Festivals in India in 2026
Dates of the major festivals and commemorative days celebrated in India in 2026, with the day of the week and how certain each date is.
Dates last checked on 2026-10-21. Lunar-calendar dates can differ by a day between regions.
January 2026
- Thu, Jan 1New YearFixed date
- Sat, Jan 3Savitribai Phule JayantiFixed date
- Mon, Jan 12National Youth Day (Swami Vivekananda Jayanti)Fixed date
- Wed, Jan 14 to Jan 17PongalFixed dateThai Pongal, the main day, is usually January 14. Some regions mark it on January 15.
- Wed, Jan 14Makar SankrantiFixed dateSometimes January 15, depending on the year and region.
- Mon, Jan 19Martin Luther King Jr. DayFixed dateThe US holiday on the third Monday of January. Dr King’s birthday is January 15.
- Fri, Jan 23Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose JayantiFixed date
- Mon, Jan 26Republic Day (India)Fixed date
February 2026
- Sat, Feb 14Valentine’s DayFixed date
- Sun, Feb 15Maha ShivaratriConfirmedDepends on the lunar calendar and can differ by a day between regions.
- Tue, Feb 17CarnivalCalculatedThis is Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras), the last day of Carnival. Carnival season begins days or weeks earlier, depending on the place.
- Thu, Feb 19Shivaji Maharaj JayantiFixed dateThe date officially observed in Maharashtra.
March 2026
- Wed, Mar 4HoliConfirmedThe main day of colours. Holika Dahan, the bonfire, is the evening before. Depends on the lunar calendar and can differ by a day between regions.
- Sun, Mar 8International Women’s DayFixed date
- Fri, Mar 20Eid al-FitrExpectedCalculated from the Umm al-Qura calendar. The date can differ by a day depending on local moon sighting.
- Fri, Mar 20 to Mar 21NowruzCalculatedNowruz begins at the spring equinox, which falls on March 20 or 21 depending on the year and time zone.
- Tue, Mar 31Mahavir JayantiExpectedSome regional calendars list the previous day for 2027. Depends on the lunar calendar and can differ by a day between regions.
April 2026
- Mon, Apr 13 to Apr 15SongkranFixed date
- Tue, Apr 14VaisakhiFixed dateUsually April 13 or 14, when the Sun enters Aries.
- Tue, Apr 14Ambedkar JayantiFixed date
May 2026
- Fri, May 1Buddha PurnimaConfirmedThe date in India and Nepal. Vesak may be observed on a different date in some other countries.
- Thu, May 7Rabindranath Tagore JayantiFixed dateThe Gregorian birth date. In the Bengali calendar it is Pochishe Boishakh, usually May 8 or 9.
- Sun, May 10Mother’s DayFixed dateThe second Sunday of May in the US, Canada, India and many other countries. The UK celebrates Mothering Sunday in March.
- Wed, May 27Eid al-AdhaExpectedCalculated from the Umm al-Qura calendar. The date can differ by a day depending on local moon sighting.
June 2026
- Sun, Jun 21Father’s DayFixed dateThe third Sunday of June in the US, UK, Canada, India and many other countries. Other countries use different dates.
July 2026
- Sat, Jul 18Nelson Mandela International DayFixed date
August 2026
- Sun, Aug 2Friendship DayFixed dateThe first Sunday of August in India and several other countries. The UN International Day of Friendship is July 30.
- Sat, Aug 15Independence Day (India)Fixed date
- Wed, Aug 26OnamConfirmedThe main day, Thiruvonam. The 2027 date is not shown because published calendars disagree.
- Fri, Aug 28Raksha BandhanConfirmedDepends on the lunar calendar and can differ by a day between regions.
September 2026
- Fri, Sep 4JanmashtamiConfirmedDepends on the lunar calendar and can differ by a day between regions.
- Sat, Sep 5Teachers’ DayFixed dateThe date in India. World Teachers’ Day is October 5, and other countries use their own dates.
- Mon, Sep 14Ganesh ChaturthiConfirmedThe first day of the festival, which lasts up to ten days. Depends on the lunar calendar and can differ by a day between regions.
- Mon, Sep 28Bhagat Singh JayantiFixed date
October 2026
- Fri, Oct 2Gandhi JayantiFixed date
- Sun, Oct 11 to Oct 19NavratriExpectedNine nights ending on the day before Dussehra. Depends on the lunar calendar and can differ by a day between regions.
- Thu, Oct 15APJ Abdul Kalam Jayanti (World Students’ Day)Fixed date
- Tue, Oct 20DussehraConfirmedDepends on the lunar calendar and can differ by a day between regions.
- Sat, Oct 31Sardar Patel Jayanti (National Unity Day)Fixed date
November 2026
- Sun, Nov 8DiwaliConfirmedThe main Lakshmi Puja day. Diwali lasts five days, starting with Dhanteras two days earlier. Depends on the lunar calendar and can differ by a day between regions.
- Sat, Nov 14Children’s DayFixed dateThe date in India. The UN Universal Children’s Day is November 20, and other countries use their own dates.
- Tue, Nov 24Guru Nanak JayantiConfirmedGurdwaras may announce a different date for the Sikh calendar. Depends on the lunar calendar and can differ by a day between regions.
- Thu, Nov 26Constitution Day (Samvidhan Diwas)Fixed date
How these dates were checked
Fixed and rule-based dates, such as Christmas or the third Monday of January, are exact. Easter, Islamic festivals (from the Umm al-Qura calendar), Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival and Hanukkah are calculated from their calendars. Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain festival dates were cross-checked against several independent published calendars, and a date is left out when they disagree. Because lunar festivals depend on the moon, always confirm the exact day with your local calendar.
Frequently asked questions
Which festivals are in 2026?
This calendar lists 56 festivals and commemorative days for 2026, including Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and Jewish festivals, national days and global celebrations.
Are these festival dates official?
No. They are checked against several published calendars (last checked 2026-10-21), but they are not official government notices. Lunar-calendar festivals can differ by a day between regions, and festivals marked “Expected” depend on moon sighting. Confirm with your local authority, temple, mosque or government holiday list before making plans.
Why do many festival dates change every year?
Many festivals follow lunar or lunisolar calendars, whose years are not the same length as the Gregorian year, so the Gregorian date moves from year to year. Festivals tied to a fixed date, such as Christmas or Independence Day, stay on the same day.