Festival of lights
Diwali in Qatar 2026
Diwali 2026: Sunday, 8 November 2026
Dates and venues checked against the organisers’ own pages on .
Diwali 2026 in Qatar is on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The sun sets at 4:48 pm in Doha. Lakshmi Puja is performed in the evening after sunset, in the pradosh period — roughly the first two and a half hours after it; the lamps are lit as it gets dark.
Qatar has no Hindu temple open to the public, so Diwali is kept at home and in the programmes of the Indian community: the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) and the state and language associations affiliated to it put on cultural evenings, and hotels and Indian restaurants offer Diwali menus. The associations usually announce their evenings only about two weeks ahead, and none for 2026 had been published by 22 October.
Diwali is not a public holiday in Qatar, and Sunday 8 November is a working day, since the weekend is Friday and Saturday. The family gatherings and shows therefore fall on Friday 6 November (Dhanteras) and Saturday 7 November, with the Lakshmi Puja at home on Sunday evening after work. Personal fireworks and firecrackers are tightly controlled in Qatar and need authorisation, so the night is lit with lamps, candles and electric lights.
Sunset on Diwali 2026 in Qatar
Sunday, 8 November 2026 · local time, worked out for each city centre
| City | Sunset |
|---|---|
| Doha | 4:48 pm |
Diwali 2026 dates
Friday, 6 November
Dhanteras
Saturday, 7 November
Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali)
Sunday, 8 November
Diwali — Lakshmi Puja
Monday, 9 November
Govardhan Puja and Annakut
Tuesday, 10 November
Bhai Dooj
Diwali events in Qatar0 listed
Where to celebrate Diwali in Qatar, city by city
Diwali in Doha
With no Hindu temple in Qatar, Doha’s Diwali is kept at home, in neighbourhoods such as Al Mansoura, Najma and Umm Ghuwailina, and in the cultural evenings of the Indian Cultural Centre and its affiliated state and language associations, announced about two weeks ahead. Sunday 8 November is a working day, so the gatherings fall on the weekend of 6–7 November.
New Indian events near Qatar, 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 Qatar 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 Diwali mela, festival 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.
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.
If it is your first one in Qatar
- 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
- When is Diwali 2026 in Qatar?
- Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. It is not a public holiday in Qatar, so the community celebrates on the weekends around it — events are listed on this page as organisers post them, usually four to six weeks ahead.
- What time is sunset on Diwali 2026 in Qatar?
- On Sunday, 8 November 2026, the sun sets at 4:48 pm in Doha. The times are worked out for each city centre with a flat horizon, as every published table gives them; behind buildings or hills it appears a few minutes later. Lakshmi Puja is performed in the evening after sunset, in the pradosh period — roughly the first two and a half hours after it; the lamps are lit as it gets dark.
- Where can I celebrate Diwali in Qatar?
- Qatar has no Hindu temple open to the public, so Diwali is kept at home and in the programmes of the Indian community: the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) and the state and language associations affiliated to it put on cultural evenings, and hotels and Indian restaurants offer Diwali menus. The associations usually announce their evenings only about two weeks ahead, and none for 2026 had been published by 22 October.
- Can non-Indians go to Diwali events in Qatar?
- 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 public holiday in Qatar?
- No. Diwali is not a public holiday in Qatar, and in 2026 it falls on Sunday 8 November, a normal working day (the weekend is Friday and Saturday), so Indian families gather on the Friday and Saturday before it and light the lamps on Sunday evening.
- Is there a Hindu temple in Qatar?
- No. Qatar has no Hindu temple open to the public, and the US State Department’s religious-freedom reports note that representatives of the Hindu community have said the government has not granted permission to open new places of worship. Diwali pujas are held at home or at gatherings arranged by the community’s associations.
- Where can I celebrate Diwali in Doha?
- At home, at the Indian Cultural Centre and the state and language associations affiliated to it, and at hotels and Indian restaurants that serve Diwali menus. The associations usually announce their cultural evenings about two weeks ahead; none for 2026 had been published by 22 October.
- Can I light fireworks for Diwali in Qatar?
- Not without authorisation. Personal fireworks and firecrackers are tightly controlled and large displays need official approval, so fireworks belong to officially organised public events; at home, light diyas, candles or electric lights.
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.