Diwali falls on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. That date shapes most of what a visiting family will find.
- It is a weekend day in the UAE, so government offices and schools are shut anyway.
- Diwali is not a UAE public holiday, so Friday, Nov. 6, and Monday, Nov. 9, are ordinary working days.
- Dubai’s own Diwali programme has not been announced. We found none on Oct. 1, 2026, or when we rechecked news listings on Oct. 5. In 2025 the city’s Festival of Lights programme was published around Oct. 17, three days before Diwali. On that pattern, the 2026 version may not appear until late October or early November.
This page sets out what is confirmed for 2026, what Dubai did in 2024 and 2025 (labelled as such, because it may not repeat) and what to check and when. It covers fireworks and the law, the temples, where to buy clothes, diyas and mithai, what is open, the November weather and how to fit Diwali into an ordinary Dubai holiday.
Labels used throughout. 2026 means confirmed for this year. 2025 or 2024 means what happened then. Not announced means we found no announcement on Oct. 1, 2026, the date we read every source, or when we rechecked the main ones on Oct. 5. As organisers publish, we will move each item into 2026 and change the review date at the foot of this page.
Diwali 2026 on the calendar
| Date | What | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 12 to 16, 2026 | Mid-term break for schools on the UAE Ministry of Education calendar. Indian-curriculum private schools set their own calendars | Gulf News, Aug. 30, 2026 |
| Oct. 14, 2026 | Global Village opens Season 31 | Global Village |
| Late October or early November | Dubai’s Diwali programme likely, on the 2024 and 2025 pattern | Not announced |
| Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026 | Diwali (Deepavali) | Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi, and Consulate General of India, Dubai, 2026 holiday list |
| Nov. 8, 5:58 p.m. to 7:56 p.m. | Lakshmi Puja muhurat calculated for Dubai | Drik Panchang |
| Nov. 8, 9:57 a.m., to Nov. 9, 11:01 a.m. | Amavasya tithi | Drik Panchang |
| Nov. 9, 2026 | Ordinary working Monday in the UAE | u.ae holiday list (Diwali not on it) |
What the school calendar means for you. The Ministry of Education calendar puts mock exams on Nov. 18 to 20 and the first end-of-term exams on Nov. 25 to 27. Diwali itself falls on a weekend, before those exams. In 2025 some Indian schools in Dubai gave their own Diwali days off; we found no 2026 announcements on Oct. 1.
The Indian missions in the UAE close for Diwali on the same Sunday, which matters only if you need consular help that weekend.
What Dubai organises, and when it tells you
2026: not announced. On Oct. 1, 2026 we found no Diwali programme from Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), the Department of Economy and Tourism, Global Village, Al Seef or Dubai Festival City.
2025, for the pattern. DFRE ran a 10-day programme from Oct. 17 to 26, 2025, Khaleej Times reported. Gulf News named the Department of Economy and Tourism, the Indian Consulate and Teamwork Arts as DFRE’s partners. Khaleej Times listed:
- Fireworks at Al Seef on Friday, Oct. 17, at 9 p.m. Gulf News described the display as about three minutes long.
- The Noor Festival of Lights at Souk Al Seef, Oct. 17 to 19, “featuring free cultural performances, live music, and workshops”.
- Friday and Saturday shows at Global Village on Oct. 17 to 18 and Oct. 24 to 25.
- A storytelling show at Dubai Festival Plaza in Jebel Ali. Reports gave two different sets of dates.
- Prizes worth nearly AED 500,000 in total.
On Diwali night, Oct. 20, 2025, the Burj Khalifa carried a Diwali message, Gulf News reported.
2024. Gulf News listed free Al Seef fireworks on Oct. 25 at 9 p.m. and the Noor festival on Oct. 25 to 27. Global Village fireworks were on Oct. 25 to 26 and Nov. 1 to 2, also at 9 p.m. Diwali that year was Oct. 31.
What to take from this. For two years running, the programme opened on a Friday shortly before Diwali, at Al Seef, with evening fireworks, and Global Village held Friday and Saturday shows. That is a pattern, not a promise. If it holds, the opening Friday in 2026 would be Oct. 30 or Nov. 6, but no organiser has said so. Check the organisers’ announcements from late October.
For the rest of the season’s events around your dates, see the winter festivals and openings on Dubai’s calendar.
