The Northern Nights Festival is returning to Mät’àtäna Män (Kathleen Lake) in Kluane National Park and Reserve on September 18–19, 2026. Organized by Parks Canada, this annual gathering brings the community together for a weekend of music, storytelling, and stargazing as the region transitions into darker fall skies.
This is Yukon’s only dark sky festival, and the 2026 event marks a milestone anniversary—either the tenth or eleventh edition, depending on whether the festival began in 2016 or 2017. Past festivals have been running since at least 2016, with the 2018 edition described as the third annual and the 2022 edition as the sixth. Details on this year’s performers and programming will be released closer to the event dates.
Northern Nights typically features live music, campfire talks, traditional stories from Southern Tutchone storytellers, art workshops, and activities for children. In previous years, visitors enjoyed stargazing with the Yukon Astronomical Society and cultural teachings from knowledge keepers like John Fingland and Daniel Tlen of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.
Mät’àtäna Män, meaning “something frozen inside the lake” in Southern Tutchone, sits about 27 kilometres south of Haines Junction along the Haines Highway. The alpine lake’s remote location offers exceptionally dark skies that make it ideal for astronomical observation.
The park is cooperatively managed by Parks Canada, the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, and the Kluane First Nation through the Kluane National Park Management Board. The festival reflects that partnership while drawing visitors to the gateway community of Haines Junction during the shoulder season.
