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Public holidays in Bahrain

14 days in 2026 · 14 in 2027

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Next public holiday

National Day

اليوم الوطني

After it: National Day, Thursday 17 December

Wednesday, 16 December 2026

Bahrain has 14 days off in 2026, and ten of them follow the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Fitr runs from Friday 20 March to Sunday 22 March and Eid al-Adha from Wednesday 27 May to Friday 29 May, three days each; the Islamic new year falls on Tuesday 16 June and the Prophet's birthday on Tuesday 25 August. What sets the calendar apart is Ashura, kept as a two-day public holiday on Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 June for the commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, which the Shia observe.

The other four days are fixed: New Year's Day, Labour Day on 1 May and the two days of National Day on 16 and 17 December, the date on which Bahrain became formally independent in 1971. The dates for 2026 are the Central Bank of Bahrain's list of official bank holidays, which marks every Islamic day as subject to confirmation, because the months begin with the sighting of the moon.

In 2027 the Islamic days fall ten to eleven days earlier: Eid al-Fitr from Tuesday 9 March, Eid al-Adha from Sunday 16 May, and the Prophet's birthday on Sunday 15 August. No official list for 2027 is on file, and those dates come from a commercial calendar.

Days off in 2026
14Nationwide public holidays
On a weekday
12Monday to Friday
On a weekend
2Saturday or Sunday
Long weekends
3and 5 with one day of leave

2026

Public holidays in Bahrain in 2026

  1. 1 January: New Year's Dayرأس السنة الميلاديةThe Gregorian new year, kept as a day off alongside the Islamic one.Thursday
  2. 20 March: Eid al-Fitrعيد الفطرThe festival that ends Ramadan, on the first of Shawwal, with two further days off after it.FridayDate moves
  3. 21 March: Eid al-Fitr holidayعيد الفطرThe festival that ends Ramadan, on the first of Shawwal, with two further days off after it.SaturdayDate moves
  4. 22 March: Eid al-Fitr holidayعيد الفطرThe festival that ends Ramadan, on the first of Shawwal, with two further days off after it.SundayDate moves
  5. 1 May: Labour Dayيوم العمالWorkers' Day on 1 May, called Eid al-Oumal locally, marking the achievements of workers.Friday
  6. 27 May: Eid al-Adhaعيد الأضحىThe feast of the sacrifice, recalling Ibrahim's readiness to sacrifice his son, kept for three days from the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah.WednesdayDate moves
  7. 28 May: Eid al-Adha holidayعيد الأضحىThe feast of the sacrifice, recalling Ibrahim's readiness to sacrifice his son, kept for three days from the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah.ThursdayDate moves
  8. 29 May: Eid al-Adha holidayعيد الأضحىThe feast of the sacrifice, recalling Ibrahim's readiness to sacrifice his son, kept for three days from the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah.FridayDate moves
  9. 16 June: Islamic New Yearرأس السنة الهجريةThe first of Muharram, the start of the Islamic year.TuesdayDate moves
  10. 24 June: AshuraعاشوراءThe ninth and tenth of Muharram, marking the martyrdom of Imam Hussein at Karbala, and kept as two days off. Britannica notes that its celebration among the country's Shia became an official holiday more recently than the two Eids.WednesdayDate moves
  11. 25 June: AshuraعاشوراءThe ninth and tenth of Muharram, marking the martyrdom of Imam Hussein at Karbala, and kept as two days off. Britannica notes that its celebration among the country's Shia became an official holiday more recently than the two Eids.ThursdayDate moves
  12. 25 August: The Prophet's Birthdayالمولد النبويThe birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, on the twelfth of Rabi al-Awwal.TuesdayDate moves
  13. 16 December: National Dayاليوم الوطنيNational Day, kept on 16 and 17 December. Bahrain declared independence on 15 August 1971 and became formally independent as the State of Bahrain on 16 December 1971.Wednesday
  14. 17 December: National Dayاليوم الوطنيNational Day, kept on 16 and 17 December. Bahrain declared independence on 15 August 1971 and became formally independent as the State of Bahrain on 16 December 1971.Thursday

Long weekends

Long weekends in Bahrain in 2026

Runs of three days or more off, with weekends counted, and the working days that join a holiday to a weekend when taken as leave.

