Chester Cathedral and Chester Picturehouse bring cinema beneath a six-metre moon — for one unforgettable day

Chester Cathedral and Picturehouse Chester have joined forces to create Movies Under the Moon — a pair of very special film screenings held beneath Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon, the breathtaking six-metre lunar installation that has been drawing wonder from visitors since it arrived in the Cathedral’s soaring South Transept on 12 February. It’s a collaboration that feels almost inevitable: two of Chester’s most cherished cultural institutions, bringing their worlds together for something neither could create alone.

Since opening, the Museum of the Moon has already welcomed thousands of visitors. Covered in 120dpi NASA imagery and hanging six metres overhead, Jerram’s moon is so astonishingly detailed you can trace individual craters with your eyes. Now, on Saturday 14 March, the lights go down, a great film begins – and that moon glows above it all.

The Screenings: Saturday 14 March

Muppets in Space — Certificate U — 1pm–2.30pm

Gonzo has always suspected he’s not quite of this world — and there is no better place to settle the question than beneath a moon the size of a house. The afternoon screening is a gloriously daft family adventure, and the Museum of the Moon lends the whole thing an air of genuine cosmic wonder. Children will love it. Parents will too, and they won’t have to pretend otherwise.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial — Certificate PG — 6.30pm–8.30pm

As darkness falls outside, Chester Cathedral transforms. Spielberg’s most tender film — a story about longing for home, and the friends who help you find your way back — feels extraordinary in a space like this. The moon overhead. The medieval Cathedral around you. If you’ve seen E.T. a hundred times, you haven’t seen it like this.

Book Your Tickets Tickets are on sale now at chestercathedral.com/moon. Museum of the Moon closes on 15 March, making Saturday 14 March the final event to experience it — and there’s no better way to say goodbye.

· Adults: £10.99

· Children (under 12): £8.99

· Family Ticket (2 adults, 2 children): £35.99

Refreshments will be available for purchase inside the Cathedral.

For Chester Picturehouse, Movies Under the Moon is the kind of partnership that comes along rarely. “There are moments when a venue and a film just belong together — and this is one of them,” says Alf McClean, General Manager. “Watching E.T. beneath a moon like this, in a space like Chester Cathedral, is going to be something very special indeed. We’re incredibly proud to be partnering with the Cathedral, and we can’t wait to welcome people through the doors.”

The sentiment is warmly shared. “The response to Museum of the Moon has been extraordinary — thousands of people have already come through our doors, and the wonder on their faces never gets old,” says Anthony Lees-Smith, Canon Missioner at Chester Cathedral. “We believe passionately in the power of working with Chester’s businesses and cultural community to create experiences that bring people into the city and show them what this place is truly capable of. Movies Under the Moon is exactly that kind of collaboration, and we’re thrilled to be doing it with Chester Picturehouse.”

Also On: The Moon Explorer Trail

The adventure doesn’t stop at the Cathedral doors. Running until Sunday 15 March, the free Moon Explorer Trail is a city-wide treasure hunt taking participants on a journey through Chester’s streets — with a family ticket to Chester Picturehouse as the prize.

Twelve hidden moons are concealed across Chester city centre, each one holding a secret letter. Collect all 12, unscramble them to reveal the mysterious moon phrase, and submit your answer for a chance to win. It’s the perfect companion to a Cathedral visit — weaving through independent shops, cafés, and businesses along the way.

Trail locations include: Picturehouse Chester, Visitor Information Centre, Louison, Thingummys, Lucy and Yak, Little Yellow Pig, Sick to Death, Jo Jo Maman Bébé, Pars Kahve, Harriet and Dee, The Flower Cup, and Chester Cathedral.

Once completed, email answers to hello@chestercathedral.com or hand in your trail sheet at Chester Cathedral or the Visitor Information Centre. Download your trail sheet at chestercathedral.com/moon, or pick one up at Chester Cathedral’s main entrance or the Chester Visitor Information Centre.

Free to participate. Terms and conditions apply.