Ravana’s effigy burns
Dussehra in Australia 2026
Dussehra 2026: Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Dussehra 2026 in Australia is on Tuesday, 20 October 2026. 2 Dussehra events are listed below, in Sydney and Melbourne.
Ravana burns at the Hindu Council of Australia’s fairs — Blacktown Showground in Sydney (24–25 October 2026), Mount Gravatt Showgrounds in Brisbane (31 October) and the Adelaide Showground (7 November) — with a Ramlila or Ramayan presentation before the fireworks; the Nepali community keeps Dashain in the same fortnight.
Dussehra events in Australia2 listed
Dussehra is better with people near you
The Namaste Community app finds everything around you in Australia and in every other country — 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.
What Dussehra is
The tenth day after Navratri: Rama’s victory over Ravana, kept with Ramlila plays and the burning of Ravana’s effigy — abroad, usually at the Diwali fair on the weekend before or after.
Dussehra (Vijayadashami, Dasara) closes Navratri on the tenth day. In the north it is Rama’s day: nights of Ramlila, the staged Ramayana, end with the burning of effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad stuffed with fireworks. In Bengal it is Vijayadashami, the day Durga is immersed; in Mysore it is Dasara, a royal procession; in Gujarat it is the last garba night; in Nepal it is Dashain, the biggest festival of the year.
If it is your first one in Australia
- The effigy is lit after dark; the fairs run all afternoon, so arrive for the Ramlila and stay for the fireworks.
- Vijayadashami is held auspicious for starting anything new — a class, a business, a child’s first lesson.
Questions people ask
- When is Dussehra 2026 in Australia?
- Dussehra 2026 falls on Tuesday, 20 October 2026. It is not a public holiday in Australia, so the community celebrates on the weekends around it — 2 events are listed on this page, each with its own date.
- Where can I celebrate Dussehra in Australia?
- Ravana burns at the Hindu Council of Australia’s fairs — Blacktown Showground in Sydney (24–25 October 2026), Mount Gravatt Showgrounds in Brisbane (31 October) and the Adelaide Showground (7 November) — with a Ramlila or Ramayan presentation before the fireworks; the Nepali community keeps Dashain in the same fortnight. This year’s listings so far are in Sydney, Melbourne.
- Can non-Indians go to Dussehra events in Australia?
- 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.
More festivals in Australia
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.