London lights up for Diwali every autumn, with colourful festivals, music, dance, food, family activities and celebrations across the capital.
In 2026, Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November, but some of London’s biggest celebrations take place earlier, including the free Diwali on the Square festival in Trafalgar Square on Sunday 25 October.
Whether you’re looking for fireworks, a family-friendly afternoon, a traditional temple celebration or somewhere to enjoy Indian food and culture, there are plenty of ways to join in without spending a fortune. Here are the Diwali events in London we have confirmed for 2026, with dates, entry conditions and practical details.
Quick event finder
| Looking for | Go to | Entry |
|---|---|---|
| The biggest free central London celebration | Diwali on the Square, 25 Oct | Free, no booking |
| Lights, puppets and drummers in a park | Diwali at Marble Hill, 24 Oct | Free, optional booking |
| An outdoor street festival | Bloomsbury Festival Diwali, 31 Oct | Free, just turn up |
| A lantern parade and family workshops | National Maritime Museum, 7 Nov | Free |
| A free market and Bollywood dance party | Wembley Park Diwali Market, 7 and 8 Nov | Free |
| Fireworks | Brent and Harrow Fireworks, 7 Nov | Free daytime, paid evening |
| A traditional temple festival on Diwali | Bhaktivedanta Manor, 8 Nov | Free ticket needed |
| Diwali crafts at a historic house | Osterley Park and House, selected November days | Admission charges apply |
Diwali events in London by date
Diwali at Marble Hill, Twickenham
Saturday 24 October, 2pm to 7pm · Marble Hill, Richmond Road, Twickenham · Free
English Heritage turns the grounds of this Georgian riverside villa into an evening of illuminations, dancers, dhol drummers, giant puppets and hands-on lantern-making workshops. It is one of the prettiest ways to start the season, especially as the lights come on after dark.
Entry is free. You don’t need to book, but a free online booking guarantees entry, which is worth doing if you are travelling across London. Diwali at Marble Hill on English Heritage
Diwali on the Square, Trafalgar Square
Sunday 25 October, 1pm to 7pm · Trafalgar Square, WC2 · Free, no ticket needed
The Mayor of London’s festival is the city’s big public celebration of Diwali. It opens with a dance sequence of around 200 dancers, followed by a main stage of music, dance and performances from London’s Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities.
Around the square there are family activities including sari and turban tying, yoga, meditation, puppet shows and dance workshops, plus a market and food stalls selling vegan and vegetarian food. Entry and the activities are free; food and market purchases cost extra. Arrive early in the afternoon for a good view of the opening dance. Diwali on the Square on london.gov.uk
Bloomsbury Festival Diwali celebrations, King’s Cross
Saturday 31 October · Cromer Street and Bramber Green, WC1 · Free
Bloomsbury Festival’s month-long 2026 programme ends with two free Diwali events. Diwali Festival Outdoors runs from noon to 6pm on Cromer Street and Bramber Green, with music, food and Bollywood sounds: just turn up. Nearby, the AKDC Diwali Take Over at Holy Cross Church, 98 Cromer Street, runs from 2pm to 4pm with Kuchipudi dance and a drawing and painting workshop. Check the festival listing before you go, as the booking details for the dance session vary between listings.
It is a relaxed, neighbourhood-scale celebration a short walk from King’s Cross. See our Bloomsbury Festival 2026 guide and the festival programme.
Diwali at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Saturday 7 November, 10.30am to 5pm · National Maritime Museum, Greenwich · Free
The best all-day family option. The museum’s programme includes Bhangra and dhol drumming with Eternal Taal, Rajasthani folk and Gujarati Garba, Bharatanatyam and a sound garden. There is a rangoli workshop (11am to 4.15pm), a lantern-making workshop where you make a lotus lantern for the parade (11.30am to 4.30pm), a bag-making workshop and the museum’s first Diwali Bazaar of South Asian designers and makers (11am to 4pm).
