How to Change Seasons in Forza Horizon 6

In Forza Horizon 6, seasons play a major role in both the atmosphere and gameplay. They change the appearance of the world and can also affect how races feel and behave. On top of that, there are also seasonal challenges and activities connected to specific times of the year. So, how exactly do you change seasons in Forza Horizon 6?

Can You Manually Change Seasons in Forza Horizon 6?

If you want to change seasons manually in Forza Horizon 6, well, sadly, you can’t. Forza Horizon 6 runs on a fixed weekly rotation, and the season switches automatically every Thursday at 7:30 AM PT. You have no button or setting to force a change while free-roaming or doing story races. 

However, the game does give you a heads-up. About 10 minutes before the switch, a notification pops up at the top of your screen. It includes a countdown timer and shows you which season is coming next.

Forza Horizon 6 Seasons Change Schedule

The switch happens at the same moment worldwide, just at different local times depending on where you are. Here's what that looks like across major time zones:

Knowing this schedule matters a lot if you're chasing seasonal challenges and activities. These events are only available during their assigned season, so Thursday morning is effectively your deadline. If you haven't wrapped up the current season's challenges before the switch, they disappear until that season rolls around again.

Forza Horizon 6 Seasons and the Festival Playlist

Seasons don't just change how the world looks. They affect the roads, the handling, and your whole gameplay experience. For example, Spring fills Japan's roads with sakura blossoms (more easter eggs here). Foggy weather cuts your visibility during street racing and forces you to slow down, especially on fast mountain roads for Touge Battles.

Wet roads give your car less grip, so a setup that works well on dry Summer roads may feel harder to control during Autumn rain. Paying attention to the season changes helps you choose the right car setup for the weather.

Moreover, the seasons in the game also affect the Festival Playlist. Every time the season flips on Thursday, the Festival Playlist resets, too. This means you will get a completely fresh set of championships, PR Stunts, Photo Challenges, and reward cars, all locked to that specific season window.

Miss the deadline, and those rewards are gone until they cycle back. The two featured reward cars each week are only available through the seasonal points system, so if you're chasing specific cars, you need to be active before that Thursday cutoff.

How to Play in Any Season You Want

Even though you cannot manually change seasons in Forza Horizon 6, there’s still a good workaround using EventLab and World Builder. It only takes a few minutes to set up. Here is how to do it:

By creating a custom event, you can choose your own season, weather, and time of day, then freely drive around under those conditions for as long as you want. It’s a great option for Photo Mode screenshots, testing cars in different weather, or simply enjoying seasons like cherry blossom spring whenever you want.

However, the EventLab workaround only works within that custom event. The main open world always reflects the current live season, and there's no way to override that. If you want to make the most of every season while it's live, keep tabs on the Festival Playlist so you never miss a reward car before Thursday rolls around.

For more tips, guides, and info about this game, you can always check our dedicated Forza Horizon Wiki.