Hinduism · 2026
In 2026, Diwali falls on a Sunday, running through Thursday, November 12, 2026.
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, November 8, 2026. That is a Sunday, which means it lands on a weekend. It is the 312th day of 2026 and sits in ISO week 45. If you are planning around it, the day of the week matters as much as the date itself, because it decides whether the observance creates a long weekend, a midweek pause, or a day that has to be moved under local substitute-holiday rules.
Falling on a Sunday, Diwali overlaps a normal weekend. Where it is a public holiday, the observed day off is often moved to the following Monday under substitute-day rules.
How the date moves in the years either side of 2026. Each year links to its own page with a countdown and the full day-of-week detail.
Diwali, also called Deepavali, is widely known as the Festival of Lights. It is one of the most important Hindu festivals and is also marked by Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhist communities. The main observance is associated with the new moon of the Hindu month Kartika, usually falling in October or November in the Gregorian calendar. Families often clean and decorate homes, light diyas or lamps, share sweets, gather for prayers, and visit relatives. Meanings vary by region and tradition, but common themes include light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and renewal at the turning of the year. This page uses the date already published in timekit's religious holidays calendar, so regional panchang and local observance may differ by a day.
Calendar note: From the local Vikram calendar festival table; shown as a 5-day Diwali span.