International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice 2026; June 21st.

FORUM: "Summer solstice begins in the northern hemisphere and the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere." International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice 2026. The Solstices play a significant role in strengthening the ties among peoples on the basis of mutual respect and the ideals of peace and good-neighborliness. All the United Nations, in particular its relevant specialized agencies, funds and programmes, mainly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and interested international and regional organizations, within existing resources, and non-governmental organizations to participate in events organized by Member States, indigenous peoples and communities in which the solstice is celebrated and to raise awareness in this regard. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #summersolstice, #wintersolstice, #21june, #solstices, #northernhemisphere, #southernhemisphere, #equinox, #Internationaldayofthecelebrationofthesolstice.

EVENTS: Today we celebrate the International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice 2026 and the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice. The June solstice arrives on June 21st, at 8:25 UTC (3:25 a.m. CDT). For the Northern Hemisphere, it's the longest day and shortest night. For the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the shortest day and longest night. South of the Equator, this same moment marks the unofficial beginning of winter. Solstices occur at the same time around the world, but their local times vary with time zones. Join the Celebration of the summer and winter Solstices in the both hemispheres.

Watch the Winter Solstice in Sydney; Exactly 9 hours and 53 minutes of daylight, making it the perfect time to catch early sunsets or plan a stargazing night to view the Sydney Observatory night sky

In Australia, that mid-winter day is known as the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere. The tilt of the earth's axis will mean the southern hemisphere will be angled furthest away from the sun at: 12:42 pm AEST (Queensland, NSW, ACT, Victoria and Tasmania). Sydney's winter solstice occurs on Sunday, June 21st, marking the shortest day and longest night of the year. The sun rises around 6:59 am and sets at 4:53 pm, providing just under 10 hours of daylight. It also signifies the astronomical start of winter and the turning point where days slowly begin to get longer. 

• The Pocket City Farms in Camperdown hosts a popular community solstice festival featuring markets, workshops, and a lantern parade.
• Sydney's Homeless Persons' Memorial Service takes place on this day at Martin Place to honor those experiencing homelessness.
• Specialized cultural events, like winter solstice choir performances, often take place at historical venues like Elizabeth Bay House.

On June 20th and June 21st; Watch the summer solstice LIVE from Stonehenge, Wherever you are in the world, don't miss a moment of this special occasion. 

Summer Solstice 2026: Sunrise Live from Stonehenge.

Watch the sun rise over the Stone Circle as people celebrate. Our stream begins at 04:00 BST, with sunrise occurring at 04:52 BST (23:52 EDT).

Summer Solstice 2026: Sunset Live from Stonehenge.

Our cameras will capture views of Stonehenge as the sun sets this summer solstice, allowing you to connect with this spiritual place from the comfort of your own home. Our stream begins at 20:00 BST, with sunset occurring at 21:26 BST (16:26 EDT).

International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice; June 21st.

FORUM: "Strengthening the ties among peoples." International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice 2024. The celebration of those events is an embodiment of the unity of the cultural heritage and centuries-long traditions, and further play a significant role in strengthening the ties among peoples on the basis of mutual respect and the ideals of peace and good-neighborliness.

The summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere occurs on June 20, 2024, at 4:51 p.m. EDT (2051 GMT), and the summer solstice for the Southern Hemisphere occurs on Dec. 21, 2024, at 5:29 a.m. EST (0929 GMT).

The summer solstice marks the official start of astronomical summer and the longest day of the year. It occurs when one of Earth's poles is tilted toward the sun at its most extreme angle, and due to Earth's tilt, this happens twice a year. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice falls in June (while the Southern Hemisphere experiences the winter solstice), and in the Southern Hemisphere, it falls in December (while the Northern Hemisphere experiences the winter solstice). The summer solstice and subsequent longest day of the year are celebrated by many cultures around the world with numerous traditions, holidays and festivals. From sunrise gatherings to midsummer festivals, summer solstice celebrations certainly blow the winter cobwebs away.

WHAT CAUSES THE SUMMER SOLSTICE?

