Summer solstice 2026: the longest day of the year
The summer solstice is the June solstice, the moment the sun reaches its highest, northernmost point in the sky. It is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
In 352 days, on Monday, 21 June 2027.
Summer solstice dates
| Event | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| June solstice 2026 | Sunday, 21 June 2026 | 08:25 UTC |
| June solstice 2027 | Monday, 21 June 2027 | 14:10 UTC |
Times are shown in UTC. Your local date can differ by a day depending on your time zone.
At the June solstice the Earth’s northern axis is tilted most directly toward the sun. The sun follows its longest, highest arc across the sky, so the Northern Hemisphere gets its maximum daylight and the shortest night of the year.
In the Southern Hemisphere the same moment is the winter solstice, the shortest day. The further you are from the equator, the more extreme the effect: above the Arctic Circle the sun does not set at all around the June solstice.
The solstice is a single instant, not a whole day, and it drifts by a few hours each year, which is why the date moves between 20 and 22 June. You can see how day length peaks around it for any location on the interactive map.
Frequently asked questions
When is the summer solstice?▼
The June solstice falls on 20, 21, or 22 June each year. The exact date and time drift slightly from year to year because the calendar year and the orbital year do not match perfectly. The table above lists the precise UTC moments.
Why is the summer solstice the longest day?▼
At the June solstice the Northern Hemisphere is tilted most toward the sun, so the sun rises earliest, sets latest, and climbs highest. That combination gives the most hours of daylight of any day in the year.
Is the summer solstice the same everywhere?▼
The astronomical moment is the same worldwide, but its meaning is not. It is the summer solstice and longest day in the Northern Hemisphere, and the winter solstice and shortest day in the Southern Hemisphere.
Does the earliest sunrise happen on the solstice?▼
Not exactly. Because of the way the sun’s timing shifts through the year, the earliest sunrise falls a few days before the June solstice and the latest sunset a few days after it. The solstice itself is the day with the most total daylight.