Film production in Lisbon
Between June and December, usable daylight in Lisbon moves by 5h 23min — from 14h 52min down to 9h 29min. 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 Lisbon rises at 06:12 and sets at 21:04; the evening golden hour starts at 20:24 and runs for 40 minutes. By December that shifts to 07:48–17:17, with a 42-minute golden-hour window from 16:35.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 35 and 42 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 | 07:54 | 17:39 | 9h 45min | 16:59 |
| February | 07:29 | 18:14 | 10h 45min | 17:37 |
| March | 06:49 | 18:44 | 11h 55min | 18:08 |
| April | 07:01 | 20:13 | 13h 12min | 19:38 |
| May | 06:26 | 20:42 | 14h 16min | 20:04 |
| June | 06:12 | 21:04 | 14h 52min | 20:24 |
| July | 06:24 | 21:02 | 14h 37min | 20:23 |
| August | 06:51 | 20:33 | 13h 42min | 19:56 |
| September | 07:19 | 19:47 | 12h 28min | 19:12 |
| October | 07:46 | 19:00 | 11h 14min | 18:24 |
| November | 07:19 | 17:25 | 10h 05min | 16:46 |
| December | 07:48 | 17:17 | 9h 29min | 16:35 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Lisbon starts at 21:23 in June and ends at 21:36 — a window of 13 minutes. In December it is 11 minutes from 17:35. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:44) and September (19:47) there are 63 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Lisbon averages 10 rain days in November and 1 in July. A three-day exterior shoot in November statistically loses 1.0 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 | 11.4 °C | 7 | 7.7 |
| February | 12.3 °C | 7 | 8.5 |
| March | 13.4 °C | 9 | 9.9 |
| April | 15.4 °C | 9 | 11.1 |
| May | 18.1 °C | 5 | 12.4 |
| June | 20.1 °C | 4 | 13.3 |
| July | 22.1 °C | 1 | 13.4 |
| August | 22.5 °C | 1 | 12.4 |
| September | 21.1 °C | 4 | 11.1 |
| October | 18.8 °C | 9 | 9.1 |
| November | 14.9 °C | 10 | 7.6 |
| December | 12.9 °C | 8 | 7.4 |
Filming permits
The responsible body is die Câmara Municipal de Lisboa (Lisboa Film Commission) für Drehs im öffentlichen Raum. Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
As of: 2026-08 · Source: lisboafilmcommission.pt
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 Lisbon?
In June it starts at 20:24 and lasts 40 minutes; in December it starts at 16:35 and lasts 42 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Lisbon get?
Between 9h 29min in December and 14h 52min in June. The 5h 23min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Lisbon?
Combining daylight and rain days, July comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.