Forex sessions
Forex market hours in the UK
In the UK, the forex week opens Sunday 21:00 UK time and closes Friday 21:00 UK time. In between, four city sessions pass the market around the world. Here they run on UK time, with the overlaps and how long until each one opens or closes.
Forex market open
Your time 07:12 UK time
London opens in47 m
Next overlap: Tokyo and London, 08:00 to 09:00.
SydneyClosed
Opens in 12 h 47 m20:00–05:00
TokyoOpen
Closes in 1 h 47 m00:00–09:00
LondonClosed
Opens in 47 m08:00–17:00
New YorkClosed
Opens in 4 h 47 m12:00–21:00
Gold (XAUUSD) trades through these same four sessions. Free, no card.
Forex session times in UK time
| Session | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney07:00 to 16:00 Sydney time | 20:00 | 05:00 |
| Tokyo09:00 to 18:00 Tokyo time | 00:00 | 09:00 |
| London08:00 to 17:00 London time | 08:00 | 17:00 |
| New York08:00 to 17:00 New York time | 12:00 | 21:00 |
| Sydney and Tokyo overlap | 00:00 | 05:00 |
| Tokyo and London overlap | 08:00 | 09:00 |
| London and New York overlap | 12:00 | 17:00 |
| Sydney and New York overlap | 20:00 | 21:00 |
Times for Thursday, October 29. They hold every weekday until the next clock change, on Sunday, November 1. On Mondays Sydney starts when the week opens, Sunday 21:00 UK time.
Clock changes: Sunday, October 25 and Sunday, November 1
Europe turns its clocks back an hour on Sunday, October 25, when London leaves summer time. The US does the same on Sunday, November 1. Each session keeps its own city's hours, so its time on your clock can shift on either date. For the week between, London and New York are 4 hours apart instead of 5, and their overlap runs 5 hours instead of 4.
| Until Oct 23 | Oct 26 to Oct 30 | From Nov 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 21:00– | 20:00– | 20:00– |
| Tokyo | 01:00– | 00:00– | 00:00– |
| London | 08:00– | 08:00– | 08:00– |
| New York | 13:00– | 12:00– | 13:00– |
| London and New York overlap | 13:00– | 12:00– | 13:00– |
Each column is a regular weekday, in UK time.
The four sessions
Forex has no exchange and no closing bell. Banks and brokers trade it around the clock, so the day is split by where the big trading desks are awake: Sydney first, then Tokyo, London and New York. Each session here keeps its city's office hours: 7 AM to 4 PM in Sydney, 9 AM to 6 PM in Tokyo, 8 AM to 5 PM in London and in New York.
Why the London and New York overlap is the busiest
From 12:00 to 17:00 UK time, London and New York trade at the same time. They are the two biggest forex centers, so a large share of the day's trading and many of its sharpest moves land in these 5 hours. Most US data, like the jobs report and CPI at 8:30 AM New York time, comes out inside this window as well. The Asian hours are usually calmer, except on yen and Australian dollar pairs.
Is forex open on weekends?
No. Trading stops Friday 21:00 UK time and starts again Sunday 21:00 UK time. When news breaks over the weekend, Monday's first prices can open away from Friday's close, which traders call a gap. Crypto keeps going through it: bitcoin trades all weekend.
Gold keeps the same sessions
Gold (XAUUSD) is priced in dollars and trades through these four sessions, which is why its busiest hours line up with the London and New York overlap. Watch it live on the Pravex gold chart, free, and see its own week, close and daily pause on gold market hours.
More on timing: economic calendar, US index hours in the UK, market hours by country.
Questions and answers
What are the forex market hours?
The forex week opens Sunday 21:00 UK time and closes Friday 21:00 UK time. In between, Sydney trades 20:00–05:00, Tokyo 00:00–09:00, London 08:00–17:00 and New York 12:00–21:00, all in UK time.
What time is the London and New York overlap?
12:00–17:00 UK time, about 5 hours each weekday. It is the busiest stretch of the forex day because the two largest centers are open together.
Do forex session times change with daylight saving?
Yes. Each session follows its own city's clock, so it moves when that city changes time. London changes on Sunday, October 25 and New York on Sunday, November 1. Between those dates the two cities are 4 hours apart instead of 5.
Is the forex market open on weekends?
No. It closes Friday 21:00 UK time and opens again Sunday 21:00 UK time. Nothing trades in between, so the first prices on Monday can open away from Friday's close.
Forex hours in other countries: South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Pakistan, Malaysia, The UAE, The Philippines, Australia, Singapore.
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