Sports lighting and dark skies: Fundación Cielos de Chile brings the message to Chilean municipalities

At the National Meeting on Physical Activity and Local Sport, organized by the Chilean Association of Municipalities, Fundación Cielos de Chile shared with municipal representatives from across the country why sports lighting is a key element in protecting dark skies, and how good design can make all the difference.

At the National Meeting on Physical Activity and Local Sport, organized by the Chilean Association of Municipalities, and as part of Fundación Cielos de Chile’s itinerary during Astronomy Week, Executive Director Daniela González participated as an invited speaker to address the impact of sports lighting on dark skies, human health, and biodiversity, a topic that tends to go unnoticed in municipal sports planning.

The meeting brought together municipal representatives from across Chile for a conversation on sustainable sports lighting. The invitation came from Sportwelt, a company specialised in sports infrastructure and winner of the Sports Lighting category at the Premio Cielos de Chile 2025 for its project at Estadio La Caldera, in the Atacama Region.

The implications of light pollution

During her joint presentation with Sportwelt, Daniela González noted that light pollution goes far beyond its impact on telescopes, adding that urban flora, fauna, and nocturnal ecosystems also depend on certain levels of darkness to function properly.

One of the points that most captured the audience’s attention was the origin of the citizen reports received by the Foundation through its citizen science platform, Glowatch. “A significant share of the reports we receive from residents relates to sports facilities, from all across the country,” explained Daniela, citing concrete cases such as a skatepark on the coastal edge of Arica, a critical nesting area for protected seabirds.

Sports lighting and the light pollution norm: time is running out

The Foundation also reminded the municipal representatives present that the new light pollution regulation, in force since October 2024, explicitly includes sports and recreational lighting, stadiums, multipurpose courts, and neighbourhood courts, within its scope. For the 29 astronomical communes in the north of the country, compliance is immediate. For the rest of Chile, the deadline begins in October 2026. “The clock is already ticking. We all know that developing projects, securing approvals and funding are processes that take months and sometimes years. It’s time to get moving,” warned González.

A global perspective

Also present at the meeting was Camilo Motta, representative of Musco Lighting for South America, an international company specialised in sports lighting that works alongside Sportwelt in Chile. Motta highlighted that while the concern for dark skies is persistent in Chile, it is neither new nor unique to the country. “This is something that has gained momentum worldwide. In Canada, there are already programmes that protect dark skies and establish specific parameters to follow when lighting sports venues,” he noted, adding that organisations such as DarkSky, with whom he works closely, certify stadiums that meet standards of non-contamination towards the surrounding environment and the sky.

When change is visible from 50 kilometres away

Perhaps the most illustrative moment of the meeting was the story of Estadio de Andacollo, shared by Juan Agustín Donoso, representative of Sportwelt. During the handover ceremony for the lighting replacement project, a scientific observatory called to ask when the new lighting would be ready. Upon learning it was already on, the caller went to check the monitors in the observatory’s control room — located 50 kilometres away, and confirmed in real time that the light pollution that had affected the observatory for years had disappeared.

The meeting closed with a clear message from the Foundation: protecting dark skies and ensuring quality sports facilities are not opposing goals. “Dark skies can be protected while guaranteeing the safety of our residents,” summarised González. Good sports lighting design, she added, not only ensures regulatory compliance: it also generates energy efficiency, reduces conflicts with neighbouring communities, and contributes to the protection of a heritage that belongs to all of Chile.