Film production in Riga
Between June and December, usable daylight in Riga moves by 11h 03min — from 17h 50min down to 6h 47min. 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 Riga rises at 04:30 and sets at 22:20; the evening golden hour starts at 21:13 and runs for 67 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:56–15:43, with a 85-minute golden-hour window from 14:18.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 50 and 85 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 | 08:51 | 16:15 | 7h 24min | 15:01 |
| February | 07:53 | 17:24 | 9h 30min | 16:27 |
| March | 06:41 | 18:26 | 11h 45min | 17:35 |
| April | 06:17 | 20:32 | 14h 15min | 19:40 |
| May | 05:07 | 21:35 | 16h 28min | 20:36 |
| June | 04:30 | 22:20 | 17h 50min | 21:13 |
| July | 04:52 | 22:08 | 17h 16min | 21:05 |
| August | 05:51 | 21:07 | 15h 16min | 20:13 |
| September | 06:55 | 19:45 | 12h 51min | 18:55 |
| October | 07:56 | 18:24 | 10h 27min | 17:30 |
| November | 08:05 | 16:13 | 8h 09min | 15:07 |
| December | 08:56 | 15:43 | 6h 47min | 14:18 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Riga starts at 22:58 in June and ends at 23:27 — a window of 29 minutes. In December it is 18 minutes from 16:14. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:26) and September (19:45) there are 79 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Riga averages 16 rain days in July and 10 in May. A three-day exterior shoot in July statistically loses 1.6 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 | -2.2 °C | 14 | 2.2 |
| February | -0.7 °C | 11 | 4.2 |
| March | 1.9 °C | 11 | 7.0 |
| April | 6.6 °C | 11 | 10.1 |
| May | 12.4 °C | 10 | 12.8 |
| June | 17.5 °C | 11 | 13.9 |
| July | 18.5 °C | 16 | 13.2 |
| August | 18.2 °C | 13 | 11.4 |
| September | 14.0 °C | 12 | 9.1 |
| October | 8.1 °C | 15 | 5.5 |
| November | 3.6 °C | 13 | 2.6 |
| December | 0.2 °C | 14 | 1.7 |
Production landscape
Our production database holds 1 companies in Riga 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 Riga?
In June it starts at 21:13 and lasts 67 minutes; in December it starts at 14:18 and lasts 85 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Riga get?
Between 6h 47min in December and 17h 50min in June. The 11h 03min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Riga?
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.