Public Holidays in Singapore 2026: Complete Guide for UK Travellers

Singapore is the classic stopover on the way to Australia or Southeast Asia, and a superb short-break city in its own right — spotless, green, and famous for its food. Its public holidays are a window into its multicultural make-up, drawn from the Chinese, Malay, Indian and Christian communities that share the island. Singapore has 11 public holidays in 2026, and a straightforward rule: any that falls on a Sunday is taken on the Monday. This guide lists every public holiday in Singapore in 2026 and how it affects visitors.

Public Holidays in Singapore 2026 — Full List

The table below lists all 11 public holidays gazetted by Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower for 2026. Where a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is a public holiday. Dates for the Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist festivals are set in advance but ultimately depend on lunar calendars.

Date	Holiday	Community / origin	Type	Day
1 January	New Year’s Day	Civil	National	Thursday
17 February	Chinese New Year	Chinese	National	Tuesday
18 February	Chinese New Year (2nd day)	Chinese	National	Wednesday
21 March	Hari Raya Puasa	Malay/Muslim	National	Saturday
3 April	Good Friday	Christian	National	Friday
1 May	Labour Day	Civil	National	Friday
27 May	Hari Raya Haji	Malay/Muslim	National	Wednesday
1 June	Vesak Day (observed)	Buddhist	National	Monday
10 August	National Day (observed)	Civil (9 Aug)	National	Monday
8 November	Deepavali	Indian/Hindu	National	Sunday
25 December	Christmas Day	Christian	National	Friday

Vesak Day falls on Sunday 31 May, so it is observed on Monday 1 June. National Day (9 August) falls on a Sunday and is observed on Monday 10 August. Deepavali (Sunday 8 November) is followed by a public holiday on Monday 9 November. Hari Raya dates depend on the sighting of the moon and may shift slightly.

Long Weekends in Singapore 2026

Where the three- and four-day breaks fall in 2026:

Chinese New Year (14–18 February): Chinese New Year falls on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 February. Many take the Monday too, turning the weekend into a long festive break — the biggest holiday of the Singapore year, when the city is decked in red and many small businesses close.

National Day (8–10 August): National Day (9 August) is observed on Monday 10 August, giving a three-day weekend around Singapore’s independence celebrations and the spectacular Marina Bay parade and fireworks.

Deepavali (7–9 November): With Deepavali on Sunday 8 November and a public holiday on Monday 9 November, early November brings a three-day weekend and Little India at its most dazzling.

What’s Open and Closed on Public Holidays

Singapore barely pauses for public holidays. Shopping malls, restaurants, hawker centres and attractions stay open and are often at their busiest — retail and dining are central to the city’s culture. The main exception is Chinese New Year, when many smaller shops, family-run eateries and some hawker stalls close for a day or two so families can gather, and the first day in particular is noticeably quieter.

Banks and government offices close on public holidays, but ATMs, the MRT and buses run normally — public transport in Singapore is excellent every day of the year. Major attractions such as Gardens by the Bay, Sentosa and the zoo operate as usual, and the big festivals actually add to the experience: Chinatown at Chinese New Year, Geylang Serai at Hari Raya, and Little India at Deepavali are all worth timing a visit around.

Travel tip: If your trip coincides with Chinese New Year, expect a wonderful atmosphere but also some closures — book restaurants ahead and don’t count on every hawker stall being open on the first day or two. Conversely, the festival light-ups in Chinatown, Geylang Serai and Little India are free, spectacular, and a highlight of visiting during a holiday period.

How Singapore’s Public Holidays Compare with UK Bank Holidays

Singapore’s 11 public holidays are a touch more than England and Wales’s eight, but their character is entirely different: rather than a single tradition, they are shared out between the island’s Chinese, Malay, Indian and Christian communities. It is one of the clearest expressions of Singapore’s multicultural identity, and a Monday-substitution rule keeps the count intact when a holiday lands on a Sunday.

