Stonehenge Will Livestream Its Summer Solstice Celebration In June—Here’s How You Can Tune In

Every summer, on the longest day of the year, thousands of people gather at England’s Stonehenge monument. They come to catch the moment when the sun rises through the apex of the world’s most famous stone circle that happens on the Summer Solstice. Unfortunately, this year Stonehenge is closed to the public, and the annual gathering has been canceled. Instead, the event will belivestreamed on Facebookon June 20 by English Heritage.

As well as being a fascinating historical monument, Stonehenge is an extremely ceremonial place for some people. While no one knows exactly what the neolithic era monument was originally built for, it’s thought by many to have been a prehistoric place of worship.

Although Stonehenge is a sacred place for druids and modern-day pagans, it wasn’t always possible to see the summer solstice there—at least not legally—as it was mostly closed to the public until the early 2000s.

Speaking to the English newspaperThe Independent, Stonehenge site Nichola Tasker said, “We have consulted widely on whether we could have proceeded safely and we would have dearly liked to host the event as per usual, but sadly, in the end, we feel we have no choice but to cancel.”

She added, “We hope that our live stream offers an alternative opportunity for people near and far to connect with this spiritual place at such a special time of year. We look forward to welcoming everyone back next year.”

For many people, this will be a devastating loss. Still, for others, myself included, the chance to witness this event online is a unique opportunity.