# When is Diwali 2026 and where can you see it in London and Leicester? > Diwali 2026 is Sunday 8 November. Leicester's Belgrave Road lights and Cossington Park day, London's cancelled Trafalgar Square event, and Neasden Temple rules. - Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/diwali-2026-london-leicester-lights-guide - Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries) - Published: 2026-10-05 - Last updated: 2026-10-29 **Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November. Leicester is the place to see it in England: Leicester City Council has confirmed a family day at Cossington Recreation Ground on 8 November, with the Diwali lights along Belgrave Road (the Golden Mile) switched on about two weeks earlier without a ceremony. London's big public event, Diwali on the Square in Trafalgar Square, was set for Sunday 25 October 2026 but was cancelled the day before because of forecast storms.** For the day itself in London, go to a temple or gurdwara rather than a public stage, and check the venue's own programme first. We spent 7 days in London in November 2023, arriving two days after that year's Diwali, and we have not been to Leicester, so everything below comes from the council, the Mayor of London and the temples themselves. ## Diwali 2026 dates: what happens when **Diwali Day: Sunday 8 November 2026.** Leicester City Council and Visit Leicester both give this date for the city's main celebration. Diwali is a Hindu, Sikh and Jain festival, and the three traditions mark it differently. For many Hindus it is the festival of lights honouring Lakshmi and the return of Rama, with a five-day run that starts with Dhanteras. Sikhs mark **Bandi Chhor Divas** on the same day, remembering the release of Guru Hargobind from prison. Jains mark the nirvana of Mahavira. • **Around 25 October:** Leicester's lights went on, according to the council's plan of switching them on two weeks before Diwali Day with no ceremony. They stay up through the festival period. • **25 October:** Diwali on the Square in Trafalgar Square was scheduled for 1pm to 7pm. The Diwali in London Committee cancelled it on 24 October on the advice of independent health and safety experts, and no new date had been announced when we checked. • **8 November:** Leicester's Diwali Day, plus services and celebrations at temples and gurdwaras across both cities. • **The day after Diwali:** many Gujarati Hindu temples, including Neasden, celebrate the Hindu New Year with **Annakut**, a display of hundreds of vegetarian dishes offered to the deities. Neasden posts its exact dates and times on its Diwali page. ## Leicester: Belgrave Road lights and the Cossington Park day Leicester has held a Diwali lights event for over 40 years; the council marked the 40th in 2023. The format has changed lately. In 2024 the council folded the separate switch-on into the main Diwali Day, citing the cost of traffic management and security on two days. In 2025 the celebrations were scaled back after the city's Safety Advisory Group raised concerns, and the event at Cossington Recreation Ground was dropped. For 2026, the council announced in May that the park returns. Its plan for **Sunday 8 November** is a stage with community dance, music and cultural performances, food vendors, arts and crafts stalls and a children's funfair at **Cossington Recreation Ground**, just off Belgrave Road. The **Wheel of Light** returns to Belgrave Road, and rangoli artworks go on display at Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre. Two things are different from older guides you may find online: **there is no public fireworks display in 2026**, with the council citing crowd congestion, and the lights switch-on has no ceremony. Timings had not been published when we checked; the council said full details would come later in the year, and Visit Leicester's Diwali page lists the 8 November date without times. Check visitleicester.info/Diwali in the week before. Practical points: Belgrave Road and Melton Road are the heart of Leicester's Gujarati community, with sweet shops (mithai) and sari shops that are at their busiest the week before Diwali. Expect road closures and crowds on the day, and travel by train to Leicester station rather than driving in. Leicester is about an hour from London St Pancras by train, so it works as a day trip if you are based in London. ## London: Neasden Temple, gurdwaras and the cancelled square With Diwali on the Square cancelled, the most visitor-friendly place to see Diwali in London is the **BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden**, northwest London, usually called Neasden Temple. It is a working Hindu temple built in carved stone, free to enter, and it holds large Diwali and Hindu New Year celebrations; the temple described its Diwali 2024 celebration as one of the UK's largest. Its Diwali page lists festival events and the Annakut offering, but the 2026 timetable was not up when we checked. In past years the temple has run shuttle buses on Annakut day; confirm on neasdentemple.org before you go. Neasden is on the Jubilee line, but the temple is a walk from the station, so allow time. On festival days queues are long and the site is busy with families; go early in the day if you want to see the Annakut display without a crush. Sikh visitors and anyone curious about Bandi Chhor Divas can go to a gurdwara such as Southall's, where the day is marked with prayers, langar (the free communal meal) and lights. Gurdwaras welcome visitors of any faith. If you are in London around Diwali anyway, our [where to stay in London](https://clevertourists.com/resources/where-to-stay-in-london) and [London guide](https://clevertourists.com/guides/london) help with the base, and [Oyster vs contactless](https://clevertourists.com/resources/london-oyster-vs-contactless-free-museums-guide) covers getting out to Neasden or Southall. ## Temple and gurdwara etiquette for visitors Neasden Temple's own visitor rules are strict, and most Hindu temples follow similar lines: • **Dress:** clothing must cover the shoulders, navel and thighs, with legwear below the knee. This applies to everyone. • **Shoes off:** there are shoe racks on site. Wear socks you are happy to walk in. • **No photography** inside the complex, and no food or drink. Large bags and cameras go to the baggage cabin on Pramukh Swami Road before you enter. • **Behaviour:** speak quietly, do not point your feet at the shrines when sitting, and follow the flow of the queue. If you are offered prasad (blessed food), accept it with your right hand. At a gurdwara, everyone covers their head (scarves are usually provided), removes shoes and washes hands. Tobacco and alcohol are not allowed on the premises. In the langar hall you sit on the floor or at tables and accept what is served; it is free, and a donation is welcome but not expected. In Leicester's street celebrations the etiquette is simpler: ask before photographing people, especially at private family moments, and do not set off your own fireworks in the crowd. ## Planning a Diwali trip to England Early November in England is cool and damp, with dark evenings from around 4:30pm, which suits the lights. Our [best time to visit London](https://clevertourists.com/resources/best-time-to-visit-london) has the monthly picture. Bonfire Night (5 November) falls three days before Diwali, so expect fireworks around both. A sensible plan for 2026 is to base yourself in London, do Neasden on a weekday when it is quieter, and take the train to Leicester for Sunday 8 November. If you want more of England, our [2.5-week England route](https://clevertourists.com/resources/england-itinerary-our-2-5-week-route-london-bath-cotswolds-peak-district) shows the order we did London, Bath, the Cotswolds and the Peak District in November 2023. If you are staying into December, see [best places to spend Christmas abroad](https://clevertourists.com/resources/best-places-to-spend-christmas-abroad). ## Frequently asked questions ### When is Diwali 2026? Sunday 8 November 2026. Leicester City Council and Visit Leicester give this as Diwali Day for the city's main celebration. Sikhs mark Bandi Chhor Divas on the same day. ### Is Diwali on the Square happening in 2026? No. It was scheduled for Sunday 25 October 2026 in Trafalgar Square, but the Diwali in London Committee cancelled it on 24 October because of forecast storms. No replacement date had been announced when we checked. ### Are there fireworks in Leicester for Diwali 2026? No public display. The council said in May 2026 that there would be no public fireworks, citing crowd congestion. The day event at Cossington Recreation Ground and the Belgrave Road lights go ahead. ### Can non-Hindus visit Neasden Temple at Diwali? Yes. Entry is free and visitors of any faith are welcome. Cover shoulders, navel and knees, take your shoes off, and do not take photos inside. Check neasdentemple.org for festival-day times.