Diwali 2026 in Singapore: Little India Light-Up, Bazaars and Hotels

Diwali, called Deepavali in Singapore, falls on Sunday 8 November 2026, with Monday 9 November a public holiday in lieu. Little India's street light-up glows every night from 7pm to midnight until 29 November, but the Campbell Lane bazaar closes on Deepavali itself, so the weekend of 6 to 8 November is the one to plan around.

We built this trip in Navoy: a 4-day Singapore Deepavali plan, 6 to 9 November.

When is Diwali in Singapore in 2026?

Sunday 8 November 2026, according to the Ministry of Manpower's official list of public holidays. Because the festival falls on a Sunday, Monday 9 November is a public holiday in lieu for anyone whose rest day is the Sunday. For many Singapore residents that makes Deepavali a long weekend, which shapes both the crowds and hotel demand.

Singapore uses the name Deepavali: it is the word on the official holiday calendar and the one the festival's organiser uses. This year it lands on the same day as the main Diwali day in India.

A few guides give Saturday 7 November instead, citing the Tamil calendar. The ministry, which sets the holiday, says Sunday 8 November, and that is the date every event schedule below is built around. Saturday 7 November is the eve, the night Little India is at its fullest.

When is the Little India light-up 2026, and when does it end?

From Saturday 3 October to Sunday 29 November 2026, according to the 2026 press kit of the Little India Shop Owners and Heritage Association (LISHA), which organises the festival. The lights stretch more than 2km along Serangoon Road and are on every night from 7pm to midnight. Walking under them costs nothing.

You will see other end dates online: 22 November in one guide, 8 November in others. 8 November is when the Festival Village bazaar closes, not the lights. LISHA's own document gives 29 November, a 58-day festival it calls Deepavali Thiruvizha 2026.

Here is the 2026 programme as the organisers publish it. Prices are in US dollars at the European Central Bank reference rate of 27 October 2026 (S$1 = $0.78), with Singapore dollars in brackets.

Which night should you go to Little India for Deepavali?

Saturday 7 November, the eve, if you want Little India at its fullest: in 2025 the eve was the night police issued their crowd advisory for. Friday 6 November has the same bazaar a night earlier, and Sunday 8 November is the Festival Village's last night. From Monday 9 November the lights stay on until 29 November, without the bazaar.

How the nights compare, from the organisers' 2026 schedules:

Whichever night you pick, the room is the thing to settle first. Check what's left for your nights: Singapore hotels with live prices.

How much more do Singapore hotels cost on Deepavali weekend?

Nothing extra, when we checked. On 27 October 2026 the cheapest Singapore hotel room for Saturday 7 November, Deepavali eve, was $49 a night for 2 adults, against $50 on Saturday 28 November and $56 on Saturday 5 December. The median of the 14 cheapest rooms was $69 to $70 on all three nights.

We searched book.navoy.io for one night, 2 adults and 1 room, on the eve and on two ordinary Saturdays: one later in the light-up, after the bazaar has closed, and one after the festival is over.

Navoy's own check on book.navoy.io, 27 October 2026, 2 adults, 1 room, city-wide search. Prices move: this is one reading on one day.

So there is no Deepavali premium to dodge in Singapore, unlike festivals where one night costs several times a normal one. The catch is location: the search covered the whole city, and it says nothing about the handful of hotels inside Little India, the ones you can walk back to after midnight. If that matters, book those first. See the rooms for your dates: Singapore hotels, 6 to 9 November.

How crowded is Little India on Deepavali eve?

Very, on the police's own record. For the 2025 eve, the Singapore Police Force warned of large crowds and heavy traffic on Serangoon Road, closed the Birch Road pedestrian crossing from 4pm to 4am, and banned public drinking in Little India's Liquor Control Zone from Friday night to Tuesday morning. The 2026 advisory had not been issued on 27 October.

What the 2025 advisory said, so you know what to expect this year:

• One crossing shut for the night. The Birch Road pedestrian crossing was closed from 4pm on the eve to 4am the next morning, with the nearest alternatives near Kitchener Link or Baboo Lane. The Campbell Lane crossing could close if needed.
• No drinking in public. Little India is a Liquor Control Zone. In 2025 public drinking was banned from 10:30pm on Friday 17 October to 7am on Tuesday 21 October, with fines of up to $1,171 (S$1,500) for a first offence.
• Watch your bag. Police advised keeping bags closed and worn in front, and wallets out of back pockets.
• Leave the car. Motorists were told to avoid Serangoon Road.

