Film production in Groningen
Between June and December, usable daylight in Groningen moves by 9h 22min — from 16h 56min down to 7h 34min. 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 Groningen rises at 05:07 and sets at 22:03; the evening golden hour starts at 21:06 and runs for 57 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:43–16:17, with a 67-minute golden-hour window from 15:10.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 46 and 67 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 | 08:41 | 16:46 | 8h 04min | 15:44 |
| February | 07:53 | 17:44 | 9h 51min | 16:54 |
| March | 06:50 | 18:37 | 11h 48min | 17:51 |
| April | 06:36 | 20:33 | 13h 57min | 19:46 |
| May | 05:36 | 21:26 | 15h 50min | 20:34 |
| June | 05:07 | 22:03 | 16h 56min | 21:06 |
| July | 05:26 | 21:55 | 16h 29min | 21:00 |
| August | 06:15 | 21:04 | 14h 49min | 20:15 |
| September | 07:08 | 19:52 | 12h 44min | 19:06 |
| October | 08:00 | 18:40 | 10h 40min | 17:52 |
| November | 07:59 | 16:40 | 8h 41min | 15:43 |
| December | 08:43 | 16:17 | 7h 34min | 15:10 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Groningen starts at 22:34 in June and ends at 22:55 — a window of 21 minutes. In December it is 16 minutes from 16:43. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:37) and September (19:52) there are 75 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Groningen averages 15 rain days in January and 12 in February. A three-day exterior shoot in January statistically loses 1.5 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 | 3.7 °C | 15 | 3.5 |
| February | 4.4 °C | 12 | 5.2 |
| March | 6.0 °C | 14 | 7.1 |
| April | 8.5 °C | 12 | 10.2 |
| May | 12.7 °C | 13 | 11.4 |
| June | 16.3 °C | 12 | 11.6 |
| July | 17.6 °C | 15 | 11.6 |
| August | 18.0 °C | 15 | 11.0 |
| September | 15.2 °C | 12 | 9.0 |
| October | 11.6 °C | 14 | 6.0 |
| November | 7.1 °C | 15 | 4.1 |
| December | 5.4 °C | 14 | 2.8 |
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 Groningen?
In June it starts at 21:06 and lasts 57 minutes; in December it starts at 15:10 and lasts 67 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Groningen get?
Between 7h 34min in December and 16h 56min in June. The 9h 22min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Groningen?
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.