Film production in Helsinki
Between June and December, usable daylight in Helsinki moves by 12h 59min — from 18h 52min down to 5h 53min. 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 Helsinki rises at 03:55 and sets at 22:48; the evening golden hour starts at 21:27 and runs for 80 minutes. By December that shifts to 09:20–15:13, with a 129-minute golden-hour window from 13:04.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 55 and 129 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 | 09:10 | 15:50 | 6h 39min | 14:13 |
| February | 08:01 | 17:10 | 9h 09min | 16:05 |
| March | 06:39 | 18:21 | 11h 42min | 17:26 |
| April | 06:05 | 20:37 | 14h 33min | 19:40 |
| May | 04:43 | 21:52 | 17h 09min | 20:45 |
| June | 03:55 | 22:48 | 18h 52min | 21:27 |
| July | 04:22 | 22:31 | 18h 09min | 21:17 |
| August | 05:34 | 21:18 | 15h 44min | 20:17 |
| September | 06:48 | 19:45 | 12h 57min | 18:50 |
| October | 08:00 | 18:14 | 10h 14min | 17:14 |
| November | 08:19 | 15:52 | 7h 33min | 14:32 |
| December | 09:20 | 15:13 | 5h 53min | 13:04 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Helsinki starts at 23:40 in June and ends at 00:35 — a window of 55 minutes. In December it is 21 minutes from 15:50. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:21) and September (19:45) there are 84 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Helsinki averages 15 rain days in November and 9 in May. A three-day exterior shoot in November statistically loses 1.5 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 | -3.3 °C | 14 | 1.4 |
| February | -2.6 °C | 12 | 3.6 |
| March | -0.7 °C | 11 | 6.6 |
| April | 3.8 °C | 10 | 9.9 |
| May | 10.1 °C | 9 | 13.0 |
| June | 15.6 °C | 10 | 14.7 |
| July | 17.5 °C | 13 | 13.3 |
| August | 17.0 °C | 13 | 11.2 |
| September | 12.8 °C | 11 | 8.2 |
| October | 7.0 °C | 13 | 4.8 |
| November | 2.9 °C | 15 | 2.0 |
| December | -0.5 °C | 14 | 1.3 |
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 Helsinki?
In June it starts at 21:27 and lasts 80 minutes; in December it starts at 13:04 and lasts 129 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Helsinki get?
Between 5h 53min in December and 18h 52min in June. The 12h 59min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Helsinki?
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.