The day ends with a lantern parade at 5.15pm, starting by the Ship in a Bottle artwork on the Greenwich Park side of the museum. All events are free. You can book a free museum ticket in advance to guarantee entry or simply arrive on the day. Diwali at the National Maritime Museum
Wembley Park Diwali Market
Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November, 10am to 7pm · Market Square, Wembley Park · Free
Over Diwali weekend, more than 40 traders fill Market Square, next to Brent Civic Centre and around five minutes’ walk from Wembley Park station. Expect Indian food and festive treats, home décor, jewellery and gifts.
On Saturday from 1pm to 5pm there is a free Diwali dance party with Bollywood, South Asian music and disco in the Samovar space next to the market. On Sunday, Diwali itself, there is live music in the market. Entry is free; you only pay for what you buy. Wembley Park Diwali Market
Brent and Harrow Fireworks Display
Saturday 7 November · Byron Park, Peel Road, Harrow · Free from noon to 3pm, tickets for the evening
This big community event mixes Diwali with a fireworks night. Gates open at noon and entry is free until 3pm. The evening is ticketed: the organisers sell tickets online and say booking ahead saves on the door price. Check the website for current prices.
There is a full-size funfair with more than 15 rides, a world food area, face painting and henna, a Diwali pre-show with a choreographed dance team and a children’s pre-show. The 20-minute musical fireworks display starts at around 7.45pm. The rides, food and fireworks evening all cost extra. Brent and Harrow Fireworks
Diwali Festival at Bhaktivedanta Manor (outside London)
Sunday 8 November, 10am to 7pm · Bhaktivedanta Manor, Letchmore Heath, near Watford, Hertfordshire · Free, ticket required
One of the UK’s biggest Diwali festivals takes place at this Hare Krishna temple just outside Greater London. The programme includes stage entertainment, drama and music, free meals for everyone, children’s activities such as games, crafts, face painting and henna, the Ramayan Forest Trail and a lakeside display of more than 3,500 lotus candles. Candle offerings on the main stage start at 7pm, and the temple stays open for darshan until 9pm.
A free ticket is required and you cannot enter without one. The temple says tickets are released on Sunday 1 November at noon (its FAQ still lists the time as to be confirmed), so set a reminder. Parking is free on the fields, which can be muddy, and shuttle buses run from selected stations; a shuttle ticket also works as your entry pass. There are no fireworks. Diwali at Bhaktivedanta Manor
Marigold Festival at Osterley Park and House
Selected days, 7 to 29 November, 11am to 3pm · Osterley Park and House, Isleworth · Normal admission charges apply
The National Trust’s Diwali-inspired Marigold Festival brings interactive crafts to the house and gardens, a community-made rangoli and a light projection in the Entrance Hall, and stories about the craftsmanship behind Diwali and Osterley. It runs on 7, 8, 11 to 15, 18 to 22 and 25 to 29 November.
The activities are free, but normal admission charges for the house apply (National Trust members go free). No booking is needed: buy tickets at the welcome kiosk. Marigold Festival at Osterley
Where to celebrate Diwali on Sunday 8 November
If you want to celebrate on Diwali itself, you have three very different options:
- Wembley Park Diwali Market is a public cultural market with live music. It is free, easy to reach by Tube and needs no planning.
- Bhaktivedanta Manor is a large religious festival with free meals and performances. It is free but needs a ticket from 1 November, and it is outside London, so allow time for the shuttle or the drive.
- Neasden Temple traditionally marks Diwali with worship and celebrations, but its 2026 programme was not yet published when we checked. Look at the temple’s website closer to the day.
The market suits anyone who wants festive food and atmosphere. The temples are places of worship first, so go with respect for the ceremonies as well as the spectacle.
