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Festival of lights

Diwali events in Kampala 2026

Diwali 2026: Sunday, 8 November 2026

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

On Diwali, Sunday, 8 November 2026, the sun sets at 6:36 pm (GMT+3) 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. Sunset in other cities in Uganda

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 Kampala is below.

The biggest Diwali celebration in Kampala

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 Kampala0 listed

No Diwali events posted in Kampala yet — organisers usually list them four to six weeks ahead. See everything coming up in Kampala.

Where to celebrate 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).

New Indian events near Kampala, 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 Kampala is better with people near you

The Namaste Community app finds what is on around you in Kampala 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.
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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.

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 Kampala?
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. In Kampala the biggest public celebration is the Diwali Food Festival at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala.
What time does the sun set in Kampala on Diwali 2026?
On Sunday, 8 November 2026, the sun sets at 6:36 pm (GMT+3) in Kampala. 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 is Diwali Food Festival?
Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kampala. 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.
What Diwali events are there in Kampala?
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 [email protected] for a listing invite.