Every summer, thousands of people travel to the Salisbury Plain in England to watch the sun rise over Stonehenge on the longest day of the year. And every year, English Heritage livestreams the whole thing, for free, so anyone with an Internet connection can watch alongside them.
This year's summer solstice falls on Saturday, June 20 into Sunday, June 21, 2026. Here's everything you need to know to tune in from wherever you are in the United States.
English Heritage will be livestreaming the summer solstice sunset and sunrise for free on their digital channels. To watch the stream, visit the official Stonehenge or English Heritage Facebook pages, or the English Heritage YouTube channel.
They'll broadcast two separate streams: one for sunset on the evening of June 20, and one for sunrise in the early hours of June 21. The sunrise is the main event, the moment when the sun clears the horizon and its first light falls directly into the stone circle along the solstice axis.
You can also find past solstice livestreams on the English Heritage YouTube channel if you want to see what to expect before you tune in.
English Heritage has announced the 2026 event will take place from 7pm on Saturday, June 20 until 8:30am on Sunday, June 21 BST (British Summer Time). Here's how that translates for viewers in the United States. (Note: BST is 5 hours ahead of Eastern, 6 ahead of Mountain, and 7 ahead of Pacific.)
Sunset Stream: Saturday, June 20
The livestream for sunset begins around 8:00pm BST, roughly an hour before the sun sets over the stones.
|
Time Zone |
Sunset Stream Starts |
|
Eastern (EDT) |
3:00pm Saturday, June 20 |
|
Mountain (MDT) |
2:00pm Saturday, June 20 |
|
Pacific (PDT) |
1:00pm Saturday, June 20 |
Sunrise Stream: Sunday, June 21
Sunrise at Stonehenge happens around 4:52am BST. This is the main event and the one worth setting an alarm for.
|
Time Zone |
Sunrise Stream Starts (~4am BST) |
|
Eastern (EDT) |
11:00pm Saturday night, June 20 |
|
Mountain (MDT) |
10:00pm Saturday night, June 20 |
|
Pacific (PDT) |
9:00pm Saturday night, June 20 |
The moment everyone waits for is first light over the Heel Stone, the tall, weathered upright stone just outside the main circle. As the sun crests the horizon on the solstice, its first rays pass directly over the Heel Stone and into the center of the monument.
If you want more context before you watch, English Heritage has a full educational guide to the solstice with videos, history, and even a live Skyscape view from inside the stone circle.