Diwali fireworks in London
Not every Diwali celebration includes fireworks, so don’t assume a festival has a display. For 2026, the only confirmed Diwali fireworks in our list are:
| Event | Date | Fireworks | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brent and Harrow Fireworks | Saturday 7 November | Around 7.45pm | Free noon to 3pm; ticket for the evening |
Bhaktivedanta Manor has confirmed there will be no fireworks this year. Neasden Temple had not confirmed its plans when we checked.
For fireworks, travel by public transport where you can: parking near Byron Park is limited, and roads around big displays get busy as everyone leaves at once. Check TfL for weekend engineering works before you set off.
Free Diwali activities for families
- National Maritime Museum: the strongest family day, with rangoli and lantern-making workshops, dance and the lantern parade. Free, with optional free museum tickets.
- Diwali on the Square: puppet shows, sari and turban tying and dance workshops in the middle of town. Free, but busy, so keep little ones close.
- Diwali at Marble Hill: giant puppets, drummers and lantern-making in a big open park. Free, with optional booking.
- Wembley Park Diwali Market: the Saturday afternoon dance party is a fun, low-commitment outing.
- Osterley Park: crafts and rangoli in a historic house, with admission charges for non-members.
For more ideas, see our guide to free half-term and Halloween activities with kids and this weekend’s free things to do in London.
Where to experience Diwali food and culture
Diwali is a festival of sweets as much as lights. Look out for ladoo, barfi and jalebi, and for the trays of mithai that families share and give as gifts. Most festival food is vegetarian, and Diwali on the Square specifically promises vegan and vegetarian stalls.
For a cheap festive treat, a box of mixed sweets from a sweet shop usually goes further than a festival meal. Southall and Wembley both have long-established South Asian high streets full of sweet shops, grocers and restaurants, and they are lively in the run-up to Diwali. Not every business runs a Diwali offer, so compare prices rather than assuming a festive deal.
To keep costs down, eat at the free festivals’ stalls and compare a few before you buy, or use our cheap eats guide and food deals by day for a sit-down meal afterwards.
Visiting a temple during Diwali
Many temples welcome visitors during Diwali, but they are places of worship and their ceremonies are not performances. Diwali is also celebrated differently across communities: Hindus, Sikhs (who mark Bandi Chhor Divas) and Jains each have their own meanings and traditions, so don’t expect every temple to celebrate in the same way.
- Follow each temple’s own guidance. Neasden Temple, for example, asks visitors to cover shoulders, navels and thighs, and bans photography inside the temple complex.
- Dress modestly and be ready to remove your shoes before entering worship areas.
- Leave large bags at home. Some temples have strict bag rules and may restrict entry when they reach capacity.
- Expect special arrangements during major festivals, such as tickets, timed entry or one-way routes.
How to celebrate Diwali in London on a budget
- Start with the free festivals. Trafalgar Square, Marble Hill, Bloomsbury, Greenwich and Wembley Park are all free to attend.
- Free admission is not the same as free everything. Food, market stalls, funfair rides and evening fireworks cost extra.
- Book free tickets early. Bhaktivedanta Manor’s free tickets are needed for entry, and free bookings at Marble Hill and the Maritime Museum guarantee your place.
- Bring a refillable water bottle and snacks for children.
- Compare food stalls before buying, and share sweets rather than buying a full meal at every stop.
- Use public transport and check weekend engineering works before you travel.
- Check accessibility and facilities on each organiser’s page, especially at outdoor events.
For more ways to enjoy the city without spending much, see our London on a budget guide.
Map view
Diwali celebrations in London, 2026
Green markers have free entry; red markers have paid elements or admission charges. Bhaktivedanta Manor is just outside Greater London.
- Free entry
- Paid elements or admission
8 locations available on the map.
Diwali in London: questions
When is Diwali in London in 2026?
Is Diwali on the Square free?
Where can I watch Diwali fireworks in London?
Where is the biggest Diwali celebration in London?
Can non-Hindus attend Diwali celebrations?
Are there free Diwali events for children?
Checked on 21 October 2026 against each organiser’s official page. Programmes can change, so check the event link before you travel.