Festivals & Events in Varanasi 2026 Airshow, Dev Diwali and Kumbh Mela guides in one place

The display days are Thursday 22, Friday 23 and Sunday 25 October 2026, with 25 October as the main ceremony. Timings can change at short notice, so please confirm with the IAF and Uttar Pradesh government announcements. Our airshow guide has the full schedule.

Dev Diwali 2026 falls on 24th November 2026 (Tuesday) — Kartik Purnima, the full-moon night about fifteen days after Diwali. See the Dev Diwali Varanasi guide for timings and ghats.

They are very different. The airshow is a daytime flying display over the river on 22–25 October. Dev Diwali is an evening festival of lights on 24 November, and it is the classic Varanasi spectacle of diyas along all 84 ghats. They are a month apart, so most visitors choose one.

No. The airshow is organised by the Indian Air Force with the Uttar Pradesh government and the Varanasi administration. Dev Diwali’s Ganga Aarti, laser show and fire show are organised by UP Tourism and local temple committees. We are a local Varanasi travel team that helps you plan your stay, cabs, boats and itinerary.

Yes. Hotels near the ghats fill up weeks ahead on festival dates, and Dev Diwali boats sell out before the night, so we suggest booking at least 2–4 weeks ahead, earlier for large groups. For the airshow, very large crowds are expected, so book as early as you can.

Yes. The Mahakumbh 2025 at Prayagraj ran from 13 January to 26 February 2025. The Kumbh pages on our main site were written for that event and are listed below as an archive.