Film production in Cologne
Between June and December, usable daylight in Cologne moves by 8h 32min — from 16h 30min down to 7h 58min. 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 Cologne rises at 05:18 and sets at 21:48; the evening golden hour starts at 20:55 and runs for 53 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:29–16:27, with a 60-minute golden-hour window from 15:27.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 43 and 60 minutes across the year. Put it last in the day and the first overrun takes it.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 08:30 | 16:55 | 8h 25min | 15:59 |
| February | 07:46 | 17:48 | 10h 02min | 17:01 |
| March | 06:48 | 18:36 | 11h 49min | 17:53 |
| April | 06:39 | 20:27 | 13h 48min | 19:43 |
| May | 05:44 | 21:15 | 15h 31min | 20:26 |
| June | 05:18 | 21:48 | 16h 30min | 20:55 |
| July | 05:36 | 21:42 | 16h 06min | 20:51 |
| August | 06:20 | 20:56 | 14h 36min | 20:09 |
| September | 07:08 | 19:49 | 12h 41min | 19:06 |
| October | 07:55 | 18:42 | 10h 47min | 17:57 |
| November | 07:49 | 16:47 | 8h 58min | 15:54 |
| December | 08:29 | 16:27 | 7h 58min | 15:27 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Cologne starts at 22:16 in June and ends at 22:35 — 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 (18:36) and September (19:49) there are 73 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Cologne averages 17 rain days in December and 10 in September. A three-day exterior shoot in December 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 | 16 | 3.7 |
| February | 4.9 °C | 13 | 5.5 |
| March | 6.8 °C | 14 | 7.2 |
| April | 9.8 °C | 12 | 9.5 |
| May | 14.2 °C | 12 | 11.0 |
| June | 18.6 °C | 12 | 11.3 |
| July | 19.7 °C | 12 | 11.3 |
| August | 19.9 °C | 13 | 10.6 |
| September | 16.2 °C | 10 | 9.2 |
| October | 12.2 °C | 13 | 5.9 |
| November | 7.4 °C | 14 | 4.5 |
| December | 5.3 °C | 17 | 3.1 |
Production landscape
Our production database holds 22 companies in Cologne with verified film or video production activity, plus 2 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 Amt für öffentliche Ordnung der Stadt Köln (Sondernutzung); die Film- und Medienstiftung NRW vermittelt über ihre Location-Beratung. Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
As of: 2026-08 · Source: stadt-koeln.de / filmstiftung.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 Cologne?
In June it starts at 20:55 and lasts 53 minutes; in December it starts at 15:27 and lasts 60 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Cologne get?
Between 7h 58min in December and 16h 30min in June. The 8h 32min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Cologne?
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.