Diwali 2026 UK: Leicester Diwali Day on Sunday 8 November, London's Trafalgar Square Event Cancelled

Leicester City Council says Diwali Day 2026 is Sunday 8 November at Cossington Recreation Ground, with no public fireworks display, while the Mayor of London cancelled Diwali on the Square in Trafalgar Square on 24 October. The council announced Leicester’s plans on 5 May 2026. City Hall’s cancellation covers the event planned for Sunday 25 October 2026.

The table below puts the week around Diwali on one page, and a printable planner is at the bottom of the story.

Is Diwali on the Square 2026 cancelled?

Yes. The Mayor of London’s event page, updated on 24 October 2026, says: “We are very sorry to announce that London’s Diwali On The Square celebrations this Sunday (25 October) have been cancelled.” The reason given is that “with storms forecast on Saturday, the event health and safety leads have advised it would not be safe”. The press release says the event “will not take place on Sunday 25 October 2026”.

The original listing was Sunday 25 October 2026, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., in Trafalgar Square, free. City Hall says it is “now considering other ways in which we can support people to celebrate Diwali in London this year”. No new date is announced.

For comparison, in 2025 Diwali on the Square was on Sunday 12 October 2025, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., in Trafalgar Square, free, according to the Mayor of London.

What is planned for Leicester Diwali 2026?

Leicester City Council’s news release of 5 May 2026 says family friendly Diwali day celebrations are set to return to Cossington Recreation Ground on Sunday 8 November. Three things changed or are confirmed:

• “In the interest of public safety, there will be no public fireworks display.”
• “Leicester’s Diwali lights will be switched on without ceremony two weeks before Diwali Day.” The council gives no exact switch-on date.
• “The popular Wheel of Light will also be back on Belgrave Road.”

Visit Leicester, run by the council, lists live performances at Cossington Recreation Ground on Diwali Day, and a Har Har Rangoli Exhibition at Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre on Belgrave Road (LE4 6AS). Start and end times are not yet announced; the council says programme details will be publicised later in the year.

What are the key dates for Diwali week 2026?

Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November 2026, according to the Embassy of India in Washington DC and Leicester City Council. The other festival days come from the Controller of Communication Accounts, Bihar, an Indian government office. For the date and Lakshmi Puja time in the United States, see our Diwali 2026 story.

Day	UK date, 2026	Event
Thursday	5 November	Bonfire Night
Friday	6 November	Dhanteras
Sunday	8 November	Diwali Day
Monday	9 November	Govardhan Puja
Wednesday	11 November	Bhai Dooj

Bonfire Night comes three days before Diwali. Our Bonfire Night 2026 story covers the fireworks rules.

What time is sunset on Diwali Day in London and Leicester?

The U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) puts sunset on Sunday 8 November 2026 at 16:22 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in London (51.51 N, 0.13 W) and in Leicester (52.64 N, 1.13 W). Civil twilight ends at 16:58 in London and 16:59 in Leicester.

What to check before you go

Look at Leicester City Council and Visit Leicester for the programme and times once published. Mark the dates on the November 2026 printable calendar or the printable weekly calendar. Recheck the Mayor of London’s event page for any other Diwali plans in the capital.