Prime Day has almost always happened in July over the years, but Amazon has just announced a change to that schedule. According to a recent press release, Prime Day will be taking place in June for 2026.
Beyond the scheduling change, the press release didn’t really offer up much else. Even the specific dates haven’t actually been announced, with just a “June 2026” placeholder set. While this isn’t the first time Amazon has held its exclusive sale in a month other than July, it is pretty rare. The only other time Prime Day has happened in June was back in 2021 when it took place between June 21-22.
How Long Will Prime Day Be This Year?
Amazon points out in its press release that the earlier date will help Prime Members “get their back-to-school shopping done early”, but there is still the question of just how early and for how long. For reference, Amazon extended Prime Day to a four-day deals’ marathon last year for the first time after traditionally offering the sale as a two-day event.
Amazon hasn’t confirmed whether or not it will continue the sale as a four day event or return it back to the shorter window. And while we don’t know when the sale will actually end, we can make some guesses at when it will begin. Prime Day has traditionally kicked off on a Tuesday, usually during the second to last or last full week of the month. If Amazon follows a similar pattern in 2026, that would place the start date this year around either June 16 or June 23.
Sales to Shop Before Prime Day
Amazon’s sale moving up a month may impact the summer sales event schedule, but it doesn’t change the fact that there will be discounts before then. Many retailers are already starting to offer discounts ahead of Mother’s Day, and after that you can expect Memorial Day sales.
Memorial Day weekend is the next major sale you can look forward to, with some retailers going all in on discounts during that time. The REI Anniversary sale always happens around then, for example, and many PC manufacturers tend to offer discounts close to graduation season.
Jacob Kienlen is a Senior Audience Development Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor’s degree in communication and 10 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different pop culture topics — from TV series to books and the latest Pokémon games.