Global Village during Diwali
2026. Season 31 runs from Oct. 14, 2026 to May 2027, so it is open over Diwali. Its site shows these hours, though they may be carried over from Season 30 until the park opens on Oct. 14:
- Sunday to Wednesday: 4 p.m. to midnight. Diwali, on Sunday, Nov. 8, falls in this band.
- Thursday to Saturday and public holidays: 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.
- Tuesdays, except public holidays, are reserved for families, couples and women.
The site says: “Season 31 tickets will be available later this year.” It showed no Diwali programme on Oct. 1 or when we rechecked on Oct. 5.
2025. Gulf News reported that Global Village held Diwali celebrations until Oct. 23, “featuring traditional performances, a Diwali mela, rangoli displays”, and a special fireworks show on Oct. 24 and 25 at 9 p.m. What’s On had listed four fireworks nights; the reports differ on the dates. In Season 30, What’s On reported, entry cost AED 25 on weekdays and AED 30 at weekends. Those are last season’s prices, not Season 31’s.
For a family. Treat Global Village as a whole evening out, not a quick stop. It has no Metro station. Its site lists RTA buses, possibly last season’s routes, from CentrePoint, Union and Mall of the Emirates Metro stations and from Ghubaiba Bus Station, or you can take a taxi. For what to expect on an ordinary night there and how long Season 31 runs, see our two Global Village pages.
Dubai Festival City
What runs there now (2026). Dubai Festival City Mall’s IMAGINE show plays at Festival Bay “after sunset every night”: Monday to Wednesday 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Thursday to Sunday 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. It is the mall’s standing water, light and laser show, not a Diwali event.
Diwali. We found no Diwali fireworks at Dubai Festival City in 2024, 2025 or 2026. Do not plan around one unless the mall announces it.
Watch the name. Dubai Festival Plaza, which hosted a Diwali stage show in 2025, is a different mall in Jebel Ali, at the other end of the city.
Fireworks: where to watch, and why not your own
Watching. In 2024 and 2025, public Diwali fireworks were at Al Seef on the programme’s opening Friday and at Global Village on Friday and Saturday nights, all at 9 p.m. The Al Seef shows were free to watch; Global Village needs a gate ticket. Arrive early for a viewing spot; the 2025 Al Seef display lasted about three minutes. The 2026 dates and venues are not announced.
Your own fireworks: the law. Khaleej Times reported that fireworks are classified as explosives under Federal Decree-Law No. 17 of 2019, the UAE law on weapons, ammunition, explosives, military material and hazardous substances. Gulf News quoted two parts of it:
- Article 3: possessing, carrying, importing or trading in explosives “shall not be permitted in any way, except after obtaining a licence or permit”.
- Article 54: anyone who, without a licence, “trades in, imports, exports, manufactures, or brings fireworks into or out of the country” faces at least one year in prison, a fine of at least AED 100,000 or both.
We could not read the law’s official text, so these quotations come from the newspaper.
What this means for a visiting family:
- Do not pack phuljhari, anaar or any other firecrackers from India. Article 54 as quoted covers bringing fireworks into the country. Check what UAE customs will not let through before you pack.
- Do not buy any that are offered informally in Dubai. Khaleej Times reported that event organisers need prior permission from Dubai Police and Dubai Municipality to use fireworks. It urged residents to report suspected illegal activity on 901 or through the Dubai Police app.
- Light diyas, not crackers. Some building managers also send noise reminders: in 2025, Emaar’s community management asked residents to keep noise down during quiet hours, according to Khaleej Times.
For the other UAE rules a visitor is likely to meet, see laws that catch out Indian visitors in the UAE.
Diwali at the temples
Three temples are within reach. We found no 2026 Diwali schedule from any of them on Oct. 1.
Hindu Temple Dubai, Jebel Ali.
- 2026: the temple’s website is still a “Coming Soon” page. Khaleej Times reported in April 2026 that the temple was “open daily from 6am to 6pm, with specific time slots for darshan and poojas”. Gulf News reported in September 2026 that it would hold Ganesh Chaturthi prayers.
- 2025, on Diwali: according to Gulf News, the general manager said hours were 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., “though timings may be extended depending on crowd flow”.
- Families queued at the front entrance and single men from the basement.
