n the Clocks Go Forward in 2026
The time to put the clocks forward in 2026 is 1am on Sunday 29 March. From then on it’s 2am!
The Exact Moment It Happens
At 1am on the last Sunday in March the clock jumps forward to 2am on that day. This means that the hour between 1am and 2am on that day will have been skipped completely. Because the time change occurs in the early hours of the morning most people will be unaware of the time change until they check their phone, which will be displaying the correct time of 2am.
The Law Behind The Date
This is a fixed date which has been set by the Summer Time Act of 1972. The Government confirms the exact dates each year and this can be found on an official Government page detailing when the clocks go forward and back each year. Note that this is usually confirmed for the following year or more by the time that autumn arrives and that there is no annual debate or vote on this matter – it happens automatically every year.
How Much Evening Light You Gain
While the clocks going forward in spring does not add any hours of daylight to our days, it does shift the daylight hours that we already have to the end of the day. So while on 28 March 2026 the sun will set at about the same time as it has for the past week or so, the following day (29 March 2026) the sunset will move to a clock time of about an hour later. It will feel like longer evenings for a couple of weeks while the days start to get longer.
Myth Check: Is It Tied To The Equinox
For a number of years the clocks have gone forward on the same day as the spring equinox. However this year the spring equinox falls on 20 March 2026 and the clocks go forward on 29 March. The equinox is an astronomical event and is calculated on the position of the Earth and its tilt while the clock change is a fixed parliamentary date and therefore can move by a number of days from year to year and only happens to fall close to the spring equinox on occasion.
Myth Check: Is It Called Daylight Saving Time
Although it is often referred to as Daylight Saving Time (or ‘DST’), in the UK, this time change is more correctly known as British Summer Time (or ‘BST’) and this is how it is referred to on this site. It is known as DST in America and Canada and the basis of the time change is similar although the exact dates on which the time change takes place are different. The basis of this time change and the history of how GMT and BST have evolved over the centuries is described in a section on the history of time on this Royal Museums Greenwich site.
Which Devices Update Themselves
For devices which automatically update (e.g. smartphones, smart TVs, laptops and broadband routers), they will update automatically as their clock is set to receive a time update from the network and they are usually set to update automatically every night at the same time. Many smart speakers and streaming boxes also update automatically overnight.
Which Clocks You’ll Need To Reset Yourself
You will need to reset the following types of time-controlled equipment and appliances: Cookers, Microwave ovens, Older models of car, some Time controlled central heating systems.
Why The Change Can Disrupt Sleep
Losing an hour of sleep is a small amount compared to overall amounts of sleep but it can affect people’s bodies for up to three days afterwards, making them feel groggy. Sleeping a little earlier in the days leading up to the change and then getting out and about to get some natural light in the days following could help people adjust to the change of time. See general sleep advice on adjusting your sleep routine after clocks have gone forward.
What time do the clocks go forward on 29 March 2026?
1am – The change happens while people are sleeping. So, everyone wakes up to the new time of 2am.
You lose an hour of sleep. You go to bed one hour earlier than you would have done the night before and wake up one hour earlier than you would have done otherwise.
An hour less sleep. In spring you lose an hour of sleep in the night before the clocks go forward to BST. In the autumn you gain an hour of sleep in the night before the clocks go back to GMT.
Is BST The Same As Daylight Saving Time
There are many names for this time changing, Daylight Saving Time is used in the US and Canada while in the UK we use the term British Summer Time or BST.
Will My Phone Change Automatically
Your smartphone, like most people’s, will automatically update itself to the new time. This is because your phone gets its time from the network, and all the networks will automatically update their clocks on the date and time set by government.
