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Diwali in Canada 2026

Diwali 2026: Sunday, 8 November 2026

Dates and venues checked against the organisers’ own pages on .

Diwali 2026 in Canada is on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The biggest public celebrations are Canada Diwali RazzMatazz on Mississauga’s Celebration Square, 9–11 October, North York Diwali Fest on Mel Lastman Square on 23 October, Brampton’s Karwachauth Bazaar and Diwali Mela on 23 October, RED FM’s free Diwali Dhamaka in Mississauga on 24 October, RED FM’s free Diwali Dhamaka in Calgary on 1 November and RED FM’s free Diwali Dhamaka on Surrey Civic Plaza on 7 November.

Canada’s Diwali is biggest in the Greater Toronto Area and in Surrey, and it runs for a month: Canada Diwali RazzMatazz on Mississauga’s Celebration Square (9–11 October 2026, with Jasbir Jassi and Richa Sharma in free concerts), North York Diwali Fest at Mel Lastman Square (23 October), Brampton’s Karwachauth Bazaar and Diwali Mela at the Galaxy Grand Convention Centre (23 October), RED FM’s free Diwali Dhamaka in Mississauga (24 October), Calgary (1 November) and on Surrey Civic Plaza (7 November), and Bollywood Diwali parties in every city on the Friday and Saturday before the day itself, Sunday 8 November.

Diwali is not a statutory holiday anywhere in Canada, so the celebrations fall on the weekends around it. Brampton and Mississauga are among the cities whose by-laws allow family fireworks on Diwali; most others allow them only on Victoria Day, Canada Day and New Year’s Eve, so check your city’s by-law before buying.

Diwali 2026 in Canada at a glance

DateWhatWhere
9–11 OctoberCanada Diwali RazzMatazzCelebration Square, Mississauga
Friday, 23 OctoberNorth York Diwali Fest — Festival of LightsMel Lastman Square, Yonge Street, Toronto
Friday, 23 OctoberBrampton’s Biggest Karwachauth Bazaar & Diwali MelaGalaxy Grand Convention Centre, Brampton
Saturday, 24 OctoberRED FM Diwali Dhamaka (Mississauga)Mississauga Convention Centre, Derry Road, Mississauga
Sunday, 1 NovemberRED FM Diwali Dhamaka (Calgary)Dera Banquet, Hopewell Place NE, Calgary
Saturday, 7 NovemberRED FM Diwali Dhamaka (Surrey)Surrey Civic Plaza, 104 Avenue, Surrey
Sunday, 8 NovemberDiwali itselfHomes, temples and community dinners across the country

Diwali 2026 dates

  1. Friday, 6 November

    Dhanteras

  2. Saturday, 7 November

    Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali)

  3. Sunday, 8 November

    Diwali — Lakshmi Puja

  4. Monday, 9 November

    Govardhan Puja and Annakut

  5. Tuesday, 10 November

    Bhai Dooj

The biggest Diwali celebrations in Canada

Canada Diwali RazzMatazz

When
Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October 2026
Where
Celebration Square, Mississauga
Entry
Free concerts: Jasbir Jassi on 9 October, Richa Sharma on 11 October

Three days on the city’s central square — stalls, food and stages — with Jasbir Jassi and Richa Sharma headlining the free concerts.

RED FM Diwali Dhamaka (Mississauga)

When
Saturday 24 October 2026, from noon
Where
Mississauga Convention Centre, Derry Road, Mississauga
Entry
Free

The radio station’s free Diwali fair: stalls, food, performances and the station’s own stage, the biggest of its three (Mississauga, Calgary and Surrey).

RED FM ↗

North York Diwali Fest — Festival of Lights

When
Friday 23 October 2026, from 5pm
Where
Mel Lastman Square, Yonge Street, Toronto

Toronto’s open-air Diwali on the North York civic square: stages, stalls and lights on Yonge Street.

Brampton’s Biggest Karwachauth Bazaar & Diwali Mela

When
Friday 23 October 2026, from noon
Where
Galaxy Grand Convention Centre, Brampton

The GTA’s shopping fair before the two festivals — jewellery, clothes, mehndi, sweets — in one of Brampton’s largest halls.

RED FM Diwali Dhamaka (Surrey)

When
Saturday 7 November 2026, from 1pm
Where
Surrey Civic Plaza, 104 Avenue, Surrey
Entry
Free

British Columbia’s public Diwali, on the plaza outside Surrey City Hall the day before Diwali itself.

RED FM ↗

RED FM Diwali Dhamaka (Calgary)

When
Sunday 1 November 2026, from 1pm
Where
Dera Banquet, Hopewell Place NE, Calgary
Entry
Free

Calgary’s free Diwali fair in the north-east, where the city’s community lives.

RED FM ↗

Diwali events in Canada59 listed

Diwali in Brampton →

Diwali in Mississauga →

Diwali in Calgary →

Diwali in Toronto →

Diwali in Pickering →

Diwali in Surrey →

Diwali in Vancouver →

Diwali in London (Ontario) →

Diwali in Kitchener →

Diwali in Oakville →

Diwali in Montreal →

Diwali in Ottawa →

Diwali in Edmonton →

Elsewhere in Canada

Where to celebrate Diwali in Canada, city by city

Diwali in Toronto

North York Diwali Fest on Mel Lastman Square (23 October) is the public one; the Bollywood Diwali parties downtown fall on 6–7 November, and Gerrard India Bazaar and Scarborough’s temples keep the day itself, Sunday 8 November.

