Sri Lanka Events by Month.
6:52 PM 9/18/2025
Sri Lanka events by month will give you the chance special days here and to visit those places that are planned for those events in time. Sri Lanka is located in the tropical region and all the year you can get sun light in many parts of the Island. Hope these festivals will be celebrated in this year 2025 as Sri Lanka Government had nearly made the country completely ready for the visiting tourists.
October
- Deepavali Festival: Deepavali festival is also called as lighting festival. This is a great event in the Hindu religion and this festival is mostly celebrated in India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and other countries Hindu people are living. Most part of the festival take place in the Temple, while 2 - 3 weeks before the festival people used to buy new clothes for the festival.
So there is a big chance for to buy clothes at discounted price from the textile shops and Departmental Stores during this month. Late night shopping available at the centre of the city. On the Deepawali day you can witness lot of activities in the Hindu temples while new Tamil movies are released on this day as Blockbusters. You can expect movies from Top Tamil heroes like Rajinikanth, Vijay, Kamal Hasan, Ajith Kumar and from many others.
In Sri Lanka Deepawali is not celebrated in large scale as like in Singapore but will be happiest day in Sri Lanka specially in Colombo.
November
- According to Tamil Calendar the Deepavali Festival used to take place. Some time in this Month of November.
- Hadji Festival Day
- Annual Spice Festival of Colombo. In this Spice Festival you can witness all the Sri Lanka grown Spices and their by products. Visit here to Smell the aroma of the spices, taste them and you can purchase them too.. In this Festival, you can find extract of oil and other products that are extracted from the Sri Lanka grown Spices. Tourist can buy selected spice varieties in small amount that are specially packed in boxes to save their aroma, fragrance and flavor. This kind of packing is essential to keep the freshness.
December
- Adam's Peak: Sri Pada Mountain Pilgrimage Season starts in this month. Don't miss the opportunity to climb this mountain to view scenic sunrise in the mornings. Read More
- National Bird Watching Month: You can watch hundreds of varieties of immigrating birds and local birds during this season. Most of the birds used to make accommodations in the bird's sanctuaries around Sri Lanka. It is better to get a Birding Guide who must be an experienced one for the money you pay him. Many Hotels in the South provide Guides and photographic equipments on rent. Check with your Hotel for them.
- Christmas Week: Sri Lanka is not a Christian country although X-Mas along with New Year is celebrated widely all over the Island in grand. This week is celebrated with full of carols, music shows, fireworks and special events. You can find Holiday Sales in the Malls and Super Markets with heavy discounts during this season. Specially electronic and electric apparatus are put out on sales. Colombo Fort streets used to be fully packed during this X-Mas week with local shoppers.
- Negombo Beach Festival: The Negombo beach located in the Negombo city used to celebrate the International kit festival in the month of August every year. After that the beach festival that used to take place is for fun and joy where live bands play music for the visitors of the festival.
January.
- Kelani Raja Maha Viharaya Festival: Duruthu Perahera festival. This Procession in the night, will give you to witness the traditional Sri Lanka dancers and other performers along with decorated Elephants in the parade. It is necessary to find a good place to watch all of the procession as you won't have chance to view like this in any part of the world.
- Thai Pongal Festival: This is the harvest festival used to be celebrated on 14th of January. North and East region farmers used to celebrate this festival to thank their God Sun and the next day is dedicated to their bulls and cattle which helped them with their field works.
- Colombo Art Festival: This is known as Kala Pola and used to be held in Open-air Art Festival where prominent and emerging artists used to display their oil, water color paintings, sculptures and along with the display of the local artists modern art work.
- Gourmet Galle Food Festival will be celebrated from 12th January till 30th March.
- Galle Literary Festival: 06th - 09th February, 2025. This literary festival is one of the leading events and it too falls in the first month of the New Year. Galle town which still have the heritage of British and other foreign country origin will become as a very busy place where lot of foreigners and tourists used to flock here. Other than the event you can witness Plays, Concerts, Art Installations, Gourmet Dinners, Children Feast, Fashion Shows, Garden Tours, Architecture, Community Initiatives, Photographic Exhibitions and many other related events. Read More - http://www.galleliteraryfestival.com . Well known writers and publishers used to come over here.
- Rhythms of The Paradise - Drum festival in Koggala from 12th till 14th of January.
- Tangalle, Classical Music Event from 19th January till -21st January.
- Southern Book Fair in Galle. Dates: 19th till 28th January.
February
- Gangarama Nawam Perahera: Hundreds of colorfully decorated elephants used to parade on this street festival that falls on full moon day in February.
- National Day: 4th of February is the National Day of Sri Lanka. Celebrations used to take place at the Independence Square in Colombo.
- Elephant Polo: Elephant polo used to be held in Galle City annually. It is organized by under the Ceylon Elephant Polo Association.
- Donald Steel Golf Tournament: Victoria Golf Club, Kandy. Annually event. Read more.
- Gourmet Galle Food Festival will be celebrated from 27 January to 9 March 2025.
- Matara - Festival for the Arts. Open on 1st of February till 9th February
March
- MahaSivaratri: A Hindu festival celebrated in Hindu temples all over the Island. Sometime Maha Sivarathiri used to fall in the month of February as it is celebrated according to Tamil Calendar.
- IFF: Galle International Film Festival
- Gourmet Galle Food Festival will be celebrated from 12th January till 30th March.
