When is Diwali 2026? Festival of Light date, how it's celebrated and Diwali events in Scotland
It’s one of the world’s biggest - and most colourful - religious celebrations.
If you hear fireworks going off at the end of this week and think it’s a little late for Bonfire Night celebrations - that’s because they probably have nothing to do with Guy Fawkes attempting to blow up the Houses of Parliament.
Instead they are likely to be part of celebrations to mark Diwali - something that’s marked by over a billion people around the globe each year.
It’s a five day celebration which will reach its peak on Sunday, October 8.
Here’s everything you need to know about it.
What is Diwali?
Diwali is an annual festival which celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and importance of knowledge over ignorance in October and November, in accordance with the lunar calendar.
The name of the religious event is derived from the word deepavali, which is a Sanskrit term meaning "rows of lighted lamps".
It coincides with the arrival of a new moon anytime between mid October to mid November, which is also known as the Kartik month in the Hindu calendar.
The ‘Festival of Light’ sees families and friends gather all over the world to light candles, small, sometimes decorated oil lamps known as diyas and lanterns around homes, places of worship and public areas.
The bright and colourful festival also sees those celebrating participate in a range of Diwali traditions such as creating colourful rangoli designs on floors and doormats as a sign of celebration and welcome, and considerable feasts and festivities involving Indian sweets and confectionary collectively known as mithai.
Hindus will also use Diwali to pay tribute to the Goddess Lakshmi, symbolising wealth, prosperity, good luck and fertility, who they believe will enter the home through the main door on the night of Diwali if guided by enough lights – with the Goddess bestowing blessings upon Hindu households of the homes she enters.
Who celebrates Diwali?
While Diwali is mostly worshipped by Hindus, it is also celebrated by Sikhs, some Buddhists and those who believe in Jainism – an ancient Indian religion considered to be one of the country’s oldest religious practices, worshipped by approximately 0.4 per cent of India’s population.
Diwali is celebrated by Hindus according to the ancient text of Ramayana, with Diwali believed to mark the day on which Lord Rama triumphed over demon king King Ravana and was welcomed back to his homeland with wife Sita and brother Lakshman, with villagers lighting a path home for Rama, Sita and Lakshman with diyas and lights.
The festival is celebrated by millions of people across the world and is marked as an official holiday in countries such as India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Myanmar and Singapore.
When is Diwali this year?
This year, Diwali begins on Friday, November 6, and will continue until Tuesday, November 10 – with celebrations coming to a head on Sunday, November 8.
Diwali celebrations are likely to see firework displays across cities in the UK as families and friends gather to enjoy food, welcome one another to their homes and unite in worship.
How long does Diwali last?
Diwali celebrations burst into life on the third day of the five day festival of lights, which falls between October and November with a changing date each year.
The five days are as follows:
Day 1 – Dhanteras (Friday, November 6)
On this day people tend to clean their homes and businesses, put up Diwali decorations and light lamps that will burn for the full five days.
Day 2 – Choti Diwali (Saturday, November 7)
On the second day it’s common to make or purchase traditional sweets to enjoy.
Day 3 – Diwali (Sunday, November 8)
The biggest day of the festival sees the youngest members in the family visit their elders, while later in the day people dress up in their finest clothes to enjoy colourful lights, lanterns and fireworks.
Day 4 – Padwa (Monday, November 9)
The fourth day is a celebration of marriage, with husbands buying their wives presents and parents invite newly-marrieds to a special meal.
Day 5 – Bhai Duj (Tuesday, November 10)
The final day of celebrations marks the bond between siblings, with brothers travelling to visit sisters and their families.
What’s happening in Scotland for Diwali 2026?
Scotland’s biggest Diwali celebration will actually take place a week after the big day in Edinburgh on Sunday, November 15.
It’s the 11th time the free event will have taken place and the fun will start from 12.30pm when a parade will leave from St Andrew Square and make its way to the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens, were there will be dance and live music from 3pm and a fireworks display at 6.30pm. There will also be plenty of tasty food available.
And in Leith, the Edinburgh Gurdwara are celebrating Diwali Pooja from 6-8pm on Sunday, November 8.
Meanwhile, the biggest event in Glasgow will be UTSAV - Yeh Diwali, Desi Wali at BAaD (Barras Art & Design) on Sunday, November 8, from 6pm. It will feature “a night filled with the colours, sounds, flavours and energy of Diwali, bringing the desi community together for one unforgettable celebration” and will include shopping stalls, food and drink, fireworks, dance and music, games and activities, and a special pooja celebrating light, prosperity and new beginnings.
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