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Maharashtra public holidays 2026
Schools in Mumbai close on the national holidays and on the Maharashtra state festival holidays. Many festival dates move each year with the Hindu lunar calendar. The headline 2026 dates are below; individual schools observe a subset and may add restricted holidays.
| Holiday | Date 2026 |
|---|---|
| Republic Day | Monday 26 January |
| Mahashivratri | Sunday 15 February |
| Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti | Thursday 19 February |
| Holi (Dhulivandan) | Around Tuesday 3 to Wednesday 4 March |
| Gudi Padwa | Thursday 19 March |
| Maharashtra Day | Friday 1 May |
| Independence Day | Saturday 15 August |
| Ganesh Chaturthi | Monday 14 September |
| Dussehra (Vijayadashami) | Tuesday 20 October |
| Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) | Around Sunday 8 November |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December |
Ganesh Chaturthi is Mumbai's biggest local festival, and many schools take several days around it in September. Diwali is the longest festive break of the year. Because Hindu festival dates depend on the lunar calendar, confirm Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi and Diwali against your school's published list before booking travel.
Mumbai term dates 2025-26 and 2026-27
Mumbai schools on the Maharashtra pattern, including state board, CBSE and ICSE schools, structure the year around three long breaks: the summer vacation in May, the Diwali break in November and a short winter break for some. The table shows the confirmed 2026 breaks and the reopening for the new session.
| Term or break | Dates |
|---|---|
| 2025-26 session ends | End of April 2026 |
| Summer vacation | Sat 2 May 2026 to around Thu 18 June 2026 |
| 2026-27 session reopens | Around Fri 19 June 2026 |
| Ganesh Chaturthi break | Several days around mid-September 2026 |
| Diwali break | Around Sat 7 November to Fri 13 November 2026 |
| Winter break (some schools) | Around Christmas and the New Year |
There is no half-term break in the British sense. The Maharashtra summer break is shorter than in many northern-hemisphere countries because it sits before the monsoon rather than across it. Vidarbha and other hotter inland districts reopen a few days later than Mumbai. Exact dates vary by board and school, so confirm against your own school's published calendar before booking travel.
Choosing a school in Mumbai?
The calendar varies by board and by international school, which matters when siblings attend different systems. Our school finder filters Mumbai schools by curriculum, stage and fee tier.
International school term dates in Mumbai
Mumbai has a strong international school market offering the IB, IGCSE and American curricula, concentrated in areas such as Bandra-Kurla Complex, Worli and the western suburbs. Their calendars split into two groups. Some follow the Indian rhythm, reopening in June after the summer break and taking the Diwali holiday. Others, particularly American schools and a number of IB World Schools, run a northern-hemisphere August to June year with a winter break around Christmas and a spring break, much closer to the calendar used in Dubai or Singapore.
Whichever calendar a school uses, all close for the main Indian and Maharashtra public holidays, so Diwali, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi and Independence Day are common across every system. The biggest divergence is the start of the year, June for Indian-pattern schools and August for the northern-hemisphere ones. To compare programmes read our curriculum guides, and for the cost of each pathway see international school fees in Mumbai.
Planning the Mumbai school year
Three planning notes for Mumbai families. First, the May summer break is the peak domestic travel window, when families head to cooler hill stations and abroad before the monsoon arrives in June, so book early. Second, the Diwali break in November is a popular short-trip season and a busy time for flights across India, so plan ahead. Third, international school fees are billed by term or by the year, so budget for the first instalment around the June or August start depending on the school's calendar. For the wider relocation picture see our Mumbai city guide and the India country guide.
Common questions
When do schools break up in Mumbai in 2026? Maharashtra-calendar schools finished the session at the end of April 2026 and closed for summer from 2 May. International schools on a northern-hemisphere year break up in mid-June.
How long is the summer holiday in Mumbai? Around six to seven weeks for Maharashtra-calendar schools, from early May to around 15 to 18 June, with reopening near 19 June.
When is the Diwali break in 2026? About a week in November, around 7 to 13 November, the longest festive break of the year.
When does the 2026 school year start in Mumbai? Maharashtra-calendar schools reopen around 19 June 2026. International schools on an August to June year begin in August.
Do international schools follow the Maharashtra calendar? It varies. Some follow the June reopening, while American and many IB schools run an August to June year. All close for the main public holidays.