Public Holidays in Sri Lanka 2026 🇱🇰
Sri Lanka has 26 public holidays in 2026; the next one is Vap Full Moon Poya Day on Sun, Oct 25, 2026.
- 26public holidays 2026
- 6long weekends
- 9on a weekend
- Wednesdaymost common weekday
Weekend in Sri Lanka: Saturday and Sunday.
Public holidays in 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 Jan | Thursday | New Year's Day | Public holiday | |
| Sat 3 Jan | Saturday (weekend) | Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday | |
| Thu 15 Jan | Thursday | Tamil Thai Pongal Day | Public holiday | |
| Sun 1 Feb | Sunday (weekend) | Navam Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday | |
| Wed 4 Feb | Wednesday | National Day | Public holiday | |
| Sun 15 Feb | Sunday (weekend) | Mahasivarathri Day | Public holiday | |
| Mon 2 Mar | Monday | Madin Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday | |
| Sat 21 Mar | Saturday (weekend) | Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramazan Festival Day) | Public holiday | |
| Wed 1 Apr | Wednesday | Bak Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday | |
| Fri 3 Apr | Friday | Good Friday | Public holiday | |
| Mon 13 Apr | Monday | Day before Sinhala and Tamil New Year | Public holiday | |
| Tue 14 Apr | Tuesday | Sinhala and Tamil New Year | Public holiday | |
| Fri 1 May | Friday | Labour Day and Vesak Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday | |
| Sat 2 May | Saturday (weekend) | Day following Vesak Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday | |
| Thu 28 May | Thursday | Id-Ul-Alha (Hadji Festival Day) | Public holiday | |
| Sat 30 May | Saturday (weekend) | Adhi Poson Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday | |
| Mon 29 Jun | Monday | Poson Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday | |
| Wed 29 Jul | Wednesday | Esala Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday | |
| Wed 26 Aug | Wednesday | Milad-Un-Nabi (Holy Prophet's Birthday) | Public holiday | |
| Thu 27 Aug | Thursday | Nikini Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday | |
| Sat 26 Sept | Saturday (weekend) | Binara Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday | |
| Sun 25 Oct | Sunday (weekend) | Vap Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday | |
| Sun 8 Nov | Sunday (weekend) | Deepavali Festival Day | Public holiday | |
| Tue 24 Nov | Tuesday | Il Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday | |
| Wed 23 Dec | Wednesday | Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday | |
| Fri 25 Dec | Friday | Christmas Day | Public holiday |
Islamic holidays follow the lunar calendar and are confirmed by moon sighting, so the official date can differ by a day from the one shown.
Long weekends and bridge days in 2026
Breaks of three days or more where a public holiday meets the weekend:
- Sat 28 Feb – Mon 2 Mar · 3 days off · Madin Full Moon Poya Day
- Fri 3 Apr – Sun 5 Apr · 3 days off · Good Friday
- Sat 11 Apr – Tue 14 Apr · 4 days off · Day before Sinhala and Tamil New Year, Sinhala and Tamil New Year
- Fri 1 May – Sun 3 May · 3 days off · Labour Day and Vesak Full Moon Poya Day, Day following Vesak Full Moon Poya Day
- Sat 27 Jun – Mon 29 Jun · 3 days off · Poson Full Moon Poya Day
- Fri 25 Dec – Sun 27 Dec · 3 days off · Christmas Day
Make it longer with a day or two of leave
- Take Fri 2 Jan off → 4 days in a row (Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan) · New Year's Day, Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day
- Take Fri 16 Jan off → 4 days in a row (Thu 15 Jan – Sun 18 Jan) · Tamil Thai Pongal Day
- Take Thu 2 Apr off → 5 days in a row (Wed 1 Apr – Sun 5 Apr) · Bak Full Moon Poya Day, Good Friday
- Take Fri 29 May off → 4 days in a row (Thu 28 May – Sun 31 May) · Id-Ul-Alha (Hadji Festival Day), Adhi Poson Full Moon Poya Day
- Take Fri 28 Aug off → 5 days in a row (Wed 26 Aug – Sun 30 Aug) · Milad-Un-Nabi (Holy Prophet's Birthday), Nikini Full Moon Poya Day
- Take Mon 23 Nov off → 4 days in a row (Sat 21 Nov – Tue 24 Nov) · Il Full Moon Poya Day
- Take Thu 24 Dec off → 5 days in a row (Wed 23 Dec – Sun 27 Dec) · Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day, Christmas Day
Counted from the public holidays above and a Saturday and Sunday weekend. Individual employers, schools and regions may differ.