- RTA had increased feeder buses from Energy and Ibn Battuta Metro stations, the manager said.
- Annakut followed two days later, with “close to 70 varieties of sweet dishes” offered as prasad.
- Whether you need to book: we found no 2025 or 2026 statement either way.
Watch the temple’s social media channels in early November. That is where, Khaleej Times reported, it announced its hours in April 2026.
Shri Krishna Temple (Shrinathji Haveli), Bur Dubai. This is the temple that stayed in the old Bur Dubai complex, behind the Grand Mosque, when the complex’s Shiva Mandir and gurudwara moved to Jebel Ali in January 2024. It resumed regular darshan on April 11, 2026, according to Gulf News. Its published darshan times run from Mangla at 6:30 a.m. to Sandhya in the evening, but two versions differ on some times, including the evening, and its own page says “Darshan timings are subject to change”.
For Diwali, call +971 4 353 4299. Like Meena Bazaar, it is in old Bur Dubai, so the two fit into one outing.
BAPS Hindu Mandir, Abu Dhabi. The mandir is in Abu Dhabi emirate, at Exit 366 of Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Road (E11), so treat it as a day trip, not a Dubai evening.
These rules are as published on mandir.ae, read on Oct. 1 and rechecked on Oct. 5, 2026:
- Days and hours: closed Mondays; open Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Aarti: 7:30 p.m. on weekdays; 6:45 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays.
- Booking: “Registration is mandatory and unregistered visitors will be denied entry.” Each visitor must book individually, only after arriving in the UAE, and bring a physical passport or Emirates ID.
- Dress: no shorts, skirts above the knee or sleeveless tops, and no tight or transparent clothing.
- Not allowed in: “No Food Items/Drinks, Fruits & Flowers, Including Water”. Leave any sweets, flowers and water bottles in the car.
2025: the mandir opened on Diwali Monday, Oct. 20, as an exception, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Gulf News reported about 10,000 devotees.
2026: Diwali is a Sunday, a normal opening day. Monday, Nov. 9, is a normal closing day, and we found no notice of an exception.
Plan the drive to Abu Dhabi and back in a day, and check what to wear to a place of worship in the UAE.
Shopping for Diwali, by what you need
| Need | Where to look | What we could confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Clothes, fabric, tailoring | Meena Bazaar, Bur Dubai | Visit Dubai: “textile shops, gold traders and street food” |
| Gold | Gold Souk, Deira; Meena Bazaar’s gold traders | Prices change daily; read our customs advice below |
| Mithai | Bikanervala; some Indian restaurants | Bikanervala’s outlets and its online prices on Oct. 1, 2026 |
| Diyas, pooja items, rangoli | Indian stores in Bur Dubai and Karama | No shop named by any source we could read |
| Dry fruits, packaged snacks, gifts | Hypermarkets, Indian grocers | Haldiram’s international page lists the UAE and names Lulu Hypermarket as a retail partner, for packaged goods only |
Gold. Dhanteras is the traditional day to buy. Remember that Indian customs allowances on the way home are tight. Read India’s limits on gold and jewellery in your baggage before buying.
Diyas and pooja items. We could not find a source naming specific shops, so we will not invent one. Bur Dubai’s Indian lanes and Karama are where Khaleej Times reported Diwali crowds in 2025. Buy early in your trip, in case you need to look in more than one place.
For Dubai’s other markets and malls, see our shopping page.
Meena Bazaar
Visit Dubai describes it in one line: “Meena Bazaar runs through Bur Dubai’s Little India, lined with textile shops, gold traders and street food.” It is the obvious place for Diwali clothes, fabric and tailoring, and it is in Bur Dubai, like Al Seef, where the Diwali fireworks were held in 2024 and 2025.
Getting there. The nearest Metro stations are Sharaf DG (renamed from Al Fahidi in 2020) and Al Ghubaiba, both on the Green Line. Plan the route with Green Line stations and changes.
Opening hours. No official timetable is published. Each shop keeps its own hours, and some may close for a break in the middle of the day, so check with any shop you plan to use.
Time. Our advice: give clothes shopping its own outing, and order any tailoring early in your trip. Ask the tailor for a firm collection date before you pay.
The neighbouring old quarter is covered in the Bur Dubai and Deira souks across the creek.
