Film production in Kigali
Between December and June, usable daylight in Kigali moves by 0h 13min — from 12h 14min down to 12h 01min. 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.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Kigali rises at 06:01 and sets at 18:01; the evening golden hour starts at 17:31 and runs for 30 minutes. By December that shifts to 05:49–18:03, with a 30-minute golden-hour window from 17:33.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 27 and 30 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 | 06:03 | 18:16 | 12h 13min | 17:47 |
| February | 06:10 | 18:20 | 12h 10min | 17:52 |
| March | 06:06 | 18:13 | 12h 07min | 17:46 |
| April | 05:58 | 18:03 | 12h 04min | 17:35 |
| May | 05:56 | 17:58 | 12h 02min | 17:29 |
| June | 06:01 | 18:01 | 12h 01min | 17:31 |
| July | 06:06 | 18:07 | 12h 01min | 17:37 |
| August | 06:04 | 18:07 | 12h 03min | 17:38 |
| September | 05:53 | 17:59 | 12h 06min | 17:32 |
| October | 05:42 | 17:51 | 12h 09min | 17:23 |
| November | 05:39 | 17:51 | 12h 12min | 17:22 |
| December | 05:49 | 18:03 | 12h 14min | 17:33 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Kigali starts at 18:15 in June and ends at 18:24 — a window of 9 minutes. In December it is 9 minutes from 18:16. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:13) and September (17:59) there are 14 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
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 June, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in Kigali?
In June it starts at 17:31 and lasts 30 minutes; in December it starts at 17:33 and lasts 30 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Kigali get?
Between 12h 01min in June and 12h 14min in December. The 0h 13min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Kigali?
On daylight length alone, December is strongest with 12h 14min of usable light.