Film production in Nantes

Between June and December, usable daylight in Nantes moves by 7h 23min — from 15h 54min down to 8h 31min. 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 Nantes rises at 06:10 and sets at 22:05; the evening golden hour starts at 21:17 and runs for 48 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:47–17:17, with a 52-minute golden-hour window from 16:25.

For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 40 and 52 minutes across the year. Put it last in the day and the first overrun takes it.

Sun times for Nantes — computed for 2026, timezone Europe/Paris
MonthSunriseSunsetDaylightGolden hour (evening, from)
January08:4917:438h 54min16:53
February08:1318:3010h 17min17:47
March07:2119:1111h 51min18:31
April07:1920:5513h 35min20:13
May06:3121:3615h 04min20:51
June06:1022:0515h 54min21:17
July06:2622:0015h 34min21:13
August07:0321:2014h 17min20:38
September07:4420:2112h 37min19:40
October08:2519:2110h 56min18:39
November08:1117:339h 22min16:46
December08:4717:178h 31min16:25

Blue hour and shooting windows

Blue hour in Nantes starts at 22:29 in June and ends at 22:45 — a window of 16 minutes. In December it is 14 minutes from 17:40. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.

Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:11) and September (20:21) there are 70 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.

Weather and washout risk

Nantes averages 13 rain days in January and 8 in July. A three-day exterior shoot in January statistically loses 1.3 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.

Climate profile for Nantes (monthly means)
MonthMean temperatureRain daysSunshine hours/day
January6.5 °C134.6
February7.4 °C126.1
March9.1 °C137.9
April11.6 °C99.9
May14.9 °C1210.9
June18.5 °C1111.7
July20.2 °C812.2
August20.1 °C811.4
September17.5 °C99.7
October14.0 °C127.2
November9.9 °C125.8
December8.0 °C134.5

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 Nantes?

In June it starts at 21:17 and lasts 48 minutes; in December it starts at 16:25 and lasts 52 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.

How much daylight does a shoot day in Nantes get?

Between 8h 31min in December and 15h 54min in June. The 7h 23min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.

Which month is best for exteriors in Nantes?

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.