When is the summer solstice? This year it falls at 09:24 BST on Sunday, but many of the celebrations around Stonehenge and Avebury are timed to the 04:52 sunrise. Thousands of people are expected to gather in Wiltshire for the annual event.
Stonehenge in Wiltshire
At Stonehenge in Wiltshire, parking has already sold out for visitors. English Heritage expects similar numbers again this year after more than 25,00 people gathered at the stone circle in 2025.
People at Stonehenge dance and play instruments including tambourines and drums during the event. The gathering has become one of the largest fixed points in the summer solstice calendar for people travelling across the West of England.
Avebury and Marlborough
Large groups are also expected at Avebury near Marlborough. The National Trust says its carpark at Avebury will be open for sunrise on Sunday, and its website says there are spaces available for camper vans in its main visitor car park, though they are expected to fill quickly.
One of the most popular locations to watch the summer solstice in Somerset is Glastonbury Tor, adding another destination for people moving around the region before sunrise. The pattern is the same each year: the astronomical moment arrives later in the morning, while the public celebrations gather around first light.
West of England crowds
The summer solstice takes place when the hemisphere is tilted at its maximum towards the Sun, and the day marks the official start of astronomical summer. In practice, that means the exact 09:24 BST moment and the visible sunrise are not the same thing, so celebrations are built around the earlier light rather than the later astronomical peak.
For visitors, the immediate practical point is simple: Stonehenge parking is gone, Avebury opens for sunrise, and the largest crowds are expected before the Sun is fully up. People planning to go on Sunday will need to arrive around the sunrise window if they want to join the main gatherings.