The 2025 advisory came out two days before the eve. Expect the 2026 version on the Singapore Police Force news page in the first days of November.

What is there to do at the Deepavali Festival Village?

Shop, snack and watch. The Festival Village fills Campbell Lane with stalls of traditional clothing, snacks, handicrafts and festive decorations, daily from 7pm to midnight until 8 November, and Little India's merchants extend their shops into the street to sell Deepavali goods. Next door, the Indian Heritage Centre runs a Deepavali Open House.

The Heritage Centre, at 5 Campbell Lane, keeps its Open House going until 8 November:

• Free: English guided tours of the permanent galleries on Saturdays at 7pm, a weekend bazaar (Saturdays 10am to 7pm, Sundays 10am to 5pm), money packet redemption, live performances along Campbell Lane, and drop-in crafts such as a DIY mithai box and clay brooch painting.
• Ticketed: miniature art painting on 31 October and 1 November, at $21.86 (S$28).
• Late Saturdays: open until 8pm, last admission 7:30pm.

Already in Singapore on Saturday 31 October? That is the last of the organiser's workshop days: a spice blending masterclass at $6.24 (S$8) from 11am, free clay diya painting with registration from 2pm at Tekka Place, and Sangeetham Under the Stars, free live music from 8pm to 10pm on the open stage on Campbell Lane.

The free Deepavali Photo Trail runs until 8 November: ten photo points around Little India, with weekly draws for shop vouchers of up to $117 (S$150).

Which temples can you visit for Deepavali, and what should you wear?

The two Serangoon Road landmarks are Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple at number 141 and Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple at number 397. The Hindu Endowments Board asks visitors to cover their shoulders, wear trousers or skirts that reach at least the knee, take shoes off outside, and stay out of the shrines.

Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is dedicated to Kali. Singapore's National Heritage Board says a shrine is believed to have stood on the site as early as 1855, and the temple was built in 1881. Its opening hours differ from one listing to the next, so check the temple's own site before you go.

Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, dedicated to Vishnu, is a national monument (gazetted 1978), with a gopuram, the tall carved entrance tower, added in the 1970s. It is run by the Hindu Endowments Board. The temple's own site and the board's listing give different opening hours, so check both before you go.

The board's etiquette, in full:

• Shoulders covered: a scarf or shawl does it.
• Trousers or skirts covering at least the knees.
• Footwear off outside the temple.
• Do not enter the shrines or sanctums.
• Do not sit with your feet pointing towards the deities, the priests or another person.

What does Diwali in Singapore cost?

Very little. The light-up and the Festival Village are street events with no ticket, and the Indian Heritage Centre's Open House has free tours, performances and crafts. The published prices are for extras: a 45-minute Big Bus tour at $9.37 (S$12), and Heritage Centre gallery entry at $7.81 (S$10) for foreign visitors. No source publishes bazaar food prices.

The prices worth knowing, from the 2026 programmes:

• Light-up and Festival Village: free to walk.
• Indian Heritage Centre: gallery entry $7.81 (S$10) for foreign adults, free for children under 6; Open House activities listed as free.
• Big Bus Deepavali tour: $9.37 (S$12) a person, with a $3.90 (S$5) voucher to spend at participating Little India merchants.
• AR/VR heritage walk: $11.71 (S$15), on Saturdays until 7 November.

Eating out, watch for "++" on a menu: it means service charge and GST are added when the bill comes. Our tipping etiquette guide shows what that adds in Singapore.

How do you get to Little India for Deepavali?

By MRT. Little India station is on the North East and Downtown lines, and the Indian Heritage Centre tells visitors to use Exit E for Campbell Lane. Farrer Park, the next stop north on the North East line, is closer to Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple. Driving onto Serangoon Road on the eve is what police told motorists to avoid.

Rochor, on the Downtown line, is another way in at the southern end of Little India. With the lights on until midnight, check the time of your last train back before you set out.

If you are flying in, Singapore's airport is Changi (SIN). Flying on to India for the main festival week? Our guide on when to book Diwali flights in 2026 sorts the real 2026 figures from last year's.

Search flights to SIN: flights to Singapore, 6 to 9 November.

Where should you stay in Singapore for Deepavali?

In or near Little India if the festival is the point of the trip: you can walk Serangoon Road at 7pm when the lights come on and be back in your room after midnight without a train. Staying elsewhere works too, since Little India sits on two MRT lines; just plan the ride home.

