Sri Lanka Public Holidays 2026 & 2027: Full Calendar, Long Weekends and What's Actually Open

Last updated: July 2026

Sri Lanka has one of the longest public holiday lists in the world - twenty-five gazetted days in 2027, before you count the ones only banks get or only offices get.

Which sounds wonderful until you land in Colombo on a Poya day wanting a beer, or turn up at a bank on Independence Day, or realise your suppliers have all vanished for nine days in April.

This is the full calendar for the rest of 2026 and all of 2027, plus the part most lists leave out: which days are actually worth taking leave around, and what stays open when everything else shuts.

Coming up next

• Wednesday 29 July 2026 - Esala Full Moon Poya Day
• Wednesday 26 August 2026 - Milad-Un-Nabi
• Thursday 27 August 2026 - Nikini Full Moon Poya Day

That August pair is the best long weekend left in 2026. More on that below.

Sri Lanka public holidays - rest of 2026

• 29 July, Wednesday - Esala Full Moon Poya Day
• 26 August, Wednesday - Milad-Un-Nabi
• 27 August, Thursday - Nikini Full Moon Poya Day
• 26 September, Saturday - Binara Full Moon Poya Day
• 25 October, Sunday - Vap Full Moon Poya Day
• 8 November, Sunday - Deepavali Festival Day
• 24 November, Tuesday - Il Full Moon Poya Day
• 23 December, Wednesday - Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day
• 25 December, Friday - Christmas Day

Three of the remaining nine fall on a weekend, which is a rough end to the year if you were counting on days off.

Sri Lanka public holidays 2027 - the full list

Gazetted under Extraordinary Gazette No. 2493/05 of 16 June 2026. Twenty-five days.

January to March 2027

• 15 January, Friday - Tamil Thai Pongal Day
• 22 January, Friday - Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day
• 4 February, Thursday - Independence Day
• 20 February, Saturday - Navam Full Moon Poya Day
• 6 March, Saturday - Maha Shivarathri Day
• 10 March, Wednesday - Id-Ul-Fitr, Ramazan Festival
• 22 March, Monday - Medin Full Moon Poya Day
• 26 March, Friday - Good Friday

April to June 2027

• 13 April, Tuesday - Day Prior to Sinhala & Tamil New Year
• 14 April, Wednesday - Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day
• 20 April, Tuesday - Bak Full Moon Poya Day
• 1 May, Saturday - May Day
• 17 May, Monday - Id-Ul-Alha, Hadji Festival
• 19 May, Wednesday - Vesak Full Moon Poya Day
• 20 May, Thursday - Day Following Vesak
• 18 June, Friday - Poson Full Moon Poya Day

July to December 2027

• 18 July, Sunday - Esala Full Moon Poya Day
• 15 August, Sunday - Milad-Un-Nabi
• 16 August, Monday - Nikini Full Moon Poya Day
• 15 September, Wednesday - Binara Full Moon Poya Day
• 15 October, Friday - Vap Full Moon Poya Day
• 28 October, Thursday - Deepavali Festival Day
• 13 November, Saturday - Il Full Moon Poya Day
• 13 December, Monday - Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day
• 25 December, Saturday - Christmas Day

The bad news: seven of the twenty-five fall on a Saturday or Sunday in 2027 - Navam Poya, Maha Shivarathri, May Day, Esala Poya, Milad-Un-Nabi, Il Poya and Christmas. Sri Lanka doesn't move holidays to the following Monday, so those are simply gone.

The good news is in the next section, and it more than makes up for it.

The long weekends worth planning around

This is the part nobody publishes, and it's the reason to read a holiday calendar at all.

The best one: 15-23 May 2027 - nine days for two days of leave

Three holidays in one week. Id-Ul-Alha on Monday 17 May, Vesak Poya on Wednesday 19 May, and the Day Following Vesak on Thursday 20 May.

Book leave for Tuesday 18 and Friday 21 May and you get from Saturday 15 May to Sunday 23 May off. Nine consecutive days for two days of annual leave.

