Is Onam Over? Onam 2026 Dates in the UAE, Day by Day
Onam ran from Sunday 16 August to Thursday 27 August 2026. Thiruvonam, the main day of the festival, fell on Wednesday 26 August. Onam lasted 11 days this year instead of the usual 10. Onam is not a public holiday in the UAE, and community celebrations across the emirates continue into September. Th
Onam ran from Sunday 16 August to Thursday 27 August 2026. Thiruvonam, the main day of the festival, fell on Wednesday 26 August. Onam lasted 11 days this year instead of the usual 10. Onam is not a public holiday in the UAE, and community celebrations across the emirates continue into September.
The Onam 2026 dates caught a lot of people out this year, and there is a good reason for it. To help you, we have set out every single day of the festival below. You can find exactly where the UAE is right now in the day-by-day table.
Onam ran for 11 days in 2026, not the usual 10. That one extra day pushed Thiruvonam later than most wall calendars showed.
You also get what is still on across Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Two of the biggest Onam shows in the Gulf are still ahead of us.
Onam 2026 Dates
Onam 2026 began on Sunday 16 August with Atham and ended on Thursday 27 August with Avittam. Thiruvonam, the day the feast is served, fell on Wednesday 26 August 2026.
| Date | Star day | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 16 Aug | Atham | First flowers go down for the pookalam |
| Mon 17 Aug | Chithira | The flower carpet grows a ring |
| Tue 18 Aug | Chodhi | Shopping for new clothes starts |
| Wed 19 Aug | Visakham | The extra day begins here |
| Thu 20 Aug | Visakham (second day) | The star runs across two dates |
| Fri 21 Aug | Anizham | Boat race day in Kerala |
| Sat 22 Aug | Thriketa | Mall pookalam contests across Dubai |
| Sun 23 Aug | Moolam | Smaller sadhyas begin |
| Mon 24 Aug | Pooradam | Mahabali figures go up at home |
| Tue 25 Aug | Uthradam | First Onam and the big grocery run |
| Wed 26 Aug | Thiruvonam | The main day and the sadhya |
| Thu 27 Aug | Avittam | Third Onam closes the festival |
Onam follows the Malayalam calendar, which counts days by nakshatras — the star positions used to mark dates in Kerala. Because of that, the Onam 2026 dates move against the English calendar every year.
Check any Onam 2026 day
Pick a date and we will tell you which day of Onam it was. Thiruvonam — the main day of Onam 2026.
Why Did Onam Last 11 Days in 2026?
Onam ran 11 days because the star Visakham fell across two calendar dates, 19 and 20 August 2026. The count from Atham to Thiruvonam is normally 10 star days, so the extra date pushed everything back by one.
Malayalis call the normal count Atham pathinu, meaning the tenth day from Atham. This year that rule of thumb simply did not work. The last time it happened was 2017, per Gulf News (19 August 2026).
Is Onam a Public Holiday in the UAE?
No. Onam is not a public holiday in the UAE, and no emirate gives a day off for it. Paid public holidays here are set by the UAE Cabinet and cover national and Islamic dates only.
⚠️ One rule to know
Your employer does not owe you leave for Onam. Most Malayali families in the UAE book annual leave for Thiruvonam, or shift the family sadhya to the weekend after it.
That is exactly why the UAE festival stretches so far past the main day. Community groups book halls for the weekends that follow, so the season keeps going long after Kerala has finished.
What Onam Events Are Still On in the UAE?
Two large community shows are still ahead, and both are at Expo Centre Sharjah. Several Kerala restaurants are also serving the feast until 30 August.
Onam gatherings in the UAE work around the working week, so they spread out. Community organisations, family groups and company clubs hold their own events across the weekends that follow Thiruvonam 2026.
When Is Onam 2027 in the UAE?
Thiruvonam 2027 falls on Sunday 12 September 2027. Atham, the opening day, starts around 3 September 2027.
That is a full 17 days later than Thiruvonam 2026. Onam sits in the Malayalam month of Chingam, so it lands anywhere between late August and mid-September.
📅 Good news for 2027
Thiruvonam 2027 falls on a Sunday. Families across Dubai and Sharjah get to hold the sadhya on the day itself, with no annual leave needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Onam 2026 dates in the UAE?
Onam 2026 ran from Sunday 16 August to Thursday 27 August. Atham opened the festival on 16 August and Thiruvonam, the main day, fell on Wednesday 26 August. Avittam, also called Third Onam, closed it on 27 August. The UAE follows the same Malayalam calendar dates as Kerala, so there is no separate local date. Community events across Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi continue into September.
Is Onam over in the UAE?
The 11 days of Onam finished on 27 August 2026, but the UAE season is not over. Community organisations hold their celebrations on the weekends that follow, because Onam is not a public holiday and most people work through it. Onamamangam takes place at Expo Centre Sharjah on 6 September and Rajakeeyam follows on 12 September. Several Kerala restaurants serve sadhya until 30 August.
Why did Onam last 11 days in 2026 instead of 10?
Onam normally runs 10 star days, from Atham to Thiruvonam. In 2026 the star Visakham fell across two calendar dates, 19 and 20 August. That extra date pushed Thiruvonam to the 11th day of the sequence rather than the 10th. Malayalis describe the usual count as Atham pathinu, meaning the tenth day from Atham. The last time this happened was in 2017.
Is Onam a public holiday in the UAE?
No. Onam is not a public holiday anywhere in the UAE, and no emirate grants a day off for it. Paid public holidays are set by the UAE Cabinet and cover national dates and Islamic dates only. Employers have no duty to give leave for Onam. Most Malayali residents book annual leave for Thiruvonam or move the family sadhya to the following weekend.
When is Thiruvonam 2027?
Thiruvonam 2027 falls on Sunday 12 September 2027. Atham, the first of the ten star days, begins around 3 September 2027. That places Onam 2027 more than two weeks later than Onam 2026, because the festival follows the Malayalam month of Chingam rather than the English calendar. A Sunday Thiruvonam suits UAE families, who get the main day off without booking annual leave.
What is the difference between Uthradam and Thiruvonam?
Uthradam is the day before Thiruvonam and is also called First Onam. It fell on Tuesday 25 August 2026. Uthradam is the big shopping and cooking day, when Malayali families across Dubai buy vegetables, banana leaves and flowers. Thiruvonam is the main day itself and fell on Wednesday 26 August 2026. The sadhya, the large vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf, is eaten on Thiruvonam.
Which emirate celebrates Onam the most?
Dubai and Sharjah lead, and the gap between them is small. Sharjah hosts the two largest Onam gatherings in the Gulf, both at Expo Centre Sharjah, with Onamamangam seating more than 8,000 guests. Dubai has the density of Kerala restaurants, with Karama and Bur Dubai at the centre of it. Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah all hold community events too.
What is Avittam or Third Onam?
Avittam is the day after Thiruvonam and closes the festival. It fell on Thursday 27 August 2026. In Kerala the Mahabali figures made from clay are taken down and the pookalam flower carpet is cleared. Many families in the UAE treat Avittam as a second, quieter meal day with relatives. Some Kerala restaurants in Dubai keep serving sadhya past Avittam, right through to 30 August.
Sources: Gulf News (19 and 25 August 2026); Khaleej Times (25 August 2026); Onamamangam; Platinumlist Sharjah.