Diwali in Mississauga

Canada Diwali RazzMatazz on Celebration Square (9–11 October) opens the season and RED FM’s free Diwali Dhamaka at the Convention Centre (24 October) is the big fair; the Karwa Chauth and Diwali bazaars fill the banquet halls on Derry Road in between.

Diwali in Brampton

The Karwachauth Bazaar and Diwali Mela at the Galaxy Grand (23 October), Diwali Dhamaka at the Courtyard by Marriott (24 October) and the galas in Chandni and Dreams convention centres into November — and family fireworks are allowed on Diwali under the city’s by-law.

Diwali in Surrey

RED FM’s free Diwali Dhamaka on Surrey Civic Plaza (7 November) is British Columbia’s public celebration; the gurdwaras keep Bandi Chhor Divas the same weekend.

Diwali in Vancouver

Bollywood Diwali nights at The Pearl and the Fraserview banquet hall (6 November), the Diwali boat party on the Burrard Queen (7 November) and UBC’s Pit Diwali (6 November); Surrey’s plaza fair is twenty minutes away.

Diwali in Calgary

RED FM’s free Diwali Dhamaka at Dera Banquet (1 November), the Haryanvi and Rajasthani society nights in the north-east banquet halls and the Diwali Dhamaka party downtown on 7 November.

Diwali in Edmonton

Jashan-e-Diwali at the Vivann Banquet Hall (1 November) and two Diwali parties on 99 Street on 6–7 November.

Diwali in Ottawa

The Diwali dinner dance at EXIT Lounge (24 October) and the community’s pujas and dinners on the weekend of 7–8 November.

Diwali in Montreal

DanceFluent’s Diwali Gala at Ganesh Party Palace in Saint-Laurent (24 October) and the first Diwali Tash party in Parc-Extension (10 October).

New Indian events near Canada, by email

Once a week, and only when something new is on within 10 km of where you live — garba nights, Diwali melas, meetups, concerts. Free, and one click switches it off.

Diwali is better with people near you

The Namaste Community app finds everything around you in Canada and in every other country — free.

  • Groups near youJoin the Indian community groups in your city — chat, plans and people who get it.
  • Events near youEvery festival, garba night and meetup, ranked by distance, with RSVP and reminders.
  • Buy and sellSarees, kurtas, furniture, kitchen things — from people a few streets away.
  • Rent near youRooms and flats from the community, with the person behind the listing one tap away.
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What Diwali is

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 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.

Diwali dates and how it is celebrated around the world →

If it is your first one in Canada

  • 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.

Previous Diwali events in Canada

Most of these return every year with the same organisers.

Questions people ask

When is Diwali 2026 in Canada?
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. It is not a public holiday in Canada, so the community celebrates on the weekends around it — 59 events are listed on this page, each with its own date.
Where can I celebrate Diwali in Canada?
Canada’s Diwali is biggest in the Greater Toronto Area and in Surrey, and it runs for a month: Canada Diwali RazzMatazz on Mississauga’s Celebration Square (9–11 October 2026, with Jasbir Jassi and Richa Sharma in free concerts), North York Diwali Fest at Mel Lastman Square (23 October), Brampton’s Karwachauth Bazaar and Diwali Mela at the Galaxy Grand Convention Centre (23 October), RED FM’s free Diwali Dhamaka in Mississauga (24 October), Calgary (1 November) and on Surrey Civic Plaza (7 November), and Bollywood Diwali parties in every city on the Friday and Saturday before the day itself, Sunday 8 November. This year’s listings so far are in Brampton, Mississauga, Calgary, Toronto, Pickering.
Can non-Indians go to Diwali events in Canada?
Yes. Almost every community event is open to everyone and runs in English; temple and gurdwara celebrations welcome visitors too — dress modestly, and cover your head in a gurdwara.
Is Diwali a statutory holiday in Canada?
No, in no province. The celebrations fall on the weekends around it — in 2026, Diwali itself is Sunday 8 November, so the big fairs are on 23–24 October and 7 November.
Where is the biggest Diwali celebration in Canada?
The Greater Toronto Area — Mississauga’s Celebration Square and Convention Centre, North York’s Mel Lastman Square and Brampton’s halls — and Surrey, whose free Diwali Dhamaka on the Civic Plaza is British Columbia’s public celebration.
Can you set off fireworks for Diwali in Canada?
Only where your city’s by-law allows it. Brampton and Mississauga allow family fireworks on Diwali; most other cities allow them only on Victoria Day, Canada Day and New Year’s Eve. Check the by-law before buying.
When is Diwali 2026 in Toronto?
Diwali is Sunday 8 November 2026. North York Diwali Fest is on 23 October, RED FM’s Diwali Dhamaka in Mississauga on 24 October, and the Bollywood Diwali parties downtown on 6–7 November — every one posted is listed above with its date.

More festivals in Canada

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.