Film production in Barcelona
Between June and December, usable daylight in Barcelona moves by 5h 57min — from 15h 09min down to 9h 12min. 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.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Barcelona rises at 06:18 and sets at 21:27; the evening golden hour starts at 20:45 and runs for 42 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:11–17:23, with a 44-minute golden-hour window from 16:39.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 36 and 44 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 | 08:16 | 17:47 | 9h 31min | 17:04 |
| February | 07:48 | 18:25 | 10h 37min | 17:46 |
| March | 07:04 | 18:58 | 11h 53min | 18:21 |
| April | 07:13 | 20:31 | 13h 19min | 19:54 |
| May | 06:34 | 21:03 | 14h 30min | 20:24 |
| June | 06:18 | 21:27 | 15h 09min | 20:45 |
| July | 06:31 | 21:24 | 14h 53min | 20:44 |
| August | 07:01 | 20:53 | 13h 52min | 20:15 |
| September | 07:32 | 20:03 | 12h 31min | 19:26 |
| October | 08:03 | 19:12 | 11h 09min | 18:35 |
| November | 07:40 | 17:33 | 9h 53min | 16:52 |
| December | 08:11 | 17:23 | 9h 12min | 16:39 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Barcelona starts at 21:48 in June and ends at 22:01 — a window of 13 minutes. In December it is 12 minutes from 17:43. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:58) and September (20:03) there are 65 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Barcelona averages 12 rain days in September and 4 in January. A three-day exterior shoot in September statistically loses 1.2 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 | 8.6 °C | 4 | 7.9 |
| February | 10.0 °C | 6 | 8.7 |
| March | 11.8 °C | 7 | 9.8 |
| April | 13.9 °C | 9 | 10.7 |
| May | 17.6 °C | 7 | 12.3 |
| June | 22.2 °C | 6 | 13.0 |
| July | 25.2 °C | 4 | 13.5 |
| August | 25.1 °C | 7 | 12.2 |
| September | 21.5 °C | 12 | 10.2 |
| October | 18.1 °C | 10 | 8.8 |
| November | 13.2 °C | 8 | 7.8 |
| December | 10.0 °C | 4 | 7.7 |
Filming permits
The responsible body is die Barcelona Film Commission der Stadtverwaltung als zentrale Anlaufstelle für Drehgenehmigungen. Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
As of: 2026-08 · Source: barcelonafilmcommission.cat
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 Barcelona?
In June it starts at 20:45 and lasts 42 minutes; in December it starts at 16:39 and lasts 44 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Barcelona get?
Between 9h 12min in December and 15h 09min in June. The 5h 57min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Barcelona?
Combining daylight and rain days, July comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.