Feature	United Kingdom	Singapore
Number of holidays	8 (England & Wales)	11 national
Weekend substitute day	Yes — moved to Monday	When a holiday falls on a Sunday
Cultural spread	Mostly Christian/secular	Chinese, Malay, Indian & Christian
Shops open on holidays?	Many reduced	Mostly open (except Chinese New Year)
Lunar-calendar dates	No	Several (dates confirmed in advance)

For the British comparison, see our list of UK bank holidays. As Singapore is such a popular stopover, our guide to public holidays in Thailand covers another Southeast-Asian favourite where festivals shape the travel calendar, while our public holidays in the UAE guide covers the other classic long-haul stopover.

Key Cultural Holidays Explained

Chinese New Year (17–18 February) is Singapore’s biggest celebration, ushering in the Year of the Horse in 2026. Chinatown transforms with lanterns and street markets, families exchange hongbao (red packets), and the Chingay Parade brings a huge multicultural procession to the streets. It is a joyous time to visit — with the caveat that some small businesses close.

Deepavali (8 November), the Hindu festival of lights, lights up Little India with one of the city’s most beautiful displays, while Hari Raya Puasa marks the end of Ramadan for the Malay-Muslim community, centred on the Geylang Serai bazaar. That a small city marks the major festivals of four faiths as national holidays is, in itself, the story of Singapore.

Did you know? Singapore’s holiday dates for the Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim festivals are set by the Ministry of Manpower and gazetted a year or more ahead, even though they follow lunar calendars. Vesak Day and the two Hari Raya holidays can therefore move by a day compared with other countries, as each nation applies its own method for fixing the date.

Planning Your Trip Around Public Holidays

For UK travellers, Singapore works brilliantly as a two-to-three-day stopover or a long-weekend city break, and its holidays are more an attraction than an obstacle. The city is hot and humid year-round, so timing is really about the festivals: Chinese New Year in February, the National Day celebrations in August, and Deepavali in November are all memorable times to visit. Hotel prices are highest during the Formula 1 night race in September and over Chinese New Year.

Because rooms are at a premium in a compact, high-demand city, it pays to book central accommodation early on Booking.com — especially around Chinese New Year, National Day and the Grand Prix. For more on planning trips around days off, see our guide to long weekends in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many public holidays does Singapore have in 2026?
Singapore has 11 gazetted public holidays in 2026, plus any Monday substitute when a holiday falls on a Sunday.

What happens when a Singapore holiday falls on a Sunday?
The following Monday becomes a public holiday. In 2026, National Day (Sunday 9 August) is observed on Monday 10 August, Vesak Day (Sunday 31 May) on Monday 1 June, and Deepavali (Sunday 8 November) is followed by a holiday on Monday 9 November.

Are shops open on public holidays in Singapore?
Mostly yes. Malls, restaurants, hawker centres and attractions generally stay open. The main exception is Chinese New Year, when many small and family-run businesses close for a day or two.

When is Chinese New Year in Singapore in 2026?
Chinese New Year is on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 February 2026, ushering in the Year of the Horse. Both days are public holidays.

Why do Singapore’s festival holidays differ from other countries’ dates?
The Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim festivals follow lunar calendars, and Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower fixes the official dates in advance using its own method — so Vesak Day and the Hari Raya holidays can fall a day apart from the same festivals elsewhere.

Does the MRT run on public holidays?
Yes. Singapore’s MRT and buses run on public holidays, and the city’s public transport is reliable every day of the year.

Is National Day a good time to visit Singapore?
Yes, if you enjoy a celebration. National Day (observed Monday 10 August 2026) features a major parade and fireworks over Marina Bay, though hotels are busier and pricier around it.

Sources & Last Verified

Singapore Ministry of Manpower — public holidays (mom.gov.sg) — mom.gov.sg
Nager.Date Public Holiday API — Singapore 2026 — date.nager.at/PublicHolidays/2026/SG
Cross-checked against QuickHR MOM listing and timeanddate.com
Last verified: 27 July 2026
Author: Bank Holidays UK Editorial Team