Sri Lanka Public Holidays 2027

Planning dates for Sri Lanka in 2027. Check the data status for coverage, pending announcements and regional differences. Download the dates listed below as ICS.

· Source: Sri Lanka Extraordinary Gazette No. 2493/05

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Sri Lanka Public Holidays 2027

Date Day Holiday Notes
Jan 15FridayTamil Thai Pongal DayHindu harvest festival
Jan 22FridayDuruthu Full Moon Poya DayPublic and bank holiday
Feb 4ThursdayIndependence DayNational holiday
Feb 20SaturdayNavam Full Moon Poya DayPublic and bank holiday
Mar 6SaturdayMaha Shivarathri DayHindu festival
Mar 10WednesdayId-Ul-FitreRamazan Festival Day
Mar 22MondayMedin Full Moon Poya DayPublic and bank holiday
Mar 26FridayGood FridayChristian holiday
Apr 13TuesdayDay Prior to Sinhala & Tamil New YearNational holiday
Apr 14WednesdaySinhala & Tamil New Year DayNational holiday
Apr 20TuesdayBak Full Moon Poya DayPublic and bank holiday
May 1SaturdayMay DayInternational Workers' Day
May 17MondayId-Ul-AllahHadji Festival Day
May 19WednesdayVesak Full Moon Poya DayPrincipal Buddhist festival
May 20ThursdayDay Following Vesak Full Moon Poya DayPublic and bank holiday
Jun 18FridayPoson Full Moon Poya DayPublic and bank holiday
Jul 18SundayEsala Full Moon Poya DayPublic and bank holiday
Aug 15SundayMilad-Un-NabiHoly Prophet's Birthday
Aug 16MondayNikini Full Moon Poya DayPublic and bank holiday
Sep 15WednesdayBinara Full Moon Poya DayPublic and bank holiday
Oct 15FridayVap Full Moon Poya DayPublic and bank holiday
Oct 28ThursdayDeepawali Festival DayHindu festival
Nov 13SaturdayIl Full Moon Poya DayPublic and bank holiday
Dec 13MondayUnduvap Full Moon Poya DayPublic and bank holiday
Dec 25SaturdayChristmas DayChristian holiday

All dates are transcribed from Extraordinary Gazette No. 2493/05 dated 16 June 2026. Last verified: 2026-10-03.

About Sri Lanka Public Holidays

Sri Lanka has one of the most diverse public holiday systems in Asia, reflecting its rich blend of Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Christian traditions alongside key national observances. The most distinctive feature of the Sri Lankan holiday calendar is the Poya holiday system: every full moon day (Poya day) is a public holiday, resulting in 12 additional rest days spread throughout the year. This tradition stems from Sri Lanka's predominantly Theravada Buddhist heritage, as full moon days hold deep religious significance for observances, temple visits, and meditation. Most businesses, government offices, and schools are closed on Poya days, and the sale of alcohol is typically prohibited.

Beyond the monthly Poya holidays, the gazetted 2027 calendar includes national and multi-religious observances. Independence Day is February 4; the two Sinhala and Tamil New Year holidays are April 13–14; Vesak is May 19–20; and Deepawali is October 28. Gazette No. 2493/05 designates all 25 listed dates as both public holidays and bank holidays.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • This page lists 25 distinct dates for 2027. The government gazette index identifies No. 2493/05 of 16 June 2026 as the 2027 public and bank holiday notice. Its PDF could not be retrieved during this review, so the previous date list has not been re-certified.

  • The day prior to Sinhala and Tamil New Year is Tuesday, April 13, 2027, and New Year Day is Wednesday, April 14. Both are gazetted public and bank holidays.

  • The status widget at the top of this page automatically detects today's date using Asia/Colombo timezone and checks only the 2027 dates listed on this page; it cannot determine holiday status for a different year.

Long weekends in 2027

Calculated from the holidays listed on this page and a Saturday–Sunday weekend. Regional schedules and employer rules may differ.

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