Does Big Ben strike every hour?

When does Big Ben chime? Big Ben chimes every hour, and smaller bells around it chime every 15 minutes to mark each quarter hour.



Yes, Big Ben (the Great Bell inside the Elizabeth Tower) officially strikes every hour in 2026. After a massive five-year conservation project that concluded in 2022, the clock and its bells have returned to their full regular schedule. In addition to the deep, resonant "bong" of Big Ben on the hour, the four smaller "quarter bells" chime every 15 minutes to play the famous Westminster Quarters melody. For 2026 visitors, the best place to hear the strikes is from Westminster Bridge or the Parliament Square area. The clock is wound by hand three times a week, and its accuracy is famously maintained by adding or removing pre-decimalization pennies on the pendulum. While the bells may still fall silent for very brief periods of routine maintenance or high-profile state events, the "voice of London" is currently active and can be heard across the city and daily on BBC Radio 4.

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Big Ben Silent at Noontime as First Bells Toll at Westminster After Queen's Death.

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1716: The bell from the clock tower is recast and later hung in the South West Tower of St Paul's Cathedral. If Big Ben is ever unable to strike, the bell in St Paul's is heard instead.

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At close proximity, the sound of Big Ben measures 118 decibels, which is loud enough to cause physical pain. To make the bell chime, the copper and tin bell is struck by a hammer weighing 200kg. The bell, weighing 13.7 tonnes itself, makes the musical note “E” when struck.

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The 96-meter (315-foot) tower is a symbol of London and the United Kingdom, and its distinctive chimes are known to people all over the world. After being closed for two years for renovations, Big Ben tours are finally reopening in July 2023.

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8 Fascinating Facts about Big Ben in London
  • We're not sure who Ben was - but we have a couple of ideas.
  • The Clock Tower took over 15 years to build.
  • Big Ben is a marvel of Victorian engineering.
  • Big Ben miraculously survived World War II.
  • The bells of Big Ben chime a distinctive melody.


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The moniker Big Ben has been in use for over 150 years, and the nickname was originally applied only to the enormous bell inside the tower. The Great Bell received i's sobriquet in honor of Sir Benjamin Hall, the First Commissioner for Works, who raised Big Ben to its current place atop the tower.

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