That is the single best leave-to-holiday ratio in either year, and it lands during Vesak - the biggest and most beautiful festival in the Sri Lankan calendar, when towns fill with lanterns and dansal stalls hand out free food to anyone passing. If you were going to take one proper break in 2027, take this one.

The big one: 10-18 April 2027 - nine days for three days of leave

Sinhala and Tamil New Year. The Day Prior falls on Tuesday 13 April and New Year's Day on Wednesday 14 April.

Take Monday 12, Thursday 15 and Friday 16 April and you're off from Saturday 10 to Sunday 18 April.

Be warned, though: this is when the entire country moves. Buses and trains fill weeks ahead, Colombo empties as people head to their home villages, and a lot of shops and restaurants close for several days. Wonderful if you're going somewhere. Difficult if you need anything done.

The rest, ranked

Each of these costs just one day of annual leave.

• Take Friday 28 August 2026 off - five days, Wednesday 26 to Sunday 30 August
• Take Thursday 24 December 2026 off - five days, Wednesday 23 to Sunday 27 December
• Take Monday 23 November 2026 off - four days, Saturday 21 to Tuesday 24 November
• Take Friday 5 February 2027 off - four days, Thursday 4 to Sunday 7 February
• Take Monday 19 April 2027 off - four days, Saturday 17 to Tuesday 20 April
• Take Friday 29 October 2027 off - four days, Thursday 28 to Sunday 31 October

And eight free three-day weekends in 2027 needing no leave at all: Thai Pongal (15 January), Duruthu Poya (22 January), Medin Poya (22 March), Good Friday (26 March), Poson Poya (18 June), Nikini Poya (16 August), Vap Poya (15 October) and Unduvap Poya (13 December).

Public, bank, mercantile - the three lists, explained

This trips up almost everyone, including plenty of Sri Lankans.

Sri Lanka doesn't have one holiday list. It has three, and they overlap without being identical.

Public holidays apply to government offices and state institutions. Schools close.

Bank holidays apply to banks and financial institutions. Mostly the same days as public holidays - but not always, and the difference matters if you need a transfer cleared. Banks also close on 30 June and 31 December for half-yearly and annual closing of accounts, which are not public holidays at all. Nobody remembers this until they're standing outside a locked branch on 30 June.

Mercantile holidays apply to private-sector companies, and this list is gazetted separately. It's usually shorter. A private company may well be open on a day the government isn't - which is why "is it a holiday tomorrow?" has three different answers in Sri Lanka depending on who's asking.

If your plans depend on it, check the specific list that applies to you rather than assuming all three match.

Poya days: what actually happens

There's a Poya - full moon - holiday every single month. Thirteen of them in some years. It's the most distinctive thing about the Sri Lankan calendar and the one that catches visitors out.

What closes:

• All alcohol sales stop. Bars, liquor shops, supermarket alcohol aisles, restaurant drinks menus. Hotels sometimes serve registered in-house guests via room service, but don't count on it and don't argue with staff about it.
• Many meat shops and some butchers close.
• Casinos and nightclubs close.
• Government offices, banks and schools close.

What stays open:

• Most restaurants and cafés, minus the alcohol
• Supermarkets and convenience stores
• Tourist attractions, hotels, transport
• Petrol stations, pharmacies, hospitals

What's worth seeing: temples are at their busiest and most atmospheric on Poya days, with white-clad worshippers, oil lamps and offerings. If you're anywhere near Kandy, Anuradhapura or Kelaniya on a Poya, go.

The practical version: if you want a drink, buy it the day before. That's the entire lesson.

Which holidays to travel for, and which to avoid

Go for these:

Vesak, 19-20 May 2027 - the biggest one. Lanterns everywhere, illuminated pandols telling stories from the life of the Buddha, and dansal stalls giving away food and drink free to anyone walking past. Colombo and Kandy are extraordinary. Book accommodation early.

Kandy Esala Perahera, around July and August - the procession of caparisoned elephants, dancers and drummers through Kandy. Dates are set by the temple each year rather than fixed to the Poya, so check nearer the time.

Sinhala & Tamil New Year, 13-14 April - deeply family-focused, so it's quieter for outsiders than you'd expect, but the food is exceptional and the atmosphere in villages is lovely.

