How many days until Diwali 2026?
The main day of Diwali, Lakshmi Puja, falls on Sunday, November 8, 2026. The live countdown below uses the clock and time zone on your device.
- Weeks and days
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- Total hours
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- Weekdays in between (Mon–Fri)
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- Sleeps (nights)
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Diwali falls on a Sunday. Sleeps counts the nights from today; weekdays in between excludes today and the day itself and does not subtract public holidays.
Dates are the main day of Lakshmi Puja as published for New Delhi. Your local temple or community calendar may differ by a day.
What is Diwali?
Diwali, or Deepavali, is the festival of lights, celebrated across India and by South Asian communities worldwide. Homes are lit with clay lamps and decorated with rangoli, families share sweets and visit relatives, and the evening prayer to Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity, is the centre of the main day. For Sikhs the same period is Bandi Chhor Divas, and Jains mark the nirvana of Mahavira.
Where it is observed: Celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and some Buddhists, mainly in India, Nepal, and diaspora communities. A public holiday in India, Nepal, Singapore, most of Malaysia, Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname.
How the date of Diwali is set
Diwali follows the Hindu lunisolar calendar. The main day is the new-moon day (Amavasya) of the month of Kartika in the northern reckoning, which places it between mid-October and mid-November. Because a lunar day does not start at midnight, the date depends on when the new moon falls relative to local sunset, so regions and almanacs can disagree by a day.
Diwali dates for the next 6 occurrences
Calendar dates and weekdays. Use the countdown above for the time remaining.
| Year | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | November 8, 2026 | Sunday |
| 2027 | October 29, 2027 | Friday |
| 2028 | October 17, 2028 | Tuesday |
| 2029 | November 5, 2029 | Monday |
| 2030 | October 26, 2030 | Saturday |
| 2031 | November 14, 2031 | Friday |
A five-day festival
In much of northern and western India, Diwali is a sequence of five days: Dhanteras, a day for buying metal goods and new utensils; Naraka Chaturdashi, sometimes called Choti Diwali; the main Lakshmi Puja on the new-moon evening; Govardhan Puja; and Bhai Dooj, which celebrates the bond between siblings. In parts of South India, the main celebration is Naraka Chaturdashi, which can be the day before the date shown here.
In Nepal the festival is called Tihar and lasts five days with its own sequence of observances.
Why published dates differ
Hindu festival dates are set by tithis, lunar days that begin at varying times of day. Almanacs (panchangs) compare the tithi with local sunset and with traditional rules, so two calendars can name different Gregorian dates. Government holiday lists in India, Singapore, and Malaysia are published each year and occasionally differ from one another.
The table on this page uses the Lakshmi Puja dates published for New Delhi. If you are planning time off or an event with a particular community, confirm the date with its temple or organisation. Dates beyond the published range are not shown rather than estimated.
Frequently asked questions about Diwali
Why does Diwali change date every year?
Diwali is tied to the new moon in the Hindu lunisolar calendar. Lunar months do not line up with Gregorian months, so the Gregorian date moves between mid-October and mid-November.
Is Diwali a public holiday outside India?
Yes, in several countries, including Nepal, Singapore, most of Malaysia, Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname. In the US and UK it is not a national public holiday, though some school districts and local governments close for it.
Is Diwali on the same day everywhere?
Not always. The main day depends on local sunset and the regional tradition followed, so communities in South India, North India, and abroad can observe it on adjacent dates.
Other countdowns
Days remaining until other holidays and observances. See all holiday countdowns.