Namaste Community
Sign inJoin free

Festival of lights

Diwali in the UK 2026

Diwali 2026: Sunday, 8 November 2026

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

Diwali 2026 in the UK is on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The biggest public celebrations are Diwali on the Square on 25 October, Leicester’s Diwali Day on 8 November and Annakut at Neasden Temple.

The UK keeps the largest Diwali in Europe. The Mayor of London’s Diwali on the Square fills Trafalgar Square β€” on Sunday 25 October in 2026, free, no booking β€” and Leicester, whose Belgrave Road is one of the best-known Diwali streets outside India, holds its Diwali Day on Sunday 8 November 2026 at Cossington Recreation Ground, with the Belgrave Road lights switched on two weeks before.

The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden draws crowds on Diwali and for Annakut, the Hindu New Year, the day after. Wembley, Harrow, Southall and Birmingham’s Soho Road fill with people buying sweets and new clothes, and every gurdwara keeps Bandi Chhor Divas the same night. Fireworks are legal on Diwali night: the usual 11pm curfew is extended to 1am, and licensed shops may sell them for the three days before.

Diwali 2026 in the UK at a glance

DateWhatWhere
Sunday, 25 OctoberDiwali on the SquareTrafalgar Square, London
Sunday, 8 NovemberLeicester Diwali DayCossington Recreation Ground and Belgrave Road, Leicester
Sunday, 8 NovemberDiwali itselfHomes, temples and community dinners across the country
8–9 NovemberDiwali and Annakut at Neasden TempleBAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Neasden, London

Diwali 2026 dates

  1. Friday, 6 November

    Dhanteras

  2. Saturday, 7 November

    Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali)

  3. Sunday, 8 November

    Diwali β€” Lakshmi Puja

  4. Monday, 9 November

    Govardhan Puja and Annakut

  5. Tuesday, 10 November

    Bhai Dooj

The biggest Diwali celebrations in the UK

Diwali on the Square

When
Sunday 25 October 2026, 1pm to 7pm
Where
Trafalgar Square, London
Entry
Free, no booking

The Mayor of London’s annual Diwali: music and dance on the main stage, family activities, market stalls and food from Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities.

Greater London Authority β†—

Leicester Diwali Day

When
Sunday 8 November 2026; the Belgrave Road lights go on two weeks before
Where
Cossington Recreation Ground and Belgrave Road, Leicester

One of the largest Diwali celebrations outside India: stage performances, food stalls, crafts and a children’s funfair in the park, the Wheel of Light on Belgrave Road and rangoli at the Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre. There is no public fireworks display in 2026.

Leicester City Council β†—

Diwali and Annakut at Neasden Temple

When
Diwali, Sunday 8 November, and Annakut (Hindu New Year), Monday 9 November 2026
Where
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Neasden, London

Thousands visit the mandir for Diwali and for Annakut the next day, when hundreds of vegetarian dishes are offered before the deities.

Diwali events in the UK60 listed

Diwali in London β†’

Diwali in Slough β†’

Diwali in Leeds β†’

Diwali in Reading β†’

Diwali in Glasgow β†’

Diwali in Milton Keynes β†’

Diwali in Newcastle upon Tyne β†’

Diwali in Birmingham β†’

Diwali in Leicester β†’

Diwali in Nottingham β†’

Elsewhere in the United Kingdom

Where to celebrate Diwali in the UK, city by city

Diwali in London

Diwali on the Square (25 October 2026) is the big free event; on the Diwali weekend Neasden, Wembley, Harrow, East Ham, Southall and Hounslow are where the community shops, eats and celebrates. The UK’s largest share of the listings above is in London.

Diwali in Leicester

Leicester’s Diwali Day is on Sunday 8 November 2026 at Cossington Recreation Ground, with the lights and the Wheel of Light on Belgrave Road β€” the Golden Mile β€” from late October.

Diwali in Birmingham

Soho Road in Handsworth and the mandirs and gurdwaras of Smethwick and Handsworth are the centre of Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas in the West Midlands.

Diwali in Manchester, Leeds and Bradford

The temples and community centres hold Diwali melas and dinners on the weekends around the date; university Indian societies run their own Diwali nights.

New Indian events near the UK, by email

Once a week, and only when something new is on within 10 km of where you live β€” 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 the UK and in every other country β€” free.

  • Groups near youJoin the Indian community groups in your city β€” 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 β€” from people a few streets away.
  • Rent near youRooms and flats from the community, with the person behind the listing one tap away.
Download on theApp StoreGet it onGoogle Play

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 β†’

If it is your first one in the UK

  • Book restaurant tables two weeks ahead β€” 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 the UK

Most of these return every year with the same organisers.

Questions people ask

When is Diwali 2026 in the UK?
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. It is not a public holiday in the United Kingdom, so the community celebrates on the weekends around it β€” 60 events are listed on this page, each with its own date.
Where can I celebrate Diwali in the UK?
The UK keeps the largest Diwali in Europe. The Mayor of London’s Diwali on the Square fills Trafalgar Square β€” on Sunday 25 October in 2026, free, no booking β€” and Leicester, whose Belgrave Road is one of the best-known Diwali streets outside India, holds its Diwali Day on Sunday 8 November 2026 at Cossington Recreation Ground, with the Belgrave Road lights switched on two weeks before. This year’s listings so far are in London, Slough, Leeds, Reading, Glasgow.
Can non-Indians go to Diwali events in the UK?
Yes. Almost every community event is open to everyone and runs in English; temple and gurdwara celebrations welcome visitors too β€” dress modestly, and cover your head in a gurdwara.
Where is the biggest Diwali celebration in the UK?
Leicester’s is one of the largest Diwali celebrations outside India β€” the lights on Belgrave Road and Diwali Day, on 8 November in 2026 at Cossington Recreation Ground. London’s biggest is Diwali on the Square in Trafalgar Square, on 25 October in 2026.
Is Diwali a bank holiday in the UK?
No. Diwali is not a bank holiday anywhere in the UK, which is why the big public celebrations are held on weekends β€” in 2026, Diwali on the Square on Sunday 25 October and Leicester’s Diwali Day on Sunday 8 November, Diwali itself.
When is Diwali on the Square 2026?
Sunday 25 October 2026, 1pm to 7pm, in Trafalgar Square. It is free and there is no need to book.
Can you set off fireworks on Diwali in the UK?
Yes. The usual 11pm fireworks curfew is extended to 1am on Diwali night, and licensed shops may sell fireworks on the three days before Diwali as well as on the day.
When is Leicester Diwali 2026?
Leicester’s Diwali Day is Sunday 8 November 2026 at Cossington Recreation Ground. The Belgrave Road lights are switched on two weeks before, and there is no public fireworks display this year.

More festivals in the UK

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.