In this talk, I will present several novel detection channels for light dark sector particles, with a particular focus on proton beam-dump setups. These setups offer unique opportunities to probe previously unexplored regions of parameter space for light dark sector models. I will discuss several new search strategies, including approaches that can also be applied to the detection of ambient dark matter. Finally, I will explore how these ideas can be extended to searches at the LHC, highlighting their potential to broaden the experimental reach for light dark sector particles.