Helios
See the sun like never before with Luke Jerram’s Helios at Fountains Abbey.
- Booking not needed
- Free event (admission applies)
Helios is a brand-new 7-metre diameter sculpture by internationally renowned artist Luke Jerram. Helios, Ancient Greek for the sun, follows Luke’s previous celestial sculptures of ‘Gaia’ ‘Museum of the Moon’ and ‘Mars’.
With rippling lights, solar imagery and sounds of the sun recorded by NASA, you’re invited to come and experience this audio-visual wonder.
Scaled so that each centimetre represents 2000 kilometres of the real sun’s surface, this is a unique opportunity to take a closer look at the star and details such as sunspots and solar flares.
Helios will be suspended from the centre of the Nave in the abbey ruins.
Helios will be displayed in the daytime as part of normal admission to the estate and will not require pre-booking.
Special openings: Visitors will need to book tickets for the evening and sunrise viewings of Helios. The site will close at 4pm each day before reopening to visitors with pre-booked tickets. Tickets for these will be released on 5 September via the website.
Times
Prices
Event ticket prices
This event is free, but normal admission charges apply for the venue.
Check admission pricesThe basics
- Booking details
Call On sale from 5 September
- Meeting point
Helios will be suspended from the centre of the Nave in the abbey ruins.
- Accessibility
There are hard-standing paths around the estate. Access to the abbey is across a level grassy green. When the grass is particularly wet this can be impassable for wheelchairs, mobility scooters and prams.
- Other
Helios will be displayed at Fountains Abbey during the day and in the evenings and sunrise. Visitors will need to book tickets for the evening and sunrise viewings. Tickets for these will be released on 5 September via the website. Helios will be displayed in the daytime as part of normal admission to the estate and will not require pre-booking. Full event information can be found on the 'Things to see and do' section of the Fountains Abbey webpage
Upcoming events
Summer of Play: the circus
Join us for an entire summer jam-packed full of fun and games here at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.
Garden and abbey tour
Join one of our volunteer tour guides to discover the secrets and surprises of Studley Royal Water Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Between Chaos and Light by Ed Kluz
A new immersive exhibition by Ed Kluz comes to Fountains Hall from summer to winter solstice 2025.
Summer of Play: Family tours
Robes at the ready? Join us for a free family tour as part of our jam-packed Summer of Play.