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Festival of lights

Diwali in Uganda 2026

Diwali 2026: Sunday, 8 November 2026

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

Diwali 2026 in Uganda is on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The sun sets at 6:36 pm in Kampala. 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. The main celebration is the Diwali Food Festival at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala, whose 2026 date the organisers announce in the autumn.

Kampala’s Diwali is the Indian Association of Uganda’s Diwali Food Festival at Speke Resort Munyonyo, on Lake Victoria, which the association holds with the High Commission of India and the Ruparelia Group. The 2025 edition, on Sunday 19 October, had 108 food stalls and 21 cultural performances and, in the association’s count, more than 8,000 visitors; the 2024 one, on Sunday 27 October, included a fireworks display on the resort’s marina. No date for 2026 had been published by 30 October, and the High Commission’s website carried no Diwali notice that day. President Museveni and the First Lady hosted the community at State House, Entebbe, for a Diwali dinner on Sunday 26 October 2025.

On the day itself, Sunday 8 November, the temples usually keep the Lakshmi Puja in the evening: the Shree Sanatan Dharma Mandal temple near Nakasero Market, inaugurated in 1961, and the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, which BAPS dates to 1960; BAPS listed Diwali and Annakut programmes at its centres across Africa in 2024. Diwali is not a public holiday in Uganda and is not on the foreign ministry’s list of 2026 holidays. Fireworks displays are for licensed blasters under the Explosives Act and cleared by the police; for New Year 2026 the police capped displays at five minutes and said they did not want people setting off their own, so homes are lit with diyas.

Sunset on Diwali 2026 in Uganda

Sunday, 8 November 2026 · local time, worked out for each city centre

CitySunset
Kampala6:36 pm

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 Uganda

Diwali Food Festival

When
No 2026 date had been announced by 30 October; the 2025 edition was on Sunday 19 October and the 2024 one on Sunday 27 October
Where
Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kampala

The Indian Association of Uganda’s annual Diwali gathering with the High Commission of India and the Ruparelia Group: food stalls from across India’s communities, state-themed cultural performances and a fireworks display, open to Ugandans and visitors as well as the Indian community. The 2025 edition had 108 food stalls and 21 performances and, in the association’s count, more than 8,000 visitors.

Eagle Online — Speke Resort to host Grand Diwali Food & Music Festival 2025 ↗

Diwali events in Uganda0 listed

No Diwali events posted in Uganda yet — organisers usually list them four to six weeks ahead. See everything coming up in Uganda, or post yours from the app.

Where to celebrate Diwali in Uganda, city by city

Diwali in Kampala

Kampala’s Diwali Food Festival is held at Speke Resort Munyonyo: the 2025 edition was on Sunday 19 October and no date for 2026 had been published by 30 October. On Diwali itself, Sunday 8 November, the Shree Sanatan Dharma Mandal temple near Nakasero Market and the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir usually keep the evening puja, and President Museveni has hosted a Diwali dinner for the community at State House, Entebbe (26 October in 2025).

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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 Uganda

  • 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 Uganda?
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. It is not a public holiday in Uganda, 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 Uganda?
On Sunday, 8 November 2026, the sun sets at 6:36 pm in Kampala. 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 Uganda?
Kampala’s Diwali is the Indian Association of Uganda’s Diwali Food Festival at Speke Resort Munyonyo, on Lake Victoria, which the association holds with the High Commission of India and the Ruparelia Group. The 2025 edition, on Sunday 19 October, had 108 food stalls and 21 cultural performances and, in the association’s count, more than 8,000 visitors; the 2024 one, on Sunday 27 October, included a fireworks display on the resort’s marina. No date for 2026 had been published by 30 October, and the High Commission’s website carried no Diwali notice that day. President Museveni and the First Lady hosted the community at State House, Entebbe, for a Diwali dinner on Sunday 26 October 2025.
Can non-Indians go to Diwali events in Uganda?
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 Uganda?
No. It is not on Uganda’s list of 2026 public holidays as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ missions publish it, and in 2026 Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November, a weekend day.
Is there a Diwali festival in Kampala in 2026?
No date had been announced by 30 October. The Indian Association of Uganda’s Diwali Food Festival at Speke Resort Munyonyo was held on Sunday 19 October in 2025 and Sunday 27 October in 2024, so check the association and the High Commission of India in Kampala for this year’s. Diwali itself is Sunday 8 November.
Can I light fireworks for Diwali in Uganda?
In practice, no. Police guidance for New Year 2026 said displays must be run by licensed blasters under the Explosives Act, after police clearance, with a five-minute limit, and that the police did not want people setting off their own. We found no separate Diwali rule, so ask the police before planning anything.
What date is Diwali in Uganda in 2026?
Sunday 8 November 2026, the day of Lakshmi Puja. Dhanteras is Friday 6 November, Govardhan Puja and Annakut Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj Tuesday 10 November.
Where do Hindus in Kampala celebrate Diwali?
At the temples and at home: the Shree Sanatan Dharma Mandal temple near Nakasero Market and the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir are the two we found. Each sets its own times for the Lakshmi Puja, so check with the temple.

Moving or newly arrived? Indians in Uganda: the living guide covers work, renting, health, schools and worship.

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