Festival of lights
Diwali 2026
The biggest night of the Indian year: lamps, sweets, new clothes and fireworks. Abroad it is celebrated over the surrounding weekends, with one large public event in most big cities.
- Diwali 2026
- Sunday, 8 November 2026
- Diwali 2027
- Friday, 29 October 2027
Diwali events near you
What Diwali is
Diwali marks the return of Rama to Ayodhya and the victory of light over darkness; for many families it is also the day of Lakshmi Puja and the start of a new business year. Homes are cleaned and lit with diyas, sweets are exchanged, and the evening ends with fireworks.
The five days run Dhanteras (buying metal, usually a coin or a pan), Naraka Chaturdashi, Diwali itself, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj. Outside India it is a working day, so the community celebrates on the weekends around the date and most public events fall on the nearest Saturday.
Diwali in Belgium
Brussels has the biggest public event, a Diwali festival on the Atomium esplanade with food stalls, dance and a light show; Antwerp, Leuven and Ghent run association dinners and temple pujas; the Indian Embassy in Brussels holds a reception. Restaurants across the country put on Diwali menus for the fortnight. Fireworks are restricted in most communes, so the evening ends with sparklers.
Diwali in the Netherlands
The Hague and Amstelveen hold the largest celebrations, with the Surinamese-Hindustani temples in The Hague keeping the oldest tradition in the country; Rotterdam’s takes to the water on a cruise boat, and Eindhoven’s tech community fills a concert hall.
Diwali in Luxembourg
The Indian Association Luxembourg’s Diwali evening is the one most of the community attends — a dinner, a cultural programme and children’s performances, usually in a hall in the capital.
If it is your first one abroad
- Book restaurant tables two weeks ahead — the Diwali weekend fills every Indian restaurant in town.
- Check local fireworks rules before buying any; most European towns restrict them to New Year.
- Sweets (mithai) can be ordered from Indian grocers a week ahead; many deliver nationwide.
- The big city events sell tickets in advance and sell out; children under a certain age are usually free.
Questions people ask
- What date is Diwali in 2026?
- Sunday 8 November 2026. Dhanteras is 6 November and Bhai Dooj 10 November. In 2027 Diwali falls on 29 October.
- Where is Diwali celebrated near me?
- Every country page below lists the community’s Diwali events as organisers post them, usually four to six weeks ahead. In Belgium the biggest is Brussels’ festival on the Atomium esplanade; in the Netherlands, The Hague and Amstelveen; in Luxembourg, the Indian Association’s evening.
- Is Diwali a public holiday in Europe?
- No. Most people take the day off or celebrate the following weekend, which is why community events cluster on Saturdays.
Other festivals
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RSVP, see who else is going, chat with the organiser and get a reminder — in the app, free, in every country.
Organising something?
Post it from the app under Events, wherever you are. It is free, a moderator checks it, and it appears here and to every member nearby. Running several a year? Email hello@namaste.community for a listing invite.