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Forex Market Hours

Forex Market Hours in London

Today's forex session times in London time (BST, UTC+1), with daylight saving in Sydney, London and New York applied for Friday, 2 October 2026. These are typical session boundaries; liquidity builds and fades gradually around them.

Session times in London today

Friday, 2 October 2026 · BST (UTC+1)

SessionOpensCloses
Sydney22:0007:00+1 (next day)
Tokyo01:0010:00
London08:0017:00
New York13:0022:00
Sydney–Tokyo overlap01:0007:00
Tokyo–London overlap08:0010:00
London–New York overlap13:0017:00

Best hours to trade forex from London

  • 13:00–17:00 (afternoon): the London–New York overlap. Usually the most liquid window of the day, with the tightest spreads on EUR/USD, GBP/USD and other US dollar pairs.
  • 08:00 (morning): the London open. Volume typically rises sharply in the first hours of the London session, the largest forex centre.
  • 08:00–10:00 (morning): the Tokyo–London overlap, relevant to yen crosses such as EUR/JPY and GBP/JPY.
  • 01:00–07:00 (night): the Sydney–Tokyo overlap. Typically quieter; AUD, NZD and JPY pairs are the most active.

For traders in London, the peak window falls within normal waking hours.

Liquidity is usually thinnest between the New York close (22:00) and the Tokyo open (01:00), when only Sydney is trading and spreads often widen.

More liquidity means tighter spreads and better fills, not easier profits. Session timing does not change the risk of trading.

Live forex clock for London

Sydney— – — · local time
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Tokyo— – — · local time
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London— – — · local time
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New York— – — · local time
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Live clock. Sessions follow local business hours in Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York, with each centre's daylight saving applied. Boundaries are approximate.

When the forex market is open in London

The forex week opens on Sunday at 17:00 New York time, which is Sunday 22:00 in London, and closes on Friday at 17:00 New York time, Friday 22:00 in London. There is no regular trading in between, and prices can gap at the reopen. Liquidity is also thinner on bank holidays in London and New York.

Upcoming clock changes

Daylight-saving changes in the next four months that move these times in London:

  • 4 October 2026: Sydney moves from UTC+10 to UTC+11. Afterwards the Sydney session in London runs 21:00–06:00.
  • 25 October 2026: London moves from UTC+1 to UTC. Afterwards the London–New York overlap in London is 12:00–17:00.
  • 1 November 2026: New York moves from UTC−4 to UTC−5. Afterwards the London–New York overlap in London is 13:00–17:00.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time does the forex market open in London?
The forex week opens on Sunday at 22:00 London time (BST), which is 17:00 on Sunday in New York, around the start of the Sydney session. It closes on Friday at 22:00 London time.
What is the best time to trade forex in London?
For most major pairs, the London–New York overlap, which runs 13:00–17:00 London time today. It is usually the most liquid part of the day, with the tightest spreads. Which hours suit you also depends on the pairs you trade and when you can stay alert.
What time does the New York session open in London?
The New York session runs roughly 08:00–17:00 local time in New York, which is 13:00–22:00 in London today. These are approximate boundaries; trading builds and fades gradually.
What time does the Tokyo session open in London?
The Tokyo session runs roughly 09:00–18:00 local time in Tokyo, which is 01:00–10:00 in London today. These are approximate boundaries; trading builds and fades gradually.

Sources

Session hours follow the local-business-hours convention described by these references; they agree on London 08:00–17:00 and New York 08:00–17:00 local time and differ by up to an hour on Sydney.

For educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Session times are approximate conventions; check your broker's server time and holiday schedule. Trading forex involves significant risk of loss.

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