Holidays & important days

Thu, 1 Jan 2026

The first day of the Gregorian year is a public holiday and government offices, banks and schools close. Resorts and the airport run as normal because it falls in the middle of the Maldives' peak tourism season, so it is one of the busiest arrival periods of the year.

Sun, 25 Jan 2026

Teachers across the Maldives report back to school ahead of the new academic year to prepare classrooms, timetables and lesson plans before students return.

Sun 25 Jan – Thu, 16 Jul 2026· 173 days

The first of two school terms in the Maldivian academic year, running from 25 January to 16 July 2026 (107 school days). It includes the Ramadan schedule changes, a mid-term break and end-of-term examinations.

Tue, 27 Jan 2026

The first school day of the 2026 academic year for students nationwide. The Maldivian school year runs from late January to mid-December, split into two terms.

Wed, 18 Feb 2026

Follows the Islamic lunar calendar — expected date, subject to moon sighting and official confirmation.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. The first day is a national holiday in the Maldives and the whole month shifts daily life: office and school hours shorten, restaurants and cafés in Malé change their opening times, and domestic travel picks up as families return to their home islands.

Sun 1 Mar – Sun, 8 Mar 2026· 8 days

A week set aside for teacher training and professional development, scheduled early in Ramadan when school hours are shortened.

Fri 20 Mar – Sun, 22 Mar 2026· 3 days

Follows the Islamic lunar calendar — expected date, subject to moon sighting and official confirmation.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Ramadan fast and is one of the two great Islamic festivals. In the Maldives it brings several days of public holiday, island celebrations with drumming, parades and communal feasts, and the heaviest domestic and regional travel of the year as people visit family or take short overseas breaks.

Sun 5 Apr – Tue, 14 Apr 2026· 10 days

First-term examination window for Grade 11 and 12 students — the upper-secondary years leading to GCE O-Level and A-Level qualifications.

Fri, 1 May 2026

International Workers' Day recognises the rights and contribution of working people. It became a public holiday in the Maldives in 2011 after labour-law reform, and is used by unions and worker associations — including those in tourism and aviation — to raise employment issues.

Sun 17 May – Mon, 15 Jun 2026· 30 days

The first of two windows during which families can apply to transfer students between schools, typically used when households move between islands or to Malé.

Sun 24 May – Sat, 30 May 2026· 7 days

A one-week break in the middle of the first term, coinciding with the Hajj and Eid al-Adha holidays — a popular time for family travel between islands.

Tue, 26 May 2026

Follows the Islamic lunar calendar — expected date, subject to moon sighting and official confirmation.

The day of Arafah, when pilgrims performing Hajj gather on the plain of Arafah near Mecca. It is a holiday in the Maldives and the start of the Eid al-Adha break; outbound pilgrim charters and Jeddah-bound traffic peak in the days around it.

Wed 27 May – Thu, 28 May 2026· 2 days

Follows the Islamic lunar calendar — expected date, subject to moon sighting and official confirmation.

The Festival of Sacrifice commemorates Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son, and closes the Hajj season. Known locally as Bodu Eid — the big Eid — it is marked with prayers, shared meat, island games and cultural events, and is a major domestic travel period.

Wed, 17 Jun 2026

Follows the Islamic lunar calendar — expected date, subject to moon sighting and official confirmation.

The first day of Muharram opens the Islamic lunar year, remembering the Prophet Muhammad's migration from Mecca to Medina. It is a quiet public holiday in the Maldives, observed with sermons and religious programmes rather than festivities.

Tue 30 Jun – Thu, 9 Jul 2026· 10 days

End-of-term examination period for school students before the first term closes on 16 July.

Fri 17 Jul – Sat, 1 Aug 2026· 16 days

The mid-year school break between the two terms. It overlaps with Independence Day and is one of the busiest periods for domestic travel and family trips abroad.

Sun 26 Jul – Mon, 27 Jul 2026· 2 days

On 26 July 1965 the Maldives ended its status as a British protectorate and became fully independent. It is the country's biggest national occasion, with a flag ceremony, official parade in Malé, school displays and evening events, and is normally observed with a two-day holiday.

Sun 2 Aug – Thu, 17 Dec 2026· 138 days

The second school term runs from 2 August to 17 December 2026 (92 school days) and includes the national examination season and the year-end break.

Sat, 15 Aug 2026

Follows the Islamic lunar calendar — expected date, subject to moon sighting and official confirmation.

National Day falls on the first of Rabi al-Awwal and marks the victory of Muhammad Thakurufaanu, who ended Portuguese rule over Malé in 1573. Because it follows the Islamic calendar the Gregorian date moves each year.

Sun 23 Aug – Thu, 10 Sept 2026· 19 days

Final examination window for Grade 11 and 12 students, covering the national secondary and higher-secondary examinations that determine O-Level and A-Level results.

Wed, 26 Aug 2026

Follows the Islamic lunar calendar — expected date, subject to moon sighting and official confirmation.

Milad un Nabi commemorates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad on the twelfth of Rabi al-Awwal. In the Maldives it is a public holiday observed with mosque programmes, recitations and community gatherings.

Sun 13 Sept – Sat, 19 Sept 2026· 7 days

A one-week break in the middle of the second term, giving students and teachers a pause before the year-end examination period.

Mon, 14 Sept 2026

Follows the Islamic lunar calendar — expected date, subject to moon sighting and official confirmation.

Remembers the conversion of the Maldives to Islam in 1153, when King Dhovemi accepted the faith and the islands became a Muslim state. It is marked with religious lectures and national broadcasts, and falls on the first of Rabi al-Akhir.

Tue, 3 Nov 2026

Commemorates 3 November 1988, when an armed attack on Malé by foreign mercenaries was defeated with Indian military assistance. The day honours those killed defending the country and is observed with wreath-laying and security-force ceremonies.

Wed, 11 Nov 2026

Marks 11 November 1968, when the Maldives ended the sultanate for the second time and became a republic. Official ceremonies, awards and a formal function in Malé mark the date.

Thu, 10 Dec 2026

Honours the fishing industry, historically the backbone of the Maldivian economy before tourism. It is a national observance rather than a general public holiday, marked with fishing competitions, exhibitions and island events.