Events, Festivals and Exhibitions

The longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, the Summer Solstice is a time when the days really get long and the nights are short. There is no better time of the year to celebrate, and nowhere better to do so than at the Stonehenge Summer Solstice?

When is the Summer Solstice?

The summer solstice occurs sometime between the 20 and 22 June, so it typically falls on 21 June. It is the time when the sun has its maximum tilt towards the sun.

Summer Solstice at Stonehenge

For millennia people have made the pilgrimage to Stonehenge for the summer solstice. Druids used to worship at the site, so expect modern day druids to be here to mark the occasion.

English Heritage is providing free access to the Stonehenge monument field during the summer solstice, from the evening of 20 June.

Stonehenge will then re-open for normal visitors on the afternoon of 21 June.

English Heritage suggests you follow @EH_Stonehenge on Twitter for updates on the Summer Solstice.

All this is subject to the UK Government roadmap. English Heritage has made this announcement about the arrangements for 2021.

Stonehenge Ancient Monument

Believed to be constructed about five thousand years ago, Stonehenge consists of a ring of standing stones in Wiltshire, England. Each stone is around 4 metres high and 2.1 metres wide weighing approximately 25 tonnes.

Stonehenge was made a Scheduled Ancient Monument in 1882, and was added to Unesco’s list of World Heritage sites in 1986. It is owned by the UK Crown and managed by English Heritage.

It is indisputably one of the most famous landmarks in the UK, if not the world. You can learn more about the history of Stonehenge here.

Stonehenge is not the only megalithic site in the UK. Read our review of Old Stones: Megalithic Sites.

Further information about the Stonehenge Summer Solstice

Can be found here.