Food and sweets
Mithai (2026). Bikanervala’s UAE site lists more than 15 Dubai outlets, including:
- Al Karama;
- the Gold Souk area in Deira;
- Al Ghurair Centre;
- The Dubai Mall food court;
- Dubai Hills Mall;
- the Mall of the Emirates area in Al Barsha.
Its online prices on Oct. 1, 2026, which may change, started at:
- Kaju katli: AED 37.50;
- motichoor laddu: AED 22.50;
- milk cake: AED 18;
- soan papdi: AED 13.50.
These are for the smallest box. Every festive box showed “Sold out”, and the gift-hamper page was empty. When we rechecked on Oct. 5, the sweets above also showed “Sold out” online. Diwali hampers had not been listed yet. The site offers free delivery in the UAE on orders over AED 100. For bigger orders, order a few days ahead.
We could not confirm Dubai branches for other Indian sweet brands, so we do not list them.
Diwali dinners (2025 prices; 2026 not announced). Gulf News and What’s On listed Diwali menus last year:
- family menus from about AED 65 a head, such as Claypot’s buffet at Citymax Bur Dubai and Dhaba Lane’s sharing menu;
- AED 129 per adult and AED 65 per child aged 6 to 12, with under-6s free, at Liwan, Swissotel Al Ghurair;
- AED 375 to 395 per person for fine dining at Jamavar.
In 2025 these offers appeared from mid-October. If 2026 follows suit, book early for Diwali evening itself.
For vegetarian and Jain families, see Jain-friendly restaurants and satvik thalis and Indian food across the city on any night.
What is open over Diwali
Diwali is not a UAE public holiday, so the city runs normally.
- Malls, attractions, the Metro and restaurants keep their usual Sunday hours unless a venue says otherwise.
- Government offices and schools are already closed on Sunday, Nov. 8, because it is the weekend. Government offices reopen on Monday, Nov. 9; in 2025 some Indian schools set their own Diwali days off.
What can change is venue by venue:
- The temples set their own Diwali hours and crowd arrangements.
- BAPS normally closes on Mondays.
- Restaurants may fill up on the night.
- Event sites may restrict access while fireworks run.
Check each place you plan to visit rather than assuming “everything is open”.
Hindi and Urdu go a long way in Bur Dubai and Karama, which helps when asking shopkeepers for diyas or rangoli colours.
What Dubai is like in early November
Weather. Long-term averages put November highs at about 30 to 31 degrees Celsius and lows at about 20 degrees. See how November compares with the other eleven months for these figures set against the rest of the year. Mornings and evenings suit outdoor plans; middays are warm.
Evenings. Past Diwali fireworks started at 9 p.m., and Global Village opens at 4 p.m., so most of the festival falls in the cooler hours.
Crowds. We have no reliable crowd figures for Diwali week, so we will not guess. The temples are where crowds were reported: the Hindu Temple’s manager forecast heavy footfall over Diwali 2025, and Gulf News reported about 10,000 devotees at BAPS that Diwali.
For a fuller view of the season, see picking travel dates when school leave is fixed.
Fitting Diwali into a Dubai holiday
Group by area, and give each evening one Diwali thing.
| Area | Diwali activity | Pair it with | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bur Dubai and Al Seef | Meena Bazaar shopping; Shri Krishna Temple; Al Seef fireworks if they repeat | The creek, abra crossing, the old souks | Green Line to Sharaf DG or Al Ghubaiba |
| Jebel Ali | Hindu Temple Dubai | Ibn Battuta Mall | Red Line to Energy or Ibn Battuta, then a feeder bus or taxi |
| Global Village site | Any Diwali programme, if announced | A rest day at the hotel beforehand | Taxi, or an RTA bus from a Metro station |
| Abu Dhabi | BAPS Hindu Mandir | Abu Dhabi sights | A full day by car |
A planning framework, not a schedule:
- Morning: sightseeing or a family activity.
- Afternoon: rest, or shopping in the cooler malls.
- Evening: one Diwali activity: the temple, fireworks or Global Village.
Do the temple on Diwali itself, Sunday, Nov. 8. Shop at least two days before. If the Bur Dubai fireworks run, keep them and Global Village for separate evenings.
A five-night plan like this Dubai itinerary for a first visit has room for two or three of these evenings.
