Film production in Lagos

Between June and December, usable daylight in Lagos moves by 0h 45min — from 12h 30min down to 11h 45min. 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 Lagos rises at 06:33 and sets at 19:03; the evening golden hour starts at 18:33 and runs for 30 minutes. By December that shifts to 06:50–18:35, with a 30-minute golden-hour window from 18:05.

In practice, a spread of 0h 45min 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.

Sun times for Lagos — computed for 2026, timezone Africa/Lagos
MonthSunriseSunsetDaylightGolden hour (evening, from)
January07:0318:5011h 47min18:20
February07:0418:5911h 55min18:31
March06:5418:5912h 05min18:31
April06:3918:5512h 16min18:27
May06:3118:5612h 25min18:27
June06:3319:0312h 30min18:33
July06:3919:0712h 28min18:37
August06:4219:0212h 20min18:34
September06:3818:4812h 10min18:20
October06:3318:3211h 59min18:05
November06:3718:2711h 50min17:58
December06:5018:3511h 45min18:05

Blue hour and shooting windows

Blue hour in Lagos starts at 19:17 in June and ends at 19:25 — a window of 9 minutes. In December it is 9 minutes from 18:49. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.

Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:59) and September (18:48) there are 11 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.

Weather and washout risk

Lagos averages 28 rain days in June and 5 in January. A three-day exterior shoot in June statistically loses 2.8 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.

Climate profile for Lagos (monthly means)
MonthMean temperatureRain daysSunshine hours/day
January27.4 °C510.1
February28.2 °C810.1
March28.5 °C169.5
April28.5 °C169.6
May27.8 °C229.2
June26.2 °C287.9
July25.5 °C258.8
August25.2 °C228.9
September25.5 °C278.1
October26.3 °C278.8
November27.4 °C1810.4
December27.6 °C610.5

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 Lagos?

In June it starts at 18:33 and lasts 30 minutes; in December it starts at 18:05 and lasts 30 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.

How much daylight does a shoot day in Lagos get?

Between 11h 45min in December and 12h 30min in June. The 0h 45min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.

Which month is best for exteriors in Lagos?

Combining daylight and rain days, January comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.