Kathmandu Festivals 2026 & 2027
Kathmandu has 8 festivals with confirmed dates on the 2026-2027 calendar below, each linked to its official source. Pick the ones that fit your window, then build the rest of the trip around them.
The Kathmandu festival calendar leads with these:
- Nepal Human Rights International Film festivalNov 27 - Dec 1film festival
- Indra JatraSep 25 - Sep 30chariot procession festival
- DashainOct 11 - Oct 25national festival
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By TripSapien Research · Updated May 20, 2026
Festival calendar
September 2026
- Sep 25 - Sep 30
chariot procession festival. Kathmandu's eight-day Indra Jatra fills Durbar Square with masked dances, the towering Yosin pole, and the living goddess Kumari's chariot processions through the old city.
October 2026
- Oct 11 - Oct 25
national festival
November 2026
- Nov 7 - Nov 11
festival of lights. Tihar lights Kathmandu with five days of oil lamps, marigold garlands, and rangoli — crows, dogs, and cows are honored in turn before Laxmi Puja's lamplit night and Bhai Tika.
- Nov 27 - Dec 1
Nepal Human Rights International Film festival
film festival. Human rights film festival in Nepal.
March 2027
- Mar 6
Maha Shivaratri at Pashupatinath
temple festival
April 2027
- Apr 6
parade
May 2027
- May 20
temple festival
September 2027
- Sep 14
chariot procession festival
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Dates to verify
These are useful leads, not source-backed dates. Check with the organizer before booking around them.
Oct 10 - Oct 24 · Planning lead · projected date
Nov 6 - Nov 10 · Planning lead · projected date
Nepal Human Rights International Film festival
Nov 26 - Nov 30 · Planning lead · projected date
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