Film production in Dakar
Between June and December, usable daylight in Dakar moves by 1h 43min — from 12h 59min down to 11h 16min. 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 Dakar rises at 06:41 and sets at 19:41; the evening golden hour starts at 19:10 and runs for 31 minutes. By December that shifts to 07:28–18:44, with a 31-minute golden-hour window from 18:12.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 28 and 31 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 | 07:39 | 19:00 | 11h 21min | 18:30 |
| February | 07:35 | 19:15 | 11h 40min | 18:46 |
| March | 07:18 | 19:21 | 12h 02min | 18:53 |
| April | 06:57 | 19:24 | 12h 28min | 18:56 |
| May | 06:43 | 19:31 | 12h 48min | 19:01 |
| June | 06:41 | 19:41 | 12h 59min | 19:10 |
| July | 06:49 | 19:44 | 12h 55min | 19:13 |
| August | 06:57 | 19:34 | 12h 37min | 19:05 |
| September | 06:59 | 19:13 | 12h 13min | 18:44 |
| October | 07:02 | 18:51 | 11h 49min | 18:22 |
| November | 07:12 | 18:39 | 11h 27min | 18:09 |
| December | 07:28 | 18:44 | 11h 16min | 18:12 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Dakar starts at 19:55 in June and ends at 20:04 — a window of 9 minutes. In December it is 9 minutes from 18:58. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:21) and September (19:13) there are 8 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 December, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in Dakar?
In June it starts at 19:10 and lasts 31 minutes; in December it starts at 18:12 and lasts 31 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Dakar get?
Between 11h 16min in December and 12h 59min in June. The 1h 43min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Dakar?
On daylight length alone, June is strongest with 12h 59min of usable light.