Celebrating the summer solstice and the UK's ancient traditions, thanks to The National Lottery
15th June 2026
Every year in June, the longest day of the year arrives. The sun stays out later, the evenings feel lighter, and people across the UK mark the summer solstice, a tradition that’s been celebrated for thousands of years.
Today, many of the historic sites at the heart of these celebrations, including Stonehenge, are cared for and preserved because of you - National Lottery players. Funding from The National Lottery helps to keep these ancient traditions alive for new generations to experience. Here’s everything you need to know about one of the world’s oldest seasonal traditions.
What is the summer solstice?
The summer solstice is the longest day and shortest night of the year, marking the high point of summer that's been observed since prehistoric times, when people first started farming.
The word 'solstice' comes from the Latin words for sun, sol, and to stand, sistere, because at this time of year, the position of the rising and setting sun appears to stand still in its movement along the horizon.
During the summer solstice, the Earth's axis is tilted at its closest point to the sun, meaning that in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is at its highest point in the sky.
It falls on or around 21 June each year. In 2026, the exact moment occurs on Sunday 21 June at 9.24am BST, though as the Royal Observatory Greenwich notes, the sun's position remains in much the same place for a few days either side.
In ancient times, sunlight was crucial: for warmth, for people’s animals, and for helping crops to grow. According to the National Trust, in Northern and Central European Neolithic cultures, the summer solstice may have been connected to the timing of crop cycles.
Stonehenge: built around the sun
There's nowhere in the UK that is more closely associated with the summer solstice than Stonehenge. The heritage site in Wiltshire was created in around 2500 BC, and archaeologists believe that it was designed to align with the movements of the sun.
When standing in the centre of the monument during the summer solstice, the sun rises just to the left of a large standing stone outside the stone circle known as the Heel Stone, seen through a gap in the outer sarsen circle.
English Heritage's Senior Properties Historian, Susan Greaney, notes that "excavations suggest the Heel Stone may once have had a partner stone, meaning the sun would have risen framed between the two. The first section of the Stonehenge Avenue is aligned on the same axis, and there is a second alignment to the south-west, towards the midwinter solstice."
It's likely that people gathered at Stonehenge at both midsummer and midwinter to conduct rituals and ceremonies relating to the changing seasons.
Why do people still gather today?
Susan Greaney from English Heritage observes: "the movements of the sun, the turning year and the changing seasons were clearly important to the people who built Stonehenge. These must have been special times when people gathered together from far-off communities to hold feasts, ceremonies and rituals."
Each year, English Heritage opens Stonehenge for special managed access events at the summer solstice, welcoming visitors to experience the sunrise among the ancient stones. The National Lottery has invested £10million into transforming the site for visitors and English Heritage, which cares for Stonehenge, has received more than £50 million in funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund across its projects.
Thanks to National Lottery players who raise £33 million every week for good causes, heritage sites across the UK can preserve these extraordinary locations, helping to keep history and traditions alive.