Festival of lights
Diwali in Johannesburg 2026
Diwali 2026: Sunday, 8 November 2026
On Diwali, Sunday, 8 November 2026, the sun sets at 6:29 pm (GMT+2) in Johannesburg. 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. Sunset in other cities in South Africa
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. Every Diwali event posted in and around Johannesburg is below.
Diwali events in Johannesburg0 listed
Hindu temples and gurdwaras near Johannesburg for Diwali
Most mandirs hold Lakshmi Puja on Diwali evening and many hold Annakut the day after; gurdwaras keep Bandi Chhor Divas the same night. Each temple sets its own times, so check its page before you go.
Temple
Temples & gurdwaras · Lenasia
Where to celebrate Diwali in Johannesburg
Johannesburg’s Diwali is Lenasia’s, the suburb in the south of the city where much of its Indian-South African community lives: the puja is at ISKCON Lenasia and the other temples on Sunday 8 November, and the evening is kept at home. No public Johannesburg programme for 2026 had been found by 22 October; the nearest published one is the Durban Diwali Festival, 30 October to 1 November.
New Indian events near Johannesburg, 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 in Johannesburg is better with people near you
The Namaste Community app finds what is on around you in Johannesburg and everywhere else — 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.
If it is your first one
- 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 Johannesburg?
- Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. Community celebrations in Johannesburg are held on the weekends around it.
- What time does the sun set in Johannesburg on Diwali 2026?
- On Sunday, 8 November 2026, the sun sets at 6:29 pm (GMT+2) in Johannesburg. That is for the city centre with a flat horizon, as every published table gives it; 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 go to a temple for Diwali in Johannesburg?
- 1 temple or gurdwara is listed within 20 km of Johannesburg, among them Temple. Most mandirs hold Lakshmi Puja on Diwali evening and many hold Annakut the day after; gurdwaras keep Bandi Chhor Divas the same night. Each temple sets its own times, so check its page before you go.
- What Diwali events are there in Johannesburg?
- Organisers usually post Diwali events four to six weeks ahead; they appear on this page as soon as they do.
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.