Even though the clocks change like clockwork every year, it’s still wild to think that Manchester hasn’t seen a 6pm sunset since October 20, 2025. We’ve endured over five months of bleak, chilly evenings, but the wait is finally over – well, for the next seven months, at least.
This week marks a turning point as Manchester greets its first 6pm sunset of the year. It’s a literal bright spot that means you can finally clock out and hit a beer garden without needing a torch to find your way. It feels like the first real nudge toward summer, and honestly? We’re here for it.
Sure, we might be getting ahead of ourselves, but after a few recent glimpses of sunshine, it feels like the hardest part of winter is behind us. Let’s just enjoy the extra light and ignore the fact that the clocks will eventually go back again. That’s a problem for future us!
According to Time and Date, the first 6pm sunset in Manchester will take place on March 9, when the sun isn’t leaving us until 6.01pm – plus, it’s a Monday, so that’s one way to perk up the start of the week. This means from now and until the end of this month it will be a slightly easier endurance test before we get treated to the art of the 7pm sunset (from March 28, if you were wondering). This is then followed by 8pm sunsets later on in April (from April 10) thanks to the clocks going forward.
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And look, if we’re being honest – we still think 6pm is far too early for the sun to set. Sure, it’s unrealistic to ask for daylight until 9pm all year round, but wouldn’t it be nice if there were some kind of happy medium? Surely there’s some way to make it possible for us to go to and from work while it is light, rather than losing daytime light hours to the 9-5 and travelling under the cover of darkness…
Nonetheless, we will take this as the first sign that summer is on its way and the cold and dark months will, in fact, end. Now, get me to a beer garden with a pint in hand!