How the options compare:

• Little India and Farrer Park: the light-up, the bazaar and both temples on foot. Expect the eve crowds right outside, and the Birch Road crossing closure if 2025 repeats.
• One or two stops away on the Downtown line: a short ride in, and away from the eve crowds when you want to sleep.
• Orchard Road: the Big Bus Deepavali tours leave from Orchard Hotel on Saturday evenings, a way to see the lights without the walk.

Still deciding? Compare Singapore hotels for 6 to 9 November.

Plan this trip

• See the trip we built: a 4-day Singapore Deepavali plan, 6 to 9 November
• Plan your own for free: tell Navoy your dates and budget and it builds the day-by-day plan. Planning a trip at navoy.io is free. Start free
• Hotels in Singapore: compare live prices for your dates
• Flights: search flights to Singapore SIN, 6 to 9 November

Frequently asked questions

Is Deepavali a public holiday in Singapore in 2026?

Yes. Deepavali is a public holiday on Sunday 8 November 2026, according to the Ministry of Manpower. Because it falls on a Sunday, Monday 9 November is a public holiday for anyone whose rest day is 8 November. Plan for a long weekend: the Indian Heritage Centre closes on Mondays, including Monday public holidays unless it says otherwise.

How long is the Little India light-up on in 2026?

From Saturday 3 October to Sunday 29 November 2026, according to the organiser LISHA's 2026 press kit: 58 days in all. The lights are on every night from 7pm to midnight along more than 2km of Serangoon Road. The Festival Village bazaar on Campbell Lane has a shorter run, 10 October to 8 November.

Is the Deepavali light-up in Singapore free?

Yes. The light-up is on a public street, so there is no ticket, and the Festival Village on Campbell Lane is a street bazaar with no entry ticket listed. What costs money is extras: the Big Bus Deepavali tour is $9.37 (S$12), and Indian Heritage Centre gallery entry is $7.81 (S$10) for foreign visitors.

What should I wear to a Hindu temple in Singapore?

Cover your shoulders, with a scarf or shawl if needed, and wear trousers or a skirt that reaches at least the knee. That is the Hindu Endowments Board's dress code. Take your shoes off outside, do not enter the shrines, and do not sit with your feet pointing at the deities, the priests or other people.

What is the weather like in Singapore during Deepavali?

Wet. Early November falls in Singapore's October to November inter-monsoon period, when, according to the Meteorological Service Singapore, thunderstorms, at times severe, occur in the afternoon and early evening. November averaged 19 rain days from 1991 to 2020. Carry an umbrella, and keep an indoor stop such as the Indian Heritage Centre for the late afternoon.

Sources

• Ministry of Manpower, public holidays 2026 - Deepavali on Sunday 8 November 2026; Monday 9 November a public holiday for those whose rest day falls on 8 November (page updated 19 June 2026)
• LISHA, Deepavali Thiruvizha 2026 press kit (PDF) - festival period and street light-up 3 October to 29 November 2026 (58 days), lights 7pm to midnight, more than 2km of Serangoon Road, Festival Village 10 October to 8 November daily 7pm to midnight, Big Bus tours, AR/VR walk, Photo Trail
• LISHA, Deepavali 2026 events - Festival Village, light-up ceremony, Big Bus tour price, workshops and Sangeetham Under the Stars on 31 October
• Indian Heritage Centre, Deepavali Open House 2026 - 17 October to 8 November, hours, Saturday late opening, free and ticketed activities, weekend bazaar
• Indian Heritage Centre, location and opening hours - Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm, closed Mondays incl. Monday public holidays, 5 Campbell Lane, Little India MRT Exit E
• Indian Heritage Centre, admission fees - S$10 for foreign adults, free under 6, free for Singaporeans and PRs
• Singapore Police Force, 2025 Deepavali eve advisory - 2025 crowd warning, Birch Road crossing closure 4pm to 4am, Liquor Control Zone dates and fines, personal safety advice
• Hindu Endowments Board, temple etiquette - dress code, footwear, shrines, feet
• Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple - address
• National Heritage Board, Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple - gopuram added in the 1970s, national monument since 1978
• National Heritage Board, Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple - 141 Serangoon Road, shrine believed to date to 1855, temple built 1881, dedicated to Kali
• Meteorological Service Singapore, climate of Singapore - inter-monsoon thunderstorms, November rain days 1991 to 2020
• European Central Bank, euro reference rates - 27 October 2026 rates used to convert Singapore dollars to US dollars

All figures verified 27 October 2026. Every 2025 figure describes the 2025 festival; the 2026 police advisory had not been published on that date.

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Going to Singapore for Deepavali? Plan the trip free, then compare live hotel prices - Navoy: your AI Travel Agent