Sri Lanka festivals and events 2027: month-by-month calendar

How to read this calendar

The holiday dates come from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka's official 2027 list. It marks each day as a bank, public and/or mercantile holiday, and not every public holiday is a mercantile one. There is a Poya holiday at each full moon; we name the ones tied to festivals, and the Central Bank list has the rest.

On Poya days, Sri Lanka Tourism says, the sale of alcohol, meat and fish is prohibited, and some shops and businesses close. Check ahead with your hotel or restaurant if it matters for your evening. The two Muslim holidays follow the moon and can move by about a day.

January and February: Thai Pongal, Independence Day and the Navam Perahera

Tamil Thai Pongal, Friday 15 January, is a Tamil festival day, and Duruthu Poya, Friday 22 January, the first full moon of the year.

Independence Day, Thursday 4 February, commemorates independence from British rule.

The Navam Maha Perahera of Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo is scheduled for Friday 19 and Saturday 20 February: a two-day Buddhist pageant with elephants, dancers and drummers around Beira Lake. The temple says crowds gather in large numbers. 20 February is also Navam Poya.

March to May: Ramazan, New Year and Vesak

Eid ul-Fitr (Ramazan Festival Day) is listed for Wednesday 10 March; the day of celebration can move by about a day with the sighting of the moon. Good Friday, 26 March, is a bank and public holiday.

The Sinhala and Tamil New Year falls on Wednesday 14 April, with the day before, Tuesday 13 April, also a holiday. It marks the end of the harvest season.

Eid ul-Adha (Hadji Festival Day) is listed for Monday 17 May, again subject to the moon.

Vesak, the Buddhist festival, is Vesak Poya on Wednesday 19 May, with the following day, Thursday 20 May, also a holiday. Poya rules apply on the 19th.

June to September: Poson and the Kandy Esala Perahera

Poson Poya, Friday 18 June, commemorates the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka from India, a major observance at Anuradhapura.

The Kandy Esala Perahera honours the Sacred Tooth Relic with nightly processions of dancers, drummers and elephants through the streets of Kandy. The Temple of the Tooth says it is held in July or August, in the month of Esala or Nikini; the 2027 dates had not been announced when we checked. Esala Poya falls on Sunday 18 July and Nikini Poya on Monday 16 August, but those holiday dates do not fix the procession nights.

Binara Poya, Wednesday 15 September, is the next full moon holiday.

October to December: Deepavali, Il and Unduvap Poya, Christmas

Deepavali, Thursday 28 October, is a bank and public holiday in Sri Lanka in 2027; India's date differs.

Il Poya, Saturday 13 November, and Unduvap Poya, Monday 13 December, follow; Unduvap celebrates the arrival of the Bo tree sapling at Anuradhapura.

Christmas Day, Saturday 25 December, closes the year.