 

This infographic shows Earth during the June solstice and the December solstice. Hours of daylight and darkness for comparison. During the June solstice, the Arctic Circle receives 24 hours of daylight and but during the December solstice, the Arctic Circle receives 24 hours of darkness.

We have Earth's tilt to thank for the seasons, and without it both hemispheres would receive equal light throughout the year. As Earth orbits the sun, the axis of rotation of Earth is slightly tilted at 23.44°.1 according to the Royal Museums Greenwich. This means that as Earth orbits the sun, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the sun during one half of the year. During the other half of the year, the Southern Hemisphere tilts towards it. When the Northern or Southern Hemisphere is most tilted towards the sun, it experiences the summer solstice; when it is most tilted away, it experiences the winter solstice.

The solstices also do not land on the same calendar day every year because the astronomical year is 365.25 days long. As such, the summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere — also known as the June solstice — currently shifts between June 20, 21 and 22. The summer solstice does, however, occur at the same time for every country independently of which side of Earth is facing the sun. This means the exact moment of summer solstice can occur in the middle of the night for some people and the middle of the day for others.

EVENTS: June 21sr; Worldwide celebrations of the International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice 2024. 

SUMMER SOLSTICE CELEBRATIONS.

Humans have been observing the sun's position in the sky for thousands of years, and monuments such as Stonehenge in England, Karnak in Egypt, and Chankillo in Peru stand as a testament to our fascination with our nearest star. Solstices have also influenced many traditions and celebrations around the world.

At Stonehenge in the U.K., the sun rises behind the ancient entrance to a stone circle and "the sunlight is channeled into the center of the monument," the BBC reported. Researchers believe that solstices have been celebrated at Stonehenge for thousands of years. The stone circle is particularly important to pagans and druids.According to some ancient Greek calendars, the summer solstice heralded the beginning of the new year and marked the one-month countdown to the start of the Olympic Games, according to St Neots Museum in the U.K.

In Sweden, midsummer celebrations rooted in paganism are the highlight of the year for many. The weekend surrounding the solstice is filled with food, drink and plenty of singing, according to Lonely Planet. Flower-wreath-wearing revelers take part in maypole and folk dances such as the traditional "Små grodorna".

In the U.S., some Native American tribes living in the plains and The Rocky Mountains perform a Sun Dance to celebrate the summer solstice. In Fairbanks, Alaska, a baseball game known as the "Midnight Sun Game" traditionally starts at 10:30 p.m and takes a brief pause close to midnight for everyone to sing the Alaska Flag Song.

In the Wiccan religion, people celebrate Yule at the winter solstice to herald the return of the sun and warmer months.

International Day of the celebration of the solstices 2023; June 21st.

FORUM: "The solstice as the embodiment of the unity of cultural heritage and centuries-long traditions." International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice 2023. The Solstices play a significant role in strengthening the ties among peoples on the basis of mutual respect and the ideals of peace and good-neighborliness.

EVENTS: Summer Solstice 2023: Sunset Live from Stonehenge Watch the summer solstice sunset LIVE from Stonehenge, wherever you are in the world, with the first of our two free live streams! Watch the sun set over the Stone Circle as people celebrate the days beginning to lengthen. Our stream begins at 20:30 BST (this is 15:30 EDT/EST), with sunset occurring at 21:27 BST.

International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice 2022, June 21st.

FORUM:  "The solstice as the embodiment of the unity of cultural heritage and centuries-long traditions." International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice 2022

 Mindful that the solstices and equinoxes symbolize the fertility of the land, agricultural and food production systems, cultural heritage and their millenary traditions; the General Assembly of the United Nations acknowledged that the celebration of those events is an embodiment of the unity of the cultural heritage and centuries-long traditions, and further play a significant role in strengthening the ties among peoples on the basis of mutual respect and the ideals of peace and good-neighborliness. It, therefore, recognized 21 June as the International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice.

EVENTS: International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice 2022.

For the other half of the year, the South Pole gets more light.