Film production in Madrid
Between June and December, usable daylight in Madrid moves by 5h 44min — from 15h 02min down to 9h 18min. 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 Madrid rises at 06:45 and sets at 21:47; the evening golden hour starts at 21:06 and runs for 41 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:31–17:50, with a 43-minute golden-hour window from 17:07.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 36 and 43 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 | 08:37 | 18:13 | 9h 36min | 17:31 |
| February | 08:10 | 18:50 | 10h 40min | 18:12 |
| March | 07:28 | 19:22 | 11h 54min | 18:46 |
| April | 07:37 | 20:54 | 13h 16min | 20:17 |
| May | 07:00 | 21:24 | 14h 25min | 20:45 |
| June | 06:45 | 21:47 | 15h 02min | 21:06 |
| July | 06:58 | 21:45 | 14h 47min | 21:05 |
| August | 07:26 | 21:14 | 13h 48min | 20:37 |
| September | 07:56 | 20:26 | 12h 30min | 19:50 |
| October | 08:26 | 19:37 | 11h 11min | 19:00 |
| November | 08:01 | 17:59 | 9h 58min | 17:19 |
| December | 08:31 | 17:50 | 9h 18min | 17:07 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Madrid starts at 22:07 in June and ends at 22:20 — a window of 13 minutes. In December it is 12 minutes from 18:09. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:22) and September (20:26) there are 64 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Madrid averages 9 rain days in March and 1 in July. A three-day exterior shoot in March statistically loses 0.9 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 | 5.1 °C | 7 | 7.0 |
| February | 7.5 °C | 5 | 8.4 |
| March | 10.1 °C | 9 | 9.2 |
| April | 13.1 °C | 9 | 10.8 |
| May | 18.0 °C | 6 | 12.6 |
| June | 23.2 °C | 5 | 13.3 |
| July | 27.7 °C | 1 | 13.9 |
| August | 26.8 °C | 2 | 12.7 |
| September | 20.8 °C | 5 | 11.0 |
| October | 15.9 °C | 9 | 8.6 |
| November | 9.7 °C | 8 | 7.3 |
| December | 6.8 °C | 7 | 6.4 |
Filming permits
The responsible body is die Madrid Film Office des Stadtrats (Ayuntamiento de Madrid) für Drehs im öffentlichen Raum. Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
As of: 2026-08 · Source: madridfilmoffice.com
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 Madrid?
In June it starts at 21:06 and lasts 41 minutes; in December it starts at 17:07 and lasts 43 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Madrid get?
Between 9h 18min in December and 15h 02min in June. The 5h 44min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Madrid?
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.