BST doesn’t run all year though as when autumn arrives and the clocks fall back, the UK switches back to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), which many people tend to think of as ‘normal time’.
As explained by Royal Museums Greenwich, BST starts when clocks move forward by one hour at 1am on the final Sunday in March. In 2026, that change happens on March 29. By contrast, the clocks changed a day later last year, on March 30.
Looking further ahead, BST is due to begin on March 28 in 2027, and on March 26 in 2028 – if you’re interested in planning that far ahead!
When do the clocks go back in 2026?
BST comes to an end in the autumn, when the clocks are put back. This year, it will take place at 2am on October 25, which is the last Sunday of October.
When will the sun set in the UK after 8pm?
In the capital, sunset is expected to pass the 8pm mark on Thursday, April 16, according to sunrise-sunset.org. Other parts of the UK will reach this milestone earlier. For example, Manchester is set to see sunsets after 8pm from Thursday, April 9.
For comparison, London’s current average sunrise time is 7.54am, while the average sunset is around 4.25pm. If you’re heading further north, in cities like Glasgow you can expect sunsets to start happening after 8pm on Friday, April 3 – a bit earlier for those keen to travel where the sun sets later.
