Sri Lanka Public Holidays 2026

Gazetted public holidays for the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in 2026. Plan travel and ETA processing around official dates.

26 Listed observances
14 Poya-related public holidays
3 Languages (official calendar)

About public holidays in Sri Lanka

Public holidays in Sri Lanka are declared under the Holidays Act and published in the Government Gazette. 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.

Sri Lanka public holidays — January to December 2026
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, use the official gazette notice and government portals below.

Last reviewed for calendar year 2026. If a later Gazette replaces a date, the official holiday notice on Gazette.lk / documents.gov.lk prevails over this summary page.