Autumn comes with plenty of great things – bright blankets of red and orange leaves, cosy nights in, steaming hot drinks, Halloween – but it also means saying goodbye to the long hours of sunlight we’ve enjoyed over the last few months. Enjoy the last of the lighter evenings while you still can, because in just a few weeks time, the sun will start to set before the clock strikes five.
At the end of this month, our clocks will all go back one hour, marking the end of British Summer Time and a return to Greenwich Mean Time. That means that darkness will descend earlier in the evenings, last longer in the mornings and the days will feel altogether much shorter.
Here’s everything you need to know about daylight savings and the clocks turning back this month.
What date do the clocks go back?
We’ll all get an extra hour of sleep (or an extra hour to spend on pints) when the clocks go back on the last Sunday of October. That’ll be Sunday, October 26.
What time do the clocks go back?
The time rewind will happen at 2am on Sunday morning, October 26.
What is daylight saving?
Daylight saving time is another name for British Summer Time and is simply the name for the practice of turning clocks forward in the summer so that darkness falls at a later time. More than 70 countries around the world, mostly across Europe and North America, follow daylight savings.
Why do the clocks go back?
Daylight saving has been happening in the UK since 1916, but the idea was first put forward by American inventor Benjamin Franklin decades earlier in 1784. It was introduced here during the First World War to make better use of daylight hours and get maximum sunlight, allowing people to work for longer and save fuel.
There’s long been a campaign for daylight savings to be scrapped, as many scientists say it negatively impacts our health. You can read more about that here.
When do clocks go forward again?
We’ll go back to British Summer Time on March 29, 2026.
Do I need to change the clocks myself?
Most modern things with in-built clocks – phones, computers, smart TVs, modern cars – change on their own. However, older or more manual timekeeping devices – like traditional clocks, some cars and kitchen appliances – will need changing yourself.
Embrace autumn with Time Out
Forestry England has said that autumn in the UK this year could be even more vibrant than usual. Peak autumn viewing runs from now through to November, with some of the most dazzling displays in northern England – Grizedale Forest in the Lake District and Kielder Forest in Northumberland are tipped among the top spots. Thetford Forest in Norfolk, Salcey Forest in Nottinghamshire and Cardinham Woods in Cornwall are also stunning places to crunch through fallen leaves under a golden canopy. For more ways to make the most of the UK in autumn, see Time Out’s lists of the most underrated city breaks, our favourite coastal getaways and the most beautiful places in the country.
ICYMI: The most haunted Airbnb in Britain is just 90 minutes from London.
Plus: Two more supermoons will be visible in Britain in 2025: here’s when to see them.
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