  • 4daysThu 1 Jan to Sun 4 JanWith Fri 2 Jan taken as leave · New Year's Day
  • 3daysFri 20 Mar to Sun 22 MarEid al-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr holiday, Eid al-Fitr holiday
  • 3daysFri 1 May to Sun 3 MayLabour Day
  • 5daysWed 27 May to Sun 31 MayEid al-Adha, Eid al-Adha holiday, Eid al-Adha holiday
  • 4daysSat 13 Jun to Tue 16 JunWith Mon 15 Jun taken as leave · Islamic New Year
  • 5daysWed 24 Jun to Sun 28 JunWith Fri 26 Jun taken as leave · Ashura, Ashura
  • 4daysSat 22 Aug to Tue 25 AugWith Mon 24 Aug taken as leave · The Prophet's Birthday
  • 5daysWed 16 Dec to Sun 20 DecWith Fri 18 Dec taken as leave · National Day, National Day

2027

Public holidays in Bahrain in 2027

  1. 1 January: New Year's Dayرأس السنة الميلاديةFriday
  2. 9 March: Eid al-Fitrعيد الفطرTuesdayDate moves
  3. 10 March: Eid al-Fitr holidayعيد الفطرWednesdayDate moves
  4. 11 March: Eid al-Fitr holidayعيد الفطرThursdayDate moves
  5. 1 May: Labour Dayيوم العمالSaturday
  6. 16 May: Eid al-Adhaعيد الأضحىSundayDate moves
  7. 17 May: Eid al-Adha holidayعيد الأضحىMondayDate moves
  8. 18 May: Eid al-Adha holidayعيد الأضحىTuesdayDate moves
  9. 6 June: Islamic New Yearرأس السنة الهجريةSundayDate moves
  10. 14 June: AshuraعاشوراءMondayDate moves
  11. 15 June: AshuraعاشوراءTuesdayDate moves
  12. 15 August: The Prophet's Birthdayالمولد النبويSundayDate moves
  13. 16 December: National Dayاليوم الوطنيThursday
  14. 17 December: National Dayاليوم الوطنيFriday

Observances

Days marked in Bahrain that are not days off

  1. 22 February: Sports Dayاليوم الرياضيSports Day, meant to promote exercise and community sport. Wikipedia's list describes it as a half day only, and the Central Bank's list of bank holidays leaves it out, so it is shown here as marked rather than as a day off.Sunday
  2. 26 May: Arafat Dayيوم عرفةThe ninth of Dhu al-Hijjah, the day of the pilgrims' standing at Arafat on the eve of Eid al-Adha. Timeanddate lists it as a government holiday in 2026, but it is not among the Central Bank's bank holidays.TuesdayDate moves

The sources disagree on Ashura in 2026. The Central Bank lists Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 June; timeanddate gives Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June, with a further day off on Sunday 28 June. The Central Bank's dates are used here.

Timeanddate also records government holidays that do not appear on the Central Bank's list: two extra days after Eid al-Fitr on Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 March 2026, Sunday 3 May for Labour Day, which falls on a Friday, and Sunday 31 May after Eid al-Adha. These apply to the public sector in its account and are not counted here.

The weekend has been Friday and Saturday since 1 September 2006, when it moved from Thursday and Friday. In 2026 three of the days off fall on a Friday and one on a Saturday.

Common questions

Questions about public holidays in Bahrain

How many public holidays does Bahrain have in 2026?

Fourteen days off in the Central Bank of Bahrain's list: New Year's Day, three days of Eid al-Fitr from 20 March, Labour Day, three days of Eid al-Adha from 27 May, the Islamic new year on 16 June, two days of Ashura on 24 and 25 June, the Prophet's birthday on 25 August and National Day on 16 and 17 December.

Why does Bahrain have two days off for Ashura?

Ashura falls on the ninth and tenth of Muharram and marks the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, which the Shia commemorate, and both days are public holidays. Most Bahraini citizens are Shia in most estimates. In 2026 the Central Bank lists Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 June; timeanddate gives 25 and 26 June.

When is Bahrain National Day?

On 16 and 17 December, two days off every year. In 2026 they fall on Wednesday and Thursday, and in 2027 on Thursday and Friday. The date recalls 16 December 1971, when Bahrain became formally independent as the State of Bahrain.

When is Eid al-Fitr in Bahrain in 2026 and 2027?

In 2026 the Central Bank lists three days from Friday 20 March to Sunday 22 March. For 2027 a commercial calendar gives Tuesday 9 March to Thursday 11 March. The dates depend on the sighting of the new moon at the end of Ramadan, and the official list marks them as subject to confirmation until then.

Is Sports Day a public holiday in Bahrain?

Not a full one. Sports Day on 22 February appears in some holiday lists, but Wikipedia describes it as a half day and the Central Bank's list of bank holidays does not include it, so it is shown here as a marked day.

What happens when a holiday falls on a weekend in Bahrain?

The Central Bank's list simply gives the holiday dates, with no day in lieu. Timeanddate records government days off in lieu in 2026, such as Sunday 3 May after Labour Day on a Friday and Sunday 31 May after the last day of Eid al-Adha fell on a Friday, which it describes as government holidays. Those days are not counted here.

Is Arafat Day a day off in Bahrain?

It depends on the source. Arafat Day falls on Tuesday 26 May in 2026 and Saturday 15 May in 2027. Timeanddate lists it as a government holiday in 2026 and a commercial calendar lists it as a national holiday in 2027, but the Central Bank's list of bank holidays leaves it out.

Dates from Nager.Date, read 2026-09-30. The page counts from Thursday, 1 October 2026, the day it was built.