Thai Pongal, 15 January 2027 - best experienced in the north and east, Jaffna especially.

Deepavali, 28 October 2027 - Colombo and the hill country tea estates.

Plan around these:

Sinhala & Tamil New Year week. Transport is packed, many businesses close for several days, and prices rise. Fine if you've booked. Miserable if you haven't.

Any Poya day, if you had drinks in mind.

The 23-27 December stretch in 2026 - Unduvap Poya on the Wednesday, Christmas on the Friday. Expect a very quiet week for anything official.

For business owners: what to actually do about it

If you run a shop, restaurant, hotel or service business, the holiday calendar is a planning document, not trivia.

Update your opening hours before the holiday, not after. The single most common complaint about any local business is arriving to find it closed when the listing said open. On a public holiday that's near-guaranteed unless you've changed it in advance.

Decide early whether you're opening. Restaurants and shops that stay open on Poya days and public holidays often have their best trading days of the month - everyone else is closed, and everyone is out. Just be clear about it publicly.

Staff it properly. Mercantile holidays affect private-sector staff entitlements. Know which days apply to your business before you build the roster.

Stock up before Poya if you sell alcohol - and take it off the menu on the day. Enforcement is real.

Plan around New Year properly. Suppliers, deliveries, banking and staff all go quiet for the better part of a week in April. Order early.

If your business is listed on KIIK, updating your holiday hours takes about a minute and means customers see the right information instead of turning up to a closed door.

Frequently asked questions

How many public holidays does Sri Lanka have in 2027?

Twenty-five gazetted public and bank holidays. Seven fall on a weekend, so twenty-five on paper is eighteen weekday holidays in practice.

What is a Poya day?

The monthly full moon day, a Buddhist religious holiday and a public holiday. Alcohol isn't sold, and government offices, banks and schools close. There's one every month.

Can you buy alcohol on a Poya day in Sri Lanka?

No. All retail alcohol sales stop, including in supermarkets, bars and restaurants. Some hotels serve registered guests through room service, but it isn't guaranteed. Buy the day before.

Are shops and restaurants open on public holidays in Sri Lanka?

Most restaurants, cafés, supermarkets and tourist attractions stay open. Government offices, banks and schools close. Around Sinhala & Tamil New Year in April many private businesses close for several days.

What's the difference between public, bank and mercantile holidays?

Public holidays cover government and schools; bank holidays cover financial institutions; mercantile holidays cover private-sector employees. The lists overlap but aren't identical, and mercantile holidays are gazetted separately.

When is Vesak in 2027?

Wednesday 19 May 2027, with the Day Following Vesak on Thursday 20 May.

When is Sinhala and Tamil New Year 2027?

Wednesday 14 April 2027, with the Day Prior on Tuesday 13 April.

What's the best long weekend in Sri Lanka in 2027?

Mid-May. Take leave on Tuesday 18 and Friday 21 May and you get nine days off, Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 May, around Id-Ul-Alha and Vesak.

Do Sri Lankan holidays move to Monday if they fall on a weekend?

No. A holiday falling on a Saturday or Sunday is simply lost. In 2027 that happens seven times.

A note on accuracy

Public and bank holidays are fixed by Extraordinary Gazette and are reliable once published. Two things can still shift:

Islamic holidays - Id-Ul-Fitr, Id-Ul-Alha and Milad-Un-Nabi depend on moon sighting and are occasionally adjusted by a day close to the date.

Mercantile holidays are gazetted separately from public and bank holidays, and the list differs. If your leave or payroll depends on it, check the mercantile gazette specifically.

Special one-off holidays are also declared from time to time, for elections for example.

Planning around a holiday?

Find what's open near you - restaurants, hotels and things to do across Sri Lanka on KIIK, with opening hours you can check before you travel.

Run a business? List it free on KIIK and keep your holiday hours current so customers know when you're open. Free to list, free forever.

Sources: Extraordinary Gazette No. 2493/05 of 16 June 2026 for 2027 holidays; Ministry of Public Administration gazette for 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us at support@kiik.lk.