Spain · Europe

Longest and shortest day in Barcelona

In Barcelona, Spain, the longest day of 2026 is around the June solstice on Sunday, 21 June 2026, with 15h 10m of daylight, and the shortest is around the December solstice on Monday, 21 December 2026, with 9h 11m.

Barcelona sunrise, sunset and day length on the 2026 solstices and equinoxes, in local time
Turning pointDateSunriseSunsetDay length
March equinoxFriday, 20 March 202606:5419:0312h 8m
June solsticeSunday, 21 June 202606:1721:2815h 10m
September equinoxTuesday, 22 September 202607:3819:4812h 10m
December solsticeMonday, 21 December 202608:1317:249h 11m
Barcelona day length month by month (around the 15th)
MonthSunriseSunsetDay length
January08:1517:469h 31m
February07:4618:2410h 38m
March07:0318:5711h 54m
April07:1220:3113h 19m
May06:3221:0314h 30m
June06:1721:2615h 9m
July06:3021:2314h 53m
August07:0020:5013h 50m
September07:3120:0012h 29m
October08:0319:1011h 8m
November07:3917:319h 52m
December08:1017:229h 12m

Why the day gets longer and shorter in Barcelona

Earth's axis is tilted about 23.4 degrees, so as the planet orbits the Sun, Barcelona leans toward the Sun for part of the year and away for the rest. When it leans toward the Sun the days lengthen and the Sun climbs higher; half a year later the opposite happens. The size of the swing depends on how far Barcelona sits from the equator: the further away, the bigger the difference between the longest and shortest day.

Frequently asked questions about day length in Barcelona

When is the longest day in Barcelona?

The longest day in Barcelona falls around the June solstice, on Sunday, 21 June 2026 in 2026, with about 15h 10m of daylight, sunrise at 06:17 and sunset at 21:28.

When is the shortest day in Barcelona?

The shortest day in Barcelona falls around the December solstice, on Monday, 21 December 2026 in 2026, with about 9h 11m of daylight, sunrise at 08:13 and sunset at 17:24.

How much does day length change through the year in Barcelona?

Between the longest and shortest day, Barcelona gains and loses about 5h 59m of daylight. The change is fastest around the March and September equinoxes and slowest near the solstices.

Every figure is computed from Barcelona's coordinates with SunCalc, not looked up from a table.

Day length in nearby cities

More light in Barcelona