Summer Solstice at Newgrange Bru na Boinne

What to Expect

Newgrange - the 5,200-year-old Neolithic passage tomb near the Boyne Valley - is precisely aligned with the rising sun at winter and summer solstice. On 21 June 2026, visitors can attend the Bru na Boinne Visitor Centre and join guided tours to Newgrange and Knowth. The solstice is one of the busiest days at the site; access to the passage interior is via the OPW lottery for the winter solstice, but the monument itself and the Visitor Centre are open daily. Local guided events and outdoor observances also take place in the Boyne Valley on solstice weekend.

Good to Know

• Date: Sunday 21 June 2026 (solstice); the site is open daily year-round

• Venue: Bru na Boinne Visitor Centre, Donore, Co. Meath (A92 NY34)

• Admission: From EUR 7 (adult); tours to Newgrange monument book up quickly in summer - book ahead at worldheritageireland.ie

• The passage interior lottery is held for the winter solstice (December), not June; summer visits are open to all ticket holders

Getting There

Follow the L1600 to Donore off the M1 (exit 9) or the N51 Navan-Drogheda road. The Visitor Centre has a large car park; OPW shuttle buses run to the monuments. TFI Local Link Route 163 also stops nearby.