Lights out, London: Earth Hour returns for 2026

On Saturday 28 March 2026, from 8.30pm to 9.30pm, London will join the rest of the planet in WWF’s Earth Hour, an annual event that asks a simple thing: switch off your lights for one hour to show you care about the planet. Easy to do, and yet somehow still powerful.

This year marks the 20th edition of Earth Hour, two decades of cities, homes, and landmarks going dark in solidarity. London has been a particularly eye-catching participant over the years. Tower Bridge, the Gherkin, St Paul’s, the Royal Opera House, Mansion House, the BT Tower, Harrods, Southwark Cathedral, the list goes on, have all switched off their non-essential lights in past editions, leaving the skyline looking weird, beautiful, and slightly spooky all at once.

Before you start imagining a city in total blackout, don’t get too carried away. Street lights stay on for safety, so it’s not like the capital is plunging into an apocalypse. But even with lights on, the difference is noticeable, especially when you wander past famous buildings and notice the usual glow replaced by shadows and silhouettes. If you want to know exactly which landmarks will be taking part in 2026, the Earth Hour website and individual venues are your go-to sources.

The WWF is also challenging Londoners, and the rest of the world, to take it one step further. Their Give an Hour for Earth initiative suggests that you spend 60 minutes doing something genuinely positive for the planet. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Plant a tree in your local park, go litter-picking, cook a sustainable meal, or just switch off and take a proper look at the night sky for a change. Small acts, big impact.

And there’s a nice little bonus this year: the clocks go forward early the next morning, so even if an hour of darkness has you twitching for light, spring will officially be on its way.

Earth Hour is more than just a symbolic gesture. It’s a reminder that the choices we make matter, even the small ones. It’s a chance to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the planet we often take for granted. For Londoners, it’s also an opportunity to see the familiar in a totally new way, the skyline you pass every day, now quiet, dark, and temporarily transformed.

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