Film production in Manchester
Between June and December, usable daylight in Manchester moves by 9h 29min — from 17h 00min down to 7h 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 and the local production landscape.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Manchester rises at 04:40 and sets at 21:40; the evening golden hour starts at 20:42 and runs for 58 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:19–15:50, with a 67-minute golden-hour window from 14:43.
In practice, a spread of 9h 29min means a schedule that works here in summer does not work in winter at the same location — with the same setup count, the hours simply are not there.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 08:18 | 16:20 | 8h 02min | 15:18 |
| February | 07:29 | 17:19 | 9h 50min | 16:28 |
| March | 06:25 | 18:13 | 11h 47min | 17:26 |
| April | 06:10 | 20:09 | 13h 59min | 19:22 |
| May | 05:10 | 21:03 | 15h 53min | 20:10 |
| June | 04:40 | 21:40 | 17h 00min | 20:42 |
| July | 04:59 | 21:32 | 16h 32min | 20:36 |
| August | 05:49 | 20:40 | 14h 51min | 19:51 |
| September | 06:43 | 19:28 | 12h 45min | 18:42 |
| October | 07:36 | 18:15 | 10h 39min | 17:27 |
| November | 07:35 | 16:14 | 8h 39min | 15:17 |
| December | 08:19 | 15:50 | 7h 31min | 14:43 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Manchester starts at 22:11 in June and ends at 22:33 — a window of 22 minutes. In December it is 16 minutes from 16:17. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:13) and September (19:28) there are 75 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Manchester averages 19 rain days in July and 12 in April. A three-day exterior shoot in July statistically loses 1.9 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 | 4.6 °C | 17 | 3.2 |
| February | 5.4 °C | 16 | 4.8 |
| March | 6.5 °C | 16 | 6.5 |
| April | 8.5 °C | 12 | 9.3 |
| May | 12.1 °C | 14 | 10.1 |
| June | 15.0 °C | 15 | 10.2 |
| July | 16.4 °C | 19 | 9.9 |
| August | 16.1 °C | 17 | 9.2 |
| September | 14.0 °C | 14 | 7.4 |
| October | 11.1 °C | 17 | 5.4 |
| November | 7.4 °C | 17 | 3.9 |
| December | 6.1 °C | 18 | 2.6 |
Production landscape
Our production database holds 1 companies in Manchester with verified film or video production activity. That is not an industry estimate but the count of vetted records — an entry is only kept when at least two citable production credits back it up.
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 Manchester?
In June it starts at 20:42 and lasts 58 minutes; in December it starts at 14:43 and lasts 67 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Manchester get?
Between 7h 31min in December and 17h 00min in June. The 9h 29min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Manchester?
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.