In the words of Madonna, we've made it through the wilderness, and the horrible, gloomy weather we've been subjected to for months now seems to officially be behind us.
But while this glorious bout of sunshine may have us feeling as though we're being touched for the very first time, it's far from being the first signs of summer – sigh.
So, when does summer 2026 begin?
While many of us consider September, October and November to be autumn, December, January and February to be winter, March, April and May to be spring, and June, July and August to be summer, there's more to it than that.
Astronomically, it's about equinoxes and solstices, and how they define each season. And this year, summer officially starts on Sunday 21 June, 2026 – which coincidentally also happens to be Father's Day in the UK – and ends on Wednesday 23 September.
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What is the difference between a solstice and an equinox?
Equinoxes occur twice a year, in March and September, in the Northern Hemisphere. Deriving from the Latin for “equal night”, an equinox is when the Sun crosses the equator, and there are nearly equal hours of day and night.
Similarly, solstices occur twice a year, in June and December. While the summer solstice signals the longest day of the year, when the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky, the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year.
Areas in the Arctic Circle experience 24 hours of daylight during the summer solstice, while those in the Antarctic Circle experience the complete opposite. This pattern switches during the winter solstice.
How is the summer solstice celebrated?
Also referred to as “midsummer”, the summer solstice has long been celebrated and marked in various cultures around the world, with a plethora of ancient traditions and folklore surrounding the event.
In the Northern Hemisphere, Germanic, Slavic and Celtic people would mark the occasion with bonfires, designed to strengthen the sun's power and improve harvests.
Nordic communities, meanwhile, celebrate midsummer as a symbol of fertility and growth. Many people flock to the countryside and participate in the festivities – complete with maypole dancing, flower crowns and a tuneful rendition of “Små grodorna” (or "The Little Frogs"), a traditional song in Sweden.
Here in the UK, perhaps the most famous of summer solstice traditions involves Stonehenge in Wiltshire, a Neolithic stone circle that dates back to 2500 BC. Each year, people gather at the site in the early hours to catch the first glimpse of sunlight, bursting through the ancient archways.
Previously an important religious site, Stonehenge has been a central destination on summer solstices for around 4,000 years, with druid rituals, prayers and drums being played throughout the day.
Should you wish to visit Stonehenge this year to join the summer solstice festivities, the nearest train station is Salisbury, which is some 12 miles away from the site. The easiest way to get there is via car, but English Heritage advises car sharing where possible, as the roads get busy that time of year.
