Sunrise at Stonehenge draws druids, pagans and revellers to celebrate the summer solstice
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The orange ball crested the northeast horizon behind the Heel Stone, the entrance to the stone circle, and shone its beam of light into the centre of one of the world's most famous prehistoric monuments. The solstice is one of the few occasions each year when visitors are allowed to walk among the stones, which are otherwise fenced off.
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The crowd gathered before dawn at the World Heritage Site to mark the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, beating the heat during the U.K.'s first amber heat-health alert issued since September 2023. Temperatures later topped 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in Surrey, 80 miles (128 kilometres) east of Stonehenge, the hottest temperature recorded in the U.K. this year.
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About 25,000 sun devotees and other revellers, including druids, pagans, hippies, locals and tourists, showed up, according to English Heritage which operates the site. More than 400,000 others around the world watched a livestream.
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'This morning was a joyous and peaceful occasion with the most beautiful sunrise,' said Richard Dewdney, head of operations at Stonehenge. 'It is fantastic to see Stonehenge continuing to enchant and connect people.'
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Happy summer solstice from Stonehenge!🌞
This year we welcomed around 25,000 people to the stunning Stonehenge and live-streamed the celebrations, with over 400,000 views from across the world.
The sunrise was greeted with traditional drumming and chanting, cheering and dancing. pic.twitter.com/HWmlUZNiEs
— Stonehenge (@EH_Stonehenge) June 21, 2025
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Stonehenge was built in stages 5,000 years ago on the flat lands of Salisbury Plain approximately 75 miles (120 kilometres) southwest of London. The unique stone circle was erected in the late Neolithic period about 2,500 B.C.
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The site's meaning has been vigorously debated. Theories range from it being a coronation place for Danish kings, a druid temple, a cult centre for healing, or an astronomical computer for predicting eclipses and solar events.
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