Public holidays in 2027
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 1 Jan | Friday | New Year's Day | Public holiday |
| Sun 3 Jan | Sunday | Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday |
| Fri 15 Jan | Friday | Tamil Thai Pongal Day | Public holiday |
| Mon 1 Feb | Monday | Navam Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday |
| Thu 4 Feb | Thursday | National Day | Public holiday |
| Mon 15 Feb | Monday | Mahasivarathri Day | Public holiday |
| Tue 2 Mar | Tuesday | Madin Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday |
| Sun 21 Mar | Sunday | Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramazan Festival Day) | Public holiday |
| Fri 26 Mar | Friday | Good Friday | Public holiday |
| Thu 1 Apr | Thursday | Bak Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday |
| Tue 13 Apr | Tuesday | Day before Sinhala and Tamil New Year | Public holiday |
| Wed 14 Apr | Wednesday | Sinhala and Tamil New Year | Public holiday |
| Sat 1 May | Saturday | Labour Day and Vesak Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday |
| Sun 2 May | Sunday | Day following Vesak Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday |
| Fri 28 May | Friday | Id-Ul-Alha (Hadji Festival Day) | Public holiday |
| Sun 30 May | Sunday | Adhi Poson Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday |
| Tue 29 Jun | Tuesday | Poson Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday |
| Thu 29 Jul | Thursday | Esala Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday |
| Thu 26 Aug | Thursday | Milad-Un-Nabi (Holy Prophet's Birthday) | Public holiday |
| Fri 27 Aug | Friday | Nikini Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday |
| Sun 26 Sept | Sunday | Binara Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday |
| Mon 25 Oct | Monday | Vap Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday |
| Mon 8 Nov | Monday | Deepavali Festival Day | Public holiday |
| Wed 24 Nov | Wednesday | Il Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday |
| Thu 23 Dec | Thursday | Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day | Public holiday |
| Sat 25 Dec | Saturday | Christmas Day | Public holiday |
2027 brings 9 long weekends: Fri 1 Jan – Sun 3 Jan (3 days); Fri 15 Jan – Sun 17 Jan (3 days); Sat 30 Jan – Mon 1 Feb (3 days); Sat 13 Feb – Mon 15 Feb (3 days); Fri 26 Mar – Sun 28 Mar (3 days); Fri 28 May – Sun 30 May (3 days); Thu 26 Aug – Sun 29 Aug (4 days); Sat 23 Oct – Mon 25 Oct (3 days); Sat 6 Nov – Mon 8 Nov (3 days).
Questions about holidays in Sri Lanka
- How many public holidays does Sri Lanka have in 2026?
- 26 public or bank holidays are listed for 2026, and 26 for 2027.
- How many 2026 holidays fall on a weekend in Sri Lanka?
- 9 — Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day (Saturday), Navam Full Moon Poya Day (Sunday), Mahasivarathri Day (Sunday), Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramazan Festival Day) (Saturday), Day following Vesak Full Moon Poya Day (Saturday), Adhi Poson Full Moon Poya Day (Saturday), Binara Full Moon Poya Day (Saturday), Vap Full Moon Poya Day (Sunday), Deepavali Festival Day (Sunday). No substitute weekday is listed for them in this calendar.
- How many long weekends are there in Sri Lanka in 2026?
- 6 breaks of three days or more are created by public holidays: Sat 28 Feb – Mon 2 Mar (3 days); Fri 3 Apr – Sun 5 Apr (3 days); Sat 11 Apr – Tue 14 Apr (4 days); Fri 1 May – Sun 3 May (3 days); Sat 27 Jun – Mon 29 Jun (3 days); Fri 25 Dec – Sun 27 Dec (3 days).
More on Sri Lanka
Time and time zones in Sri Lanka · Sunrise and sunset times · 2026 calendar · All countries