Film production in Belfast
Between June and December, usable daylight in Belfast moves by 9h 56min — from 17h 14min down to 7h 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 Belfast rises at 04:48 and sets at 22:02; the evening golden hour starts at 21:02 and runs for 60 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:41–15:59, with a 72-minute golden-hour window from 14:47.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 47 and 72 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 | 08:38 | 16:29 | 7h 51min | 15:24 |
| February | 07:47 | 17:31 | 9h 44min | 16:38 |
| March | 06:40 | 18:27 | 11h 47min | 17:39 |
| April | 06:23 | 20:26 | 14h 04min | 19:38 |
| May | 05:19 | 21:23 | 16h 03min | 20:28 |
| June | 04:48 | 22:02 | 17h 14min | 21:02 |
| July | 05:08 | 21:53 | 16h 45min | 20:55 |
| August | 06:00 | 20:58 | 14h 58min | 20:08 |
| September | 06:57 | 19:43 | 12h 46min | 18:56 |
| October | 07:53 | 18:28 | 10h 35min | 17:38 |
| November | 07:54 | 16:24 | 8h 30min | 15:24 |
| December | 08:41 | 15:59 | 7h 18min | 14:47 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Belfast starts at 22:35 in June and ends at 22:58 — a window of 24 minutes. In December it is 17 minutes from 16:27. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:27) and September (19:43) there are 76 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Belfast averages 18 rain days in August and 13 in January. A three-day exterior shoot in August statistically loses 1.8 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 | 5.2 °C | 13 | 3.8 |
| February | 5.6 °C | 14 | 5.4 |
| March | 6.3 °C | 16 | 6.8 |
| April | 7.9 °C | 13 | 9.0 |
| May | 11.2 °C | 14 | 10.5 |
| June | 13.8 °C | 15 | 10.9 |
| July | 15.0 °C | 17 | 9.8 |
| August | 14.9 °C | 18 | 9.3 |
| September | 13.2 °C | 14 | 7.7 |
| October | 10.8 °C | 14 | 5.7 |
| November | 7.7 °C | 14 | 4.1 |
| December | 6.4 °C | 15 | 2.9 |
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 Belfast?
In June it starts at 21:02 and lasts 60 minutes; in December it starts at 14:47 and lasts 72 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Belfast get?
Between 7h 18min in December and 17h 14min in June. The 9h 56min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Belfast?
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.