Clock Change 2026: When Do the Clocks Change?

In 2026 clocks in Bulgaria and the rest of the EU go forward on 29 March and back on 25 October, always at 01:00 UTC (03:00 → 04:00 and 04:00 → 03:00 in Bulgaria; 01:00 → 02:00 and 02:00 → 01:00 in the UK). In 2027 the dates are 28 March and 31 October.

In spring (the last Sunday of March in Europe) clocks go forward one hour, so you lose an hour of sleep. In autumn (the last Sunday of October) they go back one hour and you gain one. The usual memory aid: spring forward, fall back.

The United States changes on different dates from Europe: forward on the second Sunday of March and back on the first Sunday of November, at 02:00 local time. For a few weeks each year the gap between the US and Europe is therefore one hour smaller than usual — see the United States page for the exact dates.

Summer time moves an hour of daylight from the early morning to the evening during the long days of summer. Bulgaria has observed it since 1979; today the dates are uniform across the EU under Directive 2000/84/EC — the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October, at 01:00 UTC in every member state at once.

In 2018 the European Commission proposed ending seasonal clock changes, and the European Parliament backed it in 2019, but the member states in the Council have not agreed on it. Until they do, clocks keep changing twice a year under Directive 2000/84/EC.

Yes — smartphones, computers and most smartwatches adjust on their own when automatic date and time is on. Mechanical clocks, oven and car clocks and some older devices have to be changed by hand.