You Can Live Stream The Winter Solstice From Stonehenge This Year

Ivy Richardson • December 16, 2020

Enjoy the winter solstice from the comfort of your own home this year.

In true 2020 style, the winter solstice will be live streamed from Stonehenge next week. The epic event usually brings thousands of people to the ancient site every year to watch the midwinter sun rise and set over the standing stones. However, thanks to Covid-19, this year’s celebration will be a little different. It’s not all doom and gloom though, English Heritage are bringing the solstice celebration to us through their upcoming live stream.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year! It also happens to be the start of astronomical winter, which is shocking considering it’s been bloody freezing for weeks. Stonehenge has been the place to go to celebrate the occasion for centuries. Watching the sun rise behind the Heel Stone and capturing the rays of sunlight gathering in the centre is nothing short of magical – and we’re all invited to watch this year.

Winter solstice

Photo: Shutterstock

English Heritage are asking people not to venture to the site this year and visit virtually instead. “Owing to the pandemic, and in the interests of public health, there will be no Winter Solstice gathering at Stonehenge this year. The Winter Solstice sunrise will instead be live-streamed from the stones on the morning of the December 21. It will be easy and free to watch on the English Heritage social media channels’

You can tune into the live stream via the English Heritage’s social media channels next week. Footage will be streamed from sunset on December 20 (4pm) right through to sunrise on December 21st (8:09am). The show must go on after all.

Enjoy the winter solstice from the comfort of your own home this year.

In other news, a rare ‘Christmas star’ will light up UK skies for the first time in 800 years.