The 2026 Strawberry Moon occurs on 29 June, meaning on the nights of 29 and 30 June, you'll be able to see a bright full Moon rise in the evening sky.
If you're based in the Northern Hemisphere, where it's currently summer, the full Moon will rise late and won't stray too high above the horizon.
That will mean a clear, flat southern horizon will be beneficial to make the most of the Strawberry Moon.
Read more
If you're based in the Southern Hemisphere, where it's currently winter, the Moon will rise much higher.
In fact, in the Southern Hemisphere, the 29 June 2026 Strawberry Moon will be the highest full Moon of the year, meaning you should have no trouble seeing it!
In summary, for the Strawberry Moon 2026:
- Northern Hemisphere: Rises in the southeast – moves low across the southern sky – sets in the southwest
- Southern Hemisphere: Rises in the southeast – moves high across the northern sky – sets in the southwest
Below are the key timings for the rising of the Strawberry Moon 2026 in major cities across the globe.
| Region | City | Moonrise (local time) |
|---|---|---|
| North America | New York City | 20:49 |
| Los Angeles | 20:26 | |
| Chicago | 20:50 | |
| Toronto | 21:23 | |
| Vancouver | 21:51 | |
| UK & Ireland | London | 21:41 |
| Edinburgh | 22:34 | |
| Cardiff | 21:55 | |
| Belfast | 22:30 | |
| Dublin | 22:20 | |
| Europe | Paris | 22:13 |
| Berlin | 21:55 | |
| Madrid | 21:55 | |
| Australia/NZ | Melbourne | 16:10 |
| Sydney | 16:02 | |
| Auckland | 16:10 | |
| Asia/Middle East | Dubai | 19:03 |
| Singapore | 18:45 | |
| Mumbai | 19:04 | |
| Tokyo | 18:46 | |
| Africa | Abuja | 18:40 |
| Nairobi | 18:19 | |
| Johannesburg | 16:55 |
Why Strawberry Moon?
The term 'Strawberry Moon' is a nickname given to the June full Moon because, in the Northern Hemisphere at least, June marks the beginning of strawberry season, when the sweet red fruit is beginning to ripen.
It has no bearing on how the Moon will actually look, however. In other words, you shouldn't expect the Moon to look any more like a strawberry than usual!
From the Northern Hemisphere, you might notice the Strawberry Moon is slightly redder than you were expecting, but that will be because it's a low-lying full Moon.
When the Moon is low on the horizon, sunlight bouncing off the surface of the Moon has to pass through a thicker portion of Earth's atmosphere, which causes blue light to scatter and means the redder light passes through instead.
That can sometimes make the Moon look orange-coloured.
For more information on observing the Strawberry Moon, read our guide on how to make the most of a full Moon.
Share you observations and images of the 2026 Strawberry Moon with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
