Film production in Utrecht
Between June and December, usable daylight in Utrecht moves by 8h 57min — from 16h 43min down to 7h 46min. 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 Utrecht rises at 05:19 and sets at 22:02; the evening golden hour starts at 21:07 and runs for 55 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:42–16:28, with a 63-minute golden-hour window from 15:25.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 45 and 63 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 | 08:42 | 16:57 | 8h 15min | 15:58 |
| February | 07:56 | 17:53 | 9h 57min | 17:04 |
| March | 06:55 | 18:43 | 11h 48min | 17:59 |
| April | 06:44 | 20:37 | 13h 53min | 19:51 |
| May | 05:46 | 21:27 | 15h 41min | 20:37 |
| June | 05:19 | 22:02 | 16h 43min | 21:07 |
| July | 05:37 | 21:55 | 16h 17min | 21:02 |
| August | 06:24 | 21:06 | 14h 42min | 20:19 |
| September | 07:14 | 19:57 | 12h 43min | 19:13 |
| October | 08:04 | 18:48 | 10h 43min | 18:01 |
| November | 08:00 | 16:50 | 8h 50min | 15:55 |
| December | 08:42 | 16:28 | 7h 46min | 15:25 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Utrecht starts at 22:31 in June and ends at 22:51 — a window of 20 minutes. In December it is 15 minutes from 16:54. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:43) and September (19:57) there are 74 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Utrecht averages 15 rain days in January and 12 in April. 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 | 4.1 °C | 15 | 3.6 |
| February | 4.9 °C | 13 | 5.3 |
| March | 6.6 °C | 14 | 7.1 |
| April | 9.3 °C | 12 | 9.9 |
| May | 13.5 °C | 12 | 11.2 |
| June | 17.2 °C | 12 | 11.4 |
| July | 18.2 °C | 15 | 11.4 |
| August | 18.6 °C | 13 | 10.7 |
| September | 15.6 °C | 12 | 8.9 |
| October | 12.0 °C | 14 | 6.0 |
| November | 7.5 °C | 14 | 4.3 |
| December | 5.7 °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 Utrecht?
In June it starts at 21:07 and lasts 55 minutes; in December it starts at 15:25 and lasts 63 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Utrecht get?
Between 7h 46min in December and 16h 43min in June. The 8h 57min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Utrecht?
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.