Black Friday Countdown
There are 119 days until Black Friday — Friday, 27 November 2026.
About this countdown
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving — the fourth Friday of November — and this scoreboard-style countdown computes the date automatically every year. Bold digits, deal-day red, zero fluff: exactly how much time you have to make your list and set your alarms.
Serious deal hunters use the hours-and-minutes view the night before, and the weekends remaining counter earlier in the fall to pace out research on the big purchases.
About Black Friday
- Date
- Friday after Thanksgiving
- Type
- Shopping event
- Observed
- United States, spreading worldwide
- Traditions
- Doorbuster deals, early-morning openings, online mega-sales
The name “Black Friday” was popularized by Philadelphia police in the 1960s, describing the chaotic crowds and traffic that flooded the city the day after Thanksgiving. Retailers later re-spun the term with a friendlier story — the day stores go “into the black,” turning a yearly profit — and the rebrand stuck.
What began as a single American shopping day has become a global, week-long event. Online sales pulled the deals earlier into Thanksgiving week, Cyber Monday was coined in 2005 for the online follow-up, and retailers in dozens of countries now run Black Friday promotions despite not celebrating Thanksgiving at all.
Black Friday: Facts Worth Knowing
- Black Friday is consistently one of the biggest shopping days of the year in the US, in both foot traffic and online sales.
- Cyber Monday — the Monday after Thanksgiving — was invented as a term in 2005 and now regularly rivals or beats Black Friday online.
- Many “doorbuster” prices are limited-quantity loss leaders — the countdown matters because the best deals genuinely can vanish in minutes.
- Because Thanksgiving floats, Black Friday can land anywhere from November 23 to November 29.
- Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday grew up around the same weekend as counterweights to the mega-sales.
- The table below shows exactly when Black Friday falls for the next ten years.
Upcoming Dates: When Is Black Friday Next?
Computed automatically for the next ten years — always current, never out of date.
| Year | Date | Day of week |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | November 27 | Friday |
| 2027 | November 26 | Friday |
| 2028 | November 24 | Friday |
| 2029 | November 23 | Friday |
| 2030 | November 29 | Friday |
| 2031 | November 28 | Friday |
| 2032 | November 26 | Friday |
| 2033 | November 25 | Friday |
| 2034 | November 24 | Friday |
| 2035 | November 23 | Friday |
How Many Days, Weeks and Weekends Until Black Friday?
The big counter at the top of this page answers "how many days until Black Friday" to the second, and it updates live in your own time zone. A few other ways to think about the wait:
In weeks: divide the day count by seven. If the counter says 42 days, you have six weeks to go. If it says 45, that is six weeks and three days.
In weekends: the weekends counter under the timer shows how many Saturdays and Sundays are left before the sales. Weekends are when most people do their research and make their lists, so this is the number deal hunters watch in October and early November.
From Halloween: Black Friday always lands between 23 and 29 days after Halloween. Once the jack-o'-lanterns go out, you have about four weeks.
To Christmas: Christmas Day always comes 26 to 32 days after Black Friday, so the sales weekend marks the start of the final month of holiday shopping. Keep the Christmas countdown handy for the second half of the season.
Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Thanksgiving Dates
The whole holiday shopping weekend, side by side. Every date is set by Thanksgiving, which falls on the fourth Thursday of November in the US.
| Year | Thanksgiving | Black Friday | Small Business Saturday | Cyber Monday | Giving Tuesday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | November 26 | November 27 | November 28 | November 30 | December 1 |
| 2027 | November 25 | November 26 | November 27 | November 29 | November 30 |
| 2028 | November 23 | November 24 | November 25 | November 27 | November 28 |
| 2029 | November 22 | November 23 | November 24 | November 26 | November 27 |
| 2030 | November 28 | November 29 | November 30 | December 2 | December 3 |
The pattern never changes: Thanksgiving on Thursday, Black Friday the next day, Small Business Saturday after that, Cyber Monday four days after Thanksgiving, and Giving Tuesday the day after Cyber Monday. Count down to the other days with the Thanksgiving countdown and the Cyber Monday countdown.
Black Friday Shopping Timeline
Black Friday is no longer just one day. Here is how the season usually unfolds, so you know what each stretch of the countdown is for:
- October: many big retailers now run early fall sale events. Good time to start a wish list and note what you actually need.
