Stonehenge Summer Solstice: See Photos From the Event

Revellers celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain in southern England, on June 21, 2016.

Kieran Doherty—Reuters

1 of 7
Revellers celebrate the longest day of the year at Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain in southern England, June 20, 2016.

Kieran Doherty—Reuters

2 of 7
A reveller celebrates the longest day of the year at Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain in southern England, June 20, 2016.

Kieran Doherty—Reuters

3 of 7
People gather to see the sun rise at the ancient stone circle Stonehenge, during the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, in Wiltshire, United Kingdom, June 21, 2016.

Andrew Matthews—AP

4 of 7
A poi performer spins light balls as people gather at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England to see in the new dawn after this year's Summer Solstice on June 21, 2016.

PA Images/Sipa USA

5 of 7
People gather at Stonehenge in Wiltshire to see in the new dawn during this year's Summer Solstice, June 21, 2016.

PA Images/Sipa USA

6 of 7
People watch the sun rise at Stonehenge in Wiltshire as they see in the new dawn during this year's Summer Solstice, June 21, 2016.

Andrew Matthews—PA Wire/Press Association Images

7 of 7

June 21, 2016 1:53 PM EDT

Thousands of people visit Stonehenge each year to celebrate the summer solstice, the official start of the summer. Around 12,000 people came to the historic site to watch the sunrise and welcome the year’s longest day, according to the BBC, down from around 23,000 in 2015. The drop in numbers was likely due to the solstice falling on a weekday as well as poor weather the day before, the BBC said.

See a Summer Solstice Celebration at Stonehenge