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April
April is the month in which all the Sri Lanka people enjoy with fun and joy as the local New year to begin in this month. This is something similar to New Year eve in other parts of the world.
- Sinhala and Tamil New Year: Used to be celebrated all over the island in colorful ways on 13th and 14th of April. The entire Island falls in the festival mood and most of the shops in the towns and villages used to be closed. During these days you will get warm welcome at all places and you can have milk rice cooked with milk and locally made sweets in all the homes. In large towns there used to be local games and Music shows used to take place. Some time for one week you won't see businesses and shops to be closed.
- Whales and Dolphin Watching : In the Southern part of Sri Lanka, Mirissa is the popular place for to watch playing Whales and Dolphins as they used to visit this areas Ocean in this month. Hire one specially built boat for ocean going to view the whales and dolphins in the day time. Also good palces for whales and dolphins are Alankuda beach in Kalpitiya, Dondra, Trincomalee, Alutgama, Ambalangoda and Hikkaduwa.
- Nuwara Eliya Summer Holiday Festival : Nuwara Eliya is called as little England as it resembles typical English villages in England. This place is very cool while the rest of the country is experiencing hot weather. On 1st of April to 30th April the summer holiday festival used to take place. You can witness plenty of sports activities that used to include parades, horse racing, flower shows and many other shows used to take place along with night musical events.
May
- This is the month Sri Lanka Buddhists used to celebrate the Vesak Poya day which falls in the month of May. You can witness streets filled with color electric lighting and people used to make stalls and used to offer free food like rice and curry, boiled peas, Tapioca, drinks like milk coffee and ice cream to people passing them on the roads. Meanwhile some places like Fort, Borella, Dehiwala and many other places will have largely built unique art work decorated with color bulbs which are based on Buddha's life stories and are called as "Thorana" can be seen in these days. Lot of people used to gather here to watch and listen to those stories on these special days. Take note meat products and sprits are totally banned in these days all over the island. The violators will be punished by courts.
- If you want to visit any Buddhist Shrine on Vesak Full Moon Poya Days, wear long clothes covering your whole body. It is better in white dresses.
- This is the perfect month to visit Tour Sri Lanka as it is sunny all over the island and the day time temperature is far down than the month of April.
June
- Full Moon Poya day of June when Poson is practiced in Mihintale and Anuradhapura.
Tousands of Devotees used to travel over there. Sri Lanka Government used to offfer special train service to the pilgrims from Colombo Fort Station.
During this time lot of people used to visit these places. Every month there is a Poya Day and it is considered as public holiday.
This comes under the Buddhist religion. So on this particular Poya day all the liquor shops will be closed. No meat products are sold or served. No movies will be shown in the cinema halls. There used to be less frequent public bus service in the evening and night as there are less people on the roads.
July
- Kataragama Temple Festival, which is called as Perahara used to be celebrated from this month July up to the month of August
- Kandy Esala Perahara used to take place from July to August
- Nallur Kandaswamy Temple Annual Festival in Jaffna. The Festival will commence on 29th July 2025 and will continue day and night for 25 days.
- Bellanvila Temple Perahara from July to August
- Hikkaduwa Beach Festival. People used to gather here from around the world to participate in the nights of festival.
August.
- There are many art and cultural events are held in this month in Sri Lanka
- Jaffna, Nallur Sri Kandaswamy Temple Annual Festival is now going on with Morning / Evening parades. Free Entry.
September
- Ramazan Festival Day
- 5th - 15th Tuk Tuk Rally
- Colombo Art Biennale of modern art.
Sri Lanka Holidays 2025
Monday Oct 06 Vap Full Moon Poya National Holiday
Monday Oct 20 Deepavali Festival Day National Holiday Dewali
Wednesday Nov 05 Ill Full Moon Poya National Holiday
Thursday Dec 04 Unduvap Full Moon Poya National Holiday
Thursday Dec 25 Christmas Day National Holiday
Travel Guide
Sri Lanka Tourist Visa
Tourists visiting Sri Lanka for holidays are required to have visitor visas in their passports except for those passport holders from Singapore, Maldives and Seychelles.
Backpackers to LK
Visiting Backpackers can enjoy their trip to Sri Lanka as Tourism Development Authority provide tourist accommodation to the budget travelers.
Do and Don'ts While Visiting
Transport, communication and accommodations are at their best. Lets' check what to do in Sri Lanka? and not to do in Sri Lanka.
Camping For Tourists
Sri Lanka offers that they can choice in the natural setting by using the camping gear and the caravans that are specially built for tourists.
Shopping Malls
Sri Lanka offers many shopping malls in Colombo and large cities. These malls provides Supermarkets, shopping and cinema halls. Watch English movies here. Read More
Hotels
Tourists, Businessmen, Students and transit passengers can find good star class hotels to simple rooms here in in Sri Lanka. Better make advance bookings. Read More
Street Foods
While you are travelling on the roads, you can find lot of places serving food and beverages with the names as hotel, restaurant, bakeries and cool spots.
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Sri Lanka Events by Month
April is the month in which all the Sri Lanka people enjoy local New Year with fun and joy. This is something similar to English New Year eve in other countries. Read More
Travel Insurance
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Using Smartphone in Sri Lanka
All Smartphones including iPhone can operate here.Sri Lanka offers 2G, 3G and 4G LTE connectivity for to connect to the internet and to make Free App calls. Read More