpture shines inside the spectacular ruins of Fountains Abbey. With rippling lights, solar imagery and sounds of the sun recorded by NASA, join us and explore this 7-metre-wide art installation co-commissioned by the National Trust. The sculpture will be suspended in the nave of the abbey. This is the first time Helios will be displayed in a World Heritage Site, bringing this symbol of art and nature into ‘a masterpiece of human creative genius’.

Helios by day: See Helios as part of your day visit, from 10am – 4pm on 4, 5, 11 and 12 October. You don’t need to book a ticket to see Helios during the day as this will be included in standard admission. Admission is free for National Trust and English Heritage members, adult entry is £21 and child entry is £10.50. Family ticket options are available, please visit the website to find out more.

Helios at sunrise: Enjoy the silence of the early morning and hear the dawn chorus of nature waking up all around you. You’ll need to book tickets for the sunrise events which will be taking place at 6am – 8am on the mornings of 4, 5 ,11 and 12 October. For the sunrise event, adult tickets are £12 and child tickets are £5. Under 5’s, National Trust and English Heritage members are free but must still book a ticket.

Helios at sunset: On the evenings of 4, 5 ,11 and 12 October we’ll be opening the abbey specially so you can see Helios among the floodlit ruins. You’ll need to book a ticket for our evening events, which will be taking place from 5 – 9pm. For the sunset event, adult tickets cost £12 and child tickets cost £5. Under 5’s, National Trust and English Heritage members are free but must still book a ticket.

Tickets for the sunrise and sunset events will go live on Friday 5 September and we expect they’ll sell out very quickly. Once tickets are gone they’re gone but you’ll still be able to see Helios by day which will be included in standard admission. Find out more here.

Please note: The artwork is made from a delicate material and even mild wind speeds might mean that we have to take it down. We’re hoping for gentle weather while Helios is on display, however, if the winds pick up Helios will be temporarily brought down and the event will be cancelled to ensure the safety of the artwork and visitors. We won’t take the decision lightly as we hate to disappoint you. If we do have to cancel, unfortunately we will not be able to reschedule the event. We’ll try and give you as much notice possible.