Thousands flock to Stonehenge to mark the summer solstice

TravelLifestyle
21 Jun 2026 • 6:41 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Thousands flock to Stonehenge to mark the summer solstice

Thousands of revellers have flocked to Stonehenge, partying through the night and into the morning to celebrate the summer solstice.

The solstice – the longest day of the year – falls this year on 21 June, with London experiencing 16 hours and 38 minutes of daylight and Inverness enjoying over 18 hours.

Stonehenge, on Wiltshire’s Salisbury Plain, was built to align with the sun on both the summer and winter solstices and has long been a gathering place for celebrations.

English Heritage, which looks after the site, said: “As the sun rose on the year's longest day, we welcomed more than 20,000 people to celebrate together, with thousands more joining via our livestream from across the world.”