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Festival of lights

Diwali in San Jose 2026

Diwali 2026: Sunday, 8 November 2026

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

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 San Jose is below.

The biggest Diwali celebration in San Jose

San Jose Diwali Carnival

When
Saturday 24 October 2026, from 1pm
Where
Plaza de César Chávez, San Jose

The South Bay’s open-air Diwali on the city’s central plaza — stage performances, food and craft stalls and a lamp-lit evening — with the densest Indian community in the country around it.

Diwali events in San Jose3 listed

Where to celebrate Diwali in San Jose

The Diwali Carnival on Plaza de César Chávez (24 October) is the public one; Milpitas, Sunnyvale and Fremont add garba-and-Diwali nights, and there is a Diwali for singles in Evergreen on 7 November.

Diwali in San Jose is better with people near you

The Namaste Community app finds what is on around you in San Jose and everywhere else — free.

  • Groups near youJoin the Indian community groups in your city — 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 — 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 San Jose?
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. In San Jose the biggest public celebration is the San Jose Diwali Carnival on Plaza de César Chávez on 24 October.
Where is San Jose Diwali Carnival?
Plaza de César Chávez, San Jose. Saturday 24 October 2026, from 1pm.
What Diwali events are there in San Jose?
3 Diwali events are listed on this page so far: San Jose - Diwali Carnival - Festival of Lights; OCT 24 | SAT | Bollywood Diwali Party | Mountain View; Bay Area's Biggest DIWALI Celebration for SINGLES!.

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.