Film production in Düsseldorf
Between June and December, usable daylight in Düsseldorf moves by 8h 38min — from 16h 33min down to 7h 55min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months, the climate profile and the local production landscape.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Düsseldorf rises at 05:18 and sets at 21:51; the evening golden hour starts at 20:57 and runs for 54 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:31–16:26, with a 61-minute golden-hour window from 15:26.
In practice, a spread of 8h 38min means a schedule that works here in summer does not work in winter at the same location — with the same setup count, the hours simply are not there.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 08:32 | 16:54 | 8h 23min | 15:57 |
| February | 07:48 | 17:48 | 10h 01min | 17:00 |
| March | 06:48 | 18:37 | 11h 49min | 17:53 |
| April | 06:39 | 20:28 | 13h 49min | 19:44 |
| May | 05:43 | 21:17 | 15h 33min | 20:28 |
| June | 05:18 | 21:51 | 16h 33min | 20:57 |
| July | 05:35 | 21:44 | 16h 09min | 20:52 |
| August | 06:20 | 20:57 | 14h 37min | 20:11 |
| September | 07:08 | 19:50 | 12h 42min | 19:06 |
| October | 07:57 | 18:42 | 10h 46min | 17:57 |
| November | 07:50 | 16:46 | 8h 56min | 15:53 |
| December | 08:31 | 16:26 | 7h 55min | 15:26 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Düsseldorf starts at 22:19 in June and ends at 22:38 — a window of 19 minutes. In December it is 15 minutes from 16:51. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:37) and September (19:50) there are 73 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Düsseldorf averages 17 rain days in January and 11 in September. A three-day exterior shoot in January statistically loses 1.7 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.
| Month | Mean temperature | Rain days | Sunshine hours/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3.5 °C | 17 | 3.6 |
| February | 4.8 °C | 14 | 5.4 |
| March | 6.9 °C | 14 | 7.2 |
| April | 9.8 °C | 12 | 9.6 |
| May | 14.3 °C | 12 | 11.1 |
| June | 18.6 °C | 12 | 11.4 |
| July | 19.6 °C | 14 | 11.4 |
| August | 19.8 °C | 13 | 10.7 |
| September | 16.2 °C | 11 | 9.2 |
| October | 12.1 °C | 14 | 6.0 |
| November | 7.3 °C | 15 | 4.6 |
| December | 5.3 °C | 17 | 3.0 |
Production landscape
Our production database holds 3 companies in Düsseldorf with verified film or video production activity, plus 3 training institutions. That is not an industry estimate but the count of vetted records — an entry is only kept when at least two citable production credits back it up.
Filming permits
The responsible body is das Ordnungsamt der Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf (Sondernutzungserlaubnis). Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
As of: 2026-08 · Source: duesseldorf.de
Incentives and rebates
Regionale Förderung über die Film- und Medienstiftung NRW. Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
As of: 2026-08 · Source: filmstiftung.de
Planning a shoot here
A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in December, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in Düsseldorf?
In June it starts at 20:57 and lasts 54 minutes; in December it starts at 15:26 and lasts 61 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Düsseldorf get?
Between 7h 55min in December and 16h 33min in June. The 8h 38min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Düsseldorf?
Combining daylight and rain days, June comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.