GLOBAL GOLD SESSION MAP
There is no single “gold market open” switch
Gold trades through over-the-counter dealer networks, futures exchanges, regional physical exchanges and benchmark auctions. Those clocks overlap but are not interchangeable. The most useful answer is to name the instrument: COMEX GC/MGC, CME 1OZ, the LBMA Gold Price auction or an SGE matching-market contract.
Weekdays with a daily Chicago maintenance break.
Except published daily and Saturday maintenance.
Two London benchmark auctions on business days.
Shanghai hours with midday and overnight breaks.
GOLD MARKET HOURS TOOL
Check the regular session in your time zone
This clock applies the venues' published weekly schedules and automatically handles daylight-saving changes through named time zones. It deliberately does not guess holiday overrides or broker availability.
QUICK-ANSWER SCHEDULE
Regular gold trading and benchmark times
| Market or event | Regular schedule | Time zone | What it represents |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMEX GC / MGC futures | Sun 17:00-Fri 16:00; daily 16:00-17:00 break | Chicago / CT | 100-troy-ounce and Micro Gold futures on CME Globex |
| CME 1OZ futures | 24/7 except Sat 02:00-04:00 and Mon-Fri 16:00-16:02 maintenance | Chicago / CT | Separate one-troy-ounce futures contract |
| LBMA Gold Price AM | Weekdays 10:30 | London | Electronic benchmark auction administered by IBA |
| LBMA Gold Price PM | Weekdays 15:00 | London | Second daily benchmark auction |
| SGE matching market | 09:00-11:30, 13:30-15:30; night 20:00-02:30 | Shanghai / CST | Exchange matching sessions for covered gold contracts |
“CST” is ambiguous internationally. This page writes Chicago time as CT and Shanghai time as China Standard Time. The live tool uses `America/Chicago` and `Asia/Shanghai`, not a fixed abbreviation.
IMPORTANT 2026 CHANGE
CME 1OZ is not the same schedule as GC or MGC
CME's current 1OZ FAQ lists the expanded schedule. The longstanding GC/MGC schedule remains a different product timetable. Always check the exact symbol in a broker order ticket instead of assuming every “gold future” follows the same clock.
BENCHMARK VS. CONTINUOUS MARKET
The LBMA auction is a price-setting event, not London's only trading window
The LBMA Gold Price AM and PM are internationally recognised benchmark auctions. They are set at specific times, while the wider loco-London over-the-counter market involves bilateral trading between participants. A live spot feed before or after an auction is not automatically the LBMA benchmark.
SHANGHAI SESSION STRUCTURE
SGE combines night, morning and afternoon trading
Begins on the preceding calendar day for the next trading day.
The exchange then pauses until the morning session.
Regular matching resumes in Shanghai.
Trading pauses before the afternoon session.
Regular matching continues.
Delivery-related processing continues briefly afterward.
The SGE says there is no night session before a public holiday and publishes specific holiday notices. Individual OTC and derivative products can use different hours, so the clock labels this as the regular matching-market schedule rather than a universal SGE status.
TIME-ZONE ERRORS TO AVOID
Use venue time first, then convert
The gap between the two cities can temporarily differ from its usual value. Fixed UTC offsets become wrong during those transition weeks.
The calendar date on your device is not necessarily the exchange trade date or settlement date.
Use America/Chicago for Central Time and Asia/Shanghai for China Standard Time.
Check the venue notice rather than assuming a Monday-Friday rule is sufficient.
OPEN DOES NOT MEAN LIQUID
Trading access, price discovery and execution quality are different questions
Spot indication, GC, MGC, 1OZ, ETF, physical product or regional exchange contract.
Confirm its published schedule, maintenance and holiday notices.
Bid-ask spread, order-book depth and volume can vary within an open session.
A venue may be open while the broker blocks the product or applies different order rules.
An auction print is not every trade before or after the benchmark event.
Save the named zone and date instead of an unexplained local clock time.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Schedules should be verified at the venue
- CME Gold futures contract specifications for the GC regular Globex schedule and contract details.
- CME 1-Ounce Gold futures FAQ for the current 24/7 schedule and maintenance windows.
- CME holiday and trading-hours center for schedule overrides that are normally finalised close to each holiday.
- LBMA daily auction-price documentation for the 10:30 and 15:00 London Gold Price auctions and publication rules.
- Shanghai Gold Exchange trading-hours page for matching-market day, night and delivery periods.
Source review date: July 28, 2026. This page calculates status from regular schedules only and does not reproduce licensed real-time exchange market data.
RELATED GOLD WORKSPACES
Connect the clock to the price and instrument
GOLD MARKET HOURS FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is the gold market open 24 hours a day?
Gold is quoted across global over-the-counter and exchange markets for most of the week, but there is no single universal gold-market clock. COMEX GC and MGC have a daily break and weekend closure, while CME's separate 1OZ contract now has a 24/7 schedule except published maintenance windows.
What time does COMEX gold open?
The regular CME Globex schedule for GC and MGC gold futures runs from Sunday 5:00 p.m. to Friday 4:00 p.m. Chicago time, with a daily 4:00-5:00 p.m. break. Holiday schedules can change those hours.
When is the LBMA Gold Price set?
The LBMA Gold Price is set twice on London business days: the AM auction at 10:30 a.m. and the PM auction at 3:00 p.m. London time.
Why does my local gold price move when COMEX is closed?
A retail or spot feed may reflect another venue, dealer indications, currency movements or a different instrument. The global gold market is not identical to one COMEX contract.
Are market-open hours the same as the best time to trade gold?
No. An open market can have thin liquidity, wider spreads or limited broker access. The best execution window depends on the instrument, venue, order size and market conditions.
Does this clock account for holidays?
No. It applies published regular weekly schedules and daylight-saving time-zone rules. Always check the venue's current holiday notice and your broker before placing an order.