Global Icons Unite in Darkness for Earth Hour 2024

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Major landmarks across the world are going dark en masse on Saturday night for Earth Hour 2024. Starting at 8:30 p.m. local time, iconic places like Buckingham Palace, Big Ben in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Opera House in Sydney, the Empire State Building in New York, and the Space Needle in Seattle will turn out the lights for one hour to raise awareness for the environment. It’s billed as the ‘biggest hour for Earth.’

Here’s what to know about the annual, globally recognized event. Earth Hour has been happening annually since 2007. Each year, the World Wildlife Federation asks landmarks and homes worldwide to turn off their lights for an hour to raise awareness of climate change and other environmental issues. This year, as major landmarks go dark, the World Wildlife Federation is asking people around the world to ‘give an hour for Earth’ and spend 60 minutes doing an ‘eco-positive’ activity sometime between now and Earth Day on April 22. Participants are encouraged to log their activities and contributions in the WWF’s Hour Bank.

You can find activity suggestions and learn more about the campaign on the World Wildlife Federation website. ‘This new campaign approach proves that environmental action can be easy, fun, and impactful. By expanding participation to those who are not yet environmentally engaged, we hope to raise awareness and spur collective action in protecting our planet,’ said Katy Fenn, WWF’s director of brand engagement and education in a prepared statement.