Europe Braces for First Total Solar Eclipse Since 1999 in 2026

Mainland Europe is one year away from witnessing its first total solar eclipse in 27 years. On 12 August 2026, the Moon will fully blot out the Sun along a narrow corridor that begins at sunrise in northern Siberia and sweeps 5,133 miles through Greenland and Iceland before ending at sunset in Spain’s Balearic Islands. Maximum totality—2 minutes 18 seconds—will occur just off Iceland’s western coast, while Spanish regions including Galicia, Castilla y León, La Rioja and Aragón can expect up to 1 minute 49 seconds of darkness. The path averages 182 miles wide, giving millions of residents and visitors a chance to view the Sun’s corona; the United Kingdom will see more than 90 percent solar coverage. The 2026 event follows the April 2024 eclipse that crossed North America and precedes total eclipses in North Africa in 2027 and Australia–New Zealand in 2028. Because the 12 August date coincides with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower and the start of aurora season in the high north, tourism agencies and cruise operators have already begun marketing eclipse-themed trips, and accommodation in prime viewing areas is reportedly filling fast.