Deepavali falls on a Sunday, so Monday 9 November is off: a three-day weekend

A festival on a Sunday means a long weekend, and this one lands in the busiest week of the year for Little India.

Deepavali falls on Sunday 8 November this year, which means Monday 9 November is a public holiday, according to the Ministry of Manpower. MOM's wording is precise: the Monday is a holiday if your rest day falls on 8 November, which covers most people who work Monday to Friday. Shift workers whose rest day is another day should check with their employer.

That gives most of Singapore a three-day weekend from Saturday 7 to Monday 9 November, and it is the Festival of Lights' own weekend. The festival village on Campbell Lane runs until Deepavali itself, so Saturday night is its last full evening, and the Little India light-up along Serangoon Road will be at its busiest.

Our advice: go to Little India on Saturday after dark for the lights, take the MRT rather than drive, and keep Monday for something quieter. If you are thinking of leaving the country for the long weekend, so is everyone else: book early, and expect the Causeway and Changi to be busy on the Saturday morning and the Monday evening.

Good to know Deepavali: Sunday 8 November 2026. Monday 9 November 2026 is a public holiday if your rest day falls on 8 November (MOM). Long weekend Sat 7 – Mon 9 Nov for Monday-to-Friday workers. Source: Ministry of Manpower public holidays page.

Want more of what’s new? Here’s everything else on the list.

Deepavali 2026 public holiday | Tengah Bus Interchange, Tengah Boulevard