What to book in advance
| Activity | Book ahead? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| BAPS Hindu Mandir | Yes, compulsory | “Unregistered visitors will be denied entry”; book after arriving in the UAE |
| Hindu Temple Dubai | Check closer to the date | No 2026 rule published |
| Global Village | Buy tickets when released | Season 31 prices not yet published |
| Public fireworks | No ticket at Al Seef in 2024 and 2025 | Arrive early for a spot |
| Diwali dinner | Yes, for Nov. 8 | 2026 offers not announced; tables fill |
| Mithai hampers | Order a few days ahead | Festive boxes were sold out on Oct. 1 |
| Tailoring at Meena Bazaar | Order early in the trip | Agree a firm collection date before paying |
| Meena Bazaar shopping | No | Walk-in |
Where Diwali plans go wrong
- Treating last year’s dates as this year’s. Al Seef on Oct. 17 and Global Village on Oct. 24 to 25 were 2025.
- Assuming Diwali is a holiday in Dubai. It is not a UAE public holiday; in 2026 it falls on a Sunday, which is already a weekend day.
- Expecting fireworks at Dubai Festival City. We found none in any year.
- Packing crackers from India. Bringing fireworks into the country without a licence is an offence.
- Turning up at BAPS without a booking, or with sweets and flowers.
- Going to BAPS on a Monday. It is normally closed.
- Leaving clothes and tailoring to the last evening.
- Putting the temple, the fireworks and Global Village on one night. They are in different parts of the city.
- Not checking the announcements in the last week of October and the first week of November.
Diwali questions from families planning the trip
When is Diwali in Dubai in 2026?
Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, on the Indian missions’ holiday list. Drik Panchang gives a Lakshmi Puja muhurat for Dubai of 5:58 p.m. to 7:56 p.m.
Is Diwali a public holiday in Dubai?
No. It is not on the UAE’s public holiday list. In 2026 it falls on a Sunday, which is already a weekend day.
Does Dubai celebrate Diwali?
Yes. In 2024 and 2025 Dubai ran a Festival of Lights programme with fireworks at Al Seef and Global Village. The 2026 programme is not announced yet.
Where can I see Diwali fireworks?
In 2025, at Al Seef on the opening Friday and at Global Village on Friday and Saturday nights, all at 9 p.m. Check the 2026 announcements from late October into early November.
Are Diwali fireworks legal for families?
No, not without a licence. Federal Decree-Law 17 of 2019 treats fireworks as explosives, which need a licence, according to Khaleej Times and Gulf News. The penalty Gulf News quoted, at least a year in prison, a fine of at least AED 100,000 or both, is for unlicensed trading in fireworks or bringing them into the country.
Does Global Village celebrate Diwali?
It did in 2025, with a mela, rangoli and fireworks. Season 31 opens Oct. 14, 2026; its Diwali plans are not published.
Does Dubai Festival City have Diwali fireworks?
We found no evidence for any year. Its nightly IMAGINE show is not a Diwali event.
Can tourists attend Diwali at the temples?
Yes. Hindu Temple Dubai welcomed families on Diwali 2025. BAPS in Abu Dhabi requires every visitor to register in advance.
Where can I buy Diwali sweets?
Bikanervala has outlets across Dubai and delivers. Some Indian restaurants also offer mithai.
Where can I buy diyas and pooja items?
In the Indian shops of Bur Dubai and Karama. We could not confirm specific stores.
Is Meena Bazaar open during Diwali?
Shops set their own hours, and we found no closure notice.
Are attractions open during Diwali?
Yes, on their normal hours unless a venue says otherwise, since Diwali is not a public holiday here. Check each temple and event separately.
Is Dubai crowded in Diwali week?
The temples were in 2025. We have no reliable figures for the rest of the city.
Is November a good month for a family trip?
It is warm by day, with average highs of about 30 to 31 degrees, and pleasant in the evenings.
Should we book Diwali events in advance?
Book BAPS, a Diwali dinner and any hampers. Watch for Global Village tickets. Al Seef’s public fireworks did not need tickets in 2024 or 2025.
Trekhops is one of the companies selling the Dubai holidays Trekhops sells to families, so read what follows with that in mind. A well-built package for this week names the day it sets aside for the temple, for Global Village and for the Bur Dubai evening, and says which of those are confirmed and which are only expected. Ask any seller to show you that in writing before you pay.