Dates and venues checked against the organisers’ own pages on .
On Diwali, Sunday, 8 November 2026, the sun sets at 5:38 pm (GMT+4) in Abu Dhabi. 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 the UAE
1 Diwali event is listed in and around Abu Dhabi for 2026, on 6 November. 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.
The biggest Diwali celebration in Abu Dhabi
Diwali and Annakut at the BAPS Hindu Mandir
When
Diwali, Sunday 8 November 2026: darshan 9am–9pm and the Diwali Puja 7.30pm–8.30pm; Maha Annakut darshan 9am–8pm from Sunday 8 to Tuesday 10 November, the mandir opening on Monday 9 November for it
Where
BAPS Hindu Mandir, Abu Mureikhah, off Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Road (E11, exit 366) — Abu Dhabi
The first traditional stone Hindu temple in the Middle East, opened in February 2024, keeps Diwali with an evening puja and then the Maha Annakut, hundreds of vegetarian dishes offered before the deities — in 2025 shaped into the Burj Khalifa, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and an Emirates aircraft. More than sixty thousand came over that Diwali week. Every visitor must book a visit on mandir.ae and bring an Emirates ID or passport; the Diwali Puja (AED 251 for up to four family members) and Annakut thalis are booked separately and do not count as a visit.
Abu Dhabi’s Diwali is the BAPS Hindu Mandir’s, at Abu Mureikhah off the E11 towards Dubai: in 2025 its Diwali and Maha Annakut drew more than sixty thousand people over a week. On Diwali, Sunday 8 November 2026, it is open from 9am to 9pm with the Diwali Puja at 7.30pm, and the Maha Annakut runs to Tuesday 10 November — the mandir opens on Monday 9 November for it. Every visitor must register online beforehand and bring an Emirates ID or passport, and no food, drink or flowers go past the gate.
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Diwali in Abu Dhabi is better with people near you
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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 Abu Dhabi?
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. In Abu Dhabi the biggest public celebration is Diwali and the Maha Annakut at the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, 8–10 November.
What time does the sun set in Abu Dhabi on Diwali 2026?
On Sunday, 8 November 2026, the sun sets at 5:38 pm (GMT+4) in Abu Dhabi. 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 and Annakut at the BAPS Hindu Mandir?
BAPS Hindu Mandir, Abu Mureikhah, off Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Road (E11, exit 366) — Abu Dhabi. Diwali, Sunday 8 November 2026: darshan 9am–9pm and the Diwali Puja 7.30pm–8.30pm; Maha Annakut darshan 9am–8pm from Sunday 8 to Tuesday 10 November, the mandir opening on Monday 9 November for it.
What Diwali events are there in Abu Dhabi?
1 Diwali event is listed on this page so far: Diwali in Abu Dhabi.
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.