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Term dates for Delhi government and recognised private schools are set by the Directorate of Education, GNCT of Delhi, while international schools layer their own calendar on top. Our New Delhi city guide covers the sector; this page sets out the 2026 dates. The defining feature of the Delhi calendar is the long summer vacation in the May to June heat, with shorter autumn and winter breaks built around the festival season.
New Delhi public holidays 2026
Delhi schools close on national gazetted holidays and a number of festival days, several of which move each year with the lunar and luni-solar calendars. The headline 2026 dates are below; festival dates that depend on a sighting or an almanac are indicative until officially notified.
| Holiday | Date 2026 |
|---|---|
| Republic Day | Monday 26 January |
| Holi | around Wednesday 4 March (indicative) |
| Eid al-Fitr | around Friday 20 March (moon dependent) |
| Independence Day | Saturday 15 August |
| Gandhi Jayanti | Friday 2 October |
| Diwali (Deepavali) | around Sunday 8 November (indicative) |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December |
Delhi recognises a long list of gazetted and restricted holidays, and the Directorate of Education adds local closures. Festivals such as Holi, Eid, Raksha Bandhan, Janmashtami and Diwali shift each year, so confirm them against your school's published list before booking travel. The 2026 dates above are shown as a guide and will be updated as official notifications are issued.
Term dates 2025-26 and 2026-27
The table shows the Directorate of Education shape for Delhi government and recognised schools. The Indian session runs April to March, so the long summer vacation sits in the middle of the year rather than at the end. Schools must keep a minimum of around 220 working days, which constrains how breaks are placed.
| Period (Directorate of Education) | Dates |
|---|---|
| Session begins | early April 2026 |
| Summer vacation | around Monday 11 May to Tuesday 30 June 2026 |
| Schools reopen | Wednesday 1 July 2026 |
| Autumn / festival break | short break around Dussehra and Diwali (late October to early November, indicative) |
| Winter break | late December 2026 to early January 2027 (2025-26 ran 23 December to 1 January) |
These are the Directorate of Education advisory dates; individual schools vary a day or two and add their own local closures. The full 2026-27 Delhi school calendar is confirmed nearer the time, so the autumn and winter dates above are indicative and will be updated when the official notification is published. Confirm against your school's calendar before booking travel.
Building your New Delhi school shortlist?
New Delhi has a deep CBSE and ICSE sector alongside British, American and IB international schools. Our school finder filters by curriculum and fee tier.
International school term dates
This is the key split for expatriate families in Delhi. Indian-curriculum schools run the April to March session described above, but most international schools serving expatriate families follow a northern-hemisphere August or September to June year instead. British international schools keep three terms with an October half-term, a two-week Christmas break and a spring break around Easter; IB and American schools run two semesters with the IB Diploma exam season in May. On that calendar the long break falls in July and August rather than May and June, which matters if you are coordinating with family overseas. If curriculum is still open, our curriculum guide explains how each system shapes the year and its assessment seasons.
Planning the year
Two practical notes for New Delhi families. First, the May to June summer vacation overlaps the hottest weeks of the year and the start of the monsoon, so hill-station travel and overseas trips both peak then; book early. Second, the autumn festival cluster around Dussehra and Diwali can interrupt fee-payment cycles and exam preparation, so plan deadlines around it. Weigh your shortlist against our New Delhi international school fees guide, and see the national framework in our India country guide. Start a shortlist from the New Delhi city hub.
Common questions
When do schools break up for summer in New Delhi? Delhi government and recognised private schools break for summer in mid-May. For 2026 the Directorate of Education summer vacation runs from around 11 May to 30 June, with schools reopening on 1 July 2026.
How long is the summer holiday in New Delhi? The Delhi summer vacation is about seven weeks, roughly 11 May to 30 June 2026. International schools on a northern-hemisphere calendar instead take a longer July and August break.
When does the 2026 to 2027 school year start in New Delhi? Indian-curriculum schools in Delhi run an April to March session, so the 2026-27 academic year begins in early April 2026. International schools on a northern-hemisphere calendar start in late August or early September 2026.
Does New Delhi have a winter break? Yes. Delhi schools take a winter break in late December and early January. For the 2025-26 session it ran from 23 December to 1 January; exact 2026-27 dates are confirmed by the Directorate of Education closer to the time.
Why do Delhi schools follow an April to March year? CBSE and most Indian-curriculum schools run the academic session from April to March, with the long break in the hot summer months. International schools serving expatriate families more often follow the August to June northern-hemisphere year.