- Early November: "early Black Friday" deals begin to appear online, and stores start sharing ad previews and sale dates.
- Thanksgiving week: online deals ramp up from Monday onward. Many shoppers do most of their buying before Friday even arrives.
- Thanksgiving Day: lots of online sales go live during the day or evening. Many large store chains now stay closed on Thanksgiving itself, so check before you head out.
- Black Friday: the main event, with in-store doorbusters often starting early in the morning.
- Small Business Saturday: a day to shop local shops and independent makers.
- Cyber Monday: the online follow-up, often with deals on tech and gifts that shipped late in the weekend.
- Giving Tuesday: a day for donating to charities and causes after the shopping weekend.
Exact start times change every year and vary by store, so treat this as a rough map. For more detail, read when do Black Friday sales start and our guide to shopping online vs. in store.
Using the Countdown to Plan Your Black Friday
A countdown is most useful when each milestone has a job. Here is a simple plan to follow as the numbers drop:
- 6 weeks out: make a list of who you are shopping for and what you truly need for the house.
- 4 weeks out: set a spending limit that you choose and write it at the top of your list. Sign up for store emails or apps you actually use.
- 2 weeks out: research the big items. Read reviews and compare models now, so you are not deciding under pressure.
- 1 week out: check sale dates and store hours, and save the items you want to your carts or wish lists.
- The night before: switch the counter to hours and minutes, set alarms, and charge your phone.
- The day of: stick to the list. A deal on something you did not plan to buy is not really a deal.
Want a printable version? Use the Black Friday prep checklist or the full Black Friday shopping strategy.
Black Friday Around the World
Black Friday started in the United States, but today shops in Canada, the UK, much of Europe, Australia, and many other countries run Black Friday sales too. Most of them use the same date as the US, the Friday after American Thanksgiving, even though they do not celebrate Thanksgiving themselves.
This countdown runs in your local time zone, so wherever you are, it ticks down to midnight at the start of Black Friday where you live. Online stores in other countries may start their sales on their own local time, so a shop overseas could go live hours before or after your counter hits zero.
Make it yours
Want your name on it, a different date, or a different look? Create a personalized countdown — pick from 18 themes, get a share link and embed code.
Frequently asked questions
When is Black Friday this year?
Black Friday is always the day after Thanksgiving — the fourth Friday of November in the United States. The exact date this countdown points to is shown under the title, computed automatically each year.
How long until Black Friday?
The live counter above shows the exact days, hours, minutes and seconds remaining until 12:00 AM on Black Friday in your local time zone.
Do Black Friday sales really start at midnight?
It varies — many online sales now begin on Thanksgiving evening or even earlier in the week, while doorbuster deals in physical stores often start early Friday morning. Check each retailer's announced times.
Can I make a countdown to a specific sale?
Yes — use the Make Your Own page to set the exact date and time a specific sale opens, name it, and keep it on your phone's home screen via the share link.
How many weeks until Black Friday?
Divide the days on the live counter by seven. For example, 35 days means exactly five weeks. The weekends counter under the timer also shows how many weekends are left to plan and shop.
How many days until Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday is always three days after Black Friday, so add three to the Black Friday day count. Or open the Cyber Monday countdown for a live timer of its own.
Is Black Friday always the day after Thanksgiving?
Yes, in the United States. Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November, so Black Friday is always the fourth Friday. Countries without Thanksgiving still use the same Friday for their Black Friday sales.
What is the earliest and latest date for Black Friday?
The earliest possible date is November 23 and the latest is November 29, because Thanksgiving moves between November 22 and November 28.
When is Small Business Saturday?
Small Business Saturday is the day after Black Friday. In 2026 it falls on Saturday, November 28.
Black Friday Countdown: Guides & Ideas
Hand-written guides to make the wait for Black Friday as fun as the day itself.
Black Friday Countdown: Online Vs In-Store GuideYour black friday countdown online vs in-store guide: when to shop the web, when to hit the doors, and how a timer keeps you calm and cash-smart.
Black Friday Countdown: Prep ChecklistYour no-stress black friday countdown prep checklist: set a timer, prep your cart, save payment info, and grab the deals before they sell out.
Black Friday Countdown: Shopping StrategyBuild a black friday countdown shopping strategy that saves real money: a timed game plan, a price-tracking table, and a countdown you can start right now.