Official calendar reference
Sri Lanka Public Holidays 2026
Gazetted public holidays for the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in 2026. Use this calendar when planning travel, embassy visits, or ETA application processing times.
About public holidays in Sri Lanka
Public holidays in Sri Lanka are declared under the Holidays Act and published in the Government Gazette by the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government. Full Moon Poya days are paid holidays for workers; banks and government offices are generally closed on gazetted dates.
Islamic festival days (Id-Ul-Fitr and Id-Ul-Alha) may be adjusted when confirmed by the Colombo Grand Mosque or relevant authority after moon sighting. Always confirm the latest Gazette notice before making firm travel arrangements.
Complete holiday list — 2026
Dates below follow the 2026 public and bank holiday schedule as published for Sri Lanka. Where two observances fall on the same calendar date, both are shown.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day | Poya | Commemorates the Buddha's first visit to Sri Lanka. | |
| Thursday | Tamil Thai Pongal Day | Cultural | Harvest festival observed by the Tamil community. | |
| Sunday | Navam Full Moon Poya Day | Poya | Marks the appointment of the Buddha's chief disciples and the first Buddhist council. | |
| Wednesday | National Day | National | Independence Day — Sri Lanka's independence from British rule in 1948. | |
| Sunday | Mahasivarathri Day | Religious | Hindu observance dedicated to Lord Shiva. | |
| Monday | Madin Full Moon Poya Day | Poya | Commemorates the Buddha's first visit to his father after enlightenment. | |
| Saturday | Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramazan Festival Day) | Religious | Marks the end of Ramadan; dates may be confirmed by moon sighting. | |
| Wednesday | Bak Full Moon Poya Day | Poya | Commemorates the Buddha's second visit to Sri Lanka. | |
| Friday | Good Friday | Religious | Christian observance of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. | |
| Monday | Day Prior to Sinhala and Tamil New Year Day | Cultural | New Year's Eve in the traditional Sinhala and Tamil calendar. | |
| Tuesday | Sinhala and Tamil New Year Day | Cultural | Traditional New Year for Sinhala and Tamil communities. | |
| Friday | May Day (International Workers' Day) | National | Labour Day honouring workers and trade union achievements. | |
| Friday | Vesak Full Moon Poya Day | Poya | Celebrates the birth, enlightenment, and passing of the Buddha. | |
| Saturday | Day Following Vesak Full Moon Poya Day | Poya | Additional day associated with Vesak observances. | |
| Thursday | Id-Ul-Alha (Hadji Festival Day) | Religious | Feast of Sacrifice; dates may be confirmed by moon sighting. | |
| Saturday | Adhi Poson Full Moon Poya Day | Poya | Intercalary full-moon observance in the Buddhist calendar. | |
| Monday | Poson Full Moon Poya Day | Poya | Marks the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka. | |
| Wednesday | Esala Full Moon Poya Day | Poya | Commemorates the Buddha's first sermon and the start of the rains retreat. | |
| Wednesday | Milad-Un-Nabi (Holy Prophet's Birthday) | Religious | Celebrates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. | |
| Thursday | Nikini Full Moon Poya Day | Poya | Observance following the first rains retreat of the monastic community. | |
| Saturday | Binara Full Moon Poya Day | Poya | Commemorates the establishment of the Bhikkhuni (nuns) order. | |
| Sunday | Vap Full Moon Poya Day | Poya | Marks the conclusion of the Buddhist rains retreat season. | |
| Sunday | Deepavali Festival Day | Religious | Hindu festival of lights symbolising victory of light over darkness. | |
| Tuesday | Ill Full Moon Poya Day | Poya | Commemorates the Buddha's announcement of his passing. | |
| Wednesday | Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day | Poya | Marks the arrival of the sacred Bo sapling in Sri Lanka. | |
| Friday | Christmas Day | Religious | Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. |
Official sources and references
The 2026 dates on this page are aligned with the Government of Sri Lanka holiday calendar. For authoritative text, download the gazette notice or government calendar PDF.
- Extraordinary Gazette — Public & Bank Holidays 2026 (English PDF)
- Sri Lanka Government Calendar 2026 (English PDF)
- Public and Bank Holidays for 2026 — Gazette.lk
- Government Gazette archive — 2026
- Sri Lanka Tourism — Official travel portal
Last reviewed for calendar year 2026. If a later Gazette replaces a date, the official PDF at documents.gov.lk prevails over this summary page.
