Plan your trip · Lucknow
What's on in Lucknow
Lucknow's calendar mixes Shia, Hindu and Nawabi traditions, and a few of its biggest days are found nowhere else. Most follow lunar calendars, so check each year's dates before you book.
Nothing dated is confirmed for Lucknow right now, so here is the year instead — the fixtures that come round annually, and what each one means for a visit.
The year in Lucknow
Lucknow packs most of its outdoor calendar into the cooler months; the pre-monsoon peak is hot enough that daytime processions are genuinely hard going. Broadly, Oct – Mar is when visiting is most comfortable here, and that is when the calendar is busiest — which also means accommodation is most expensive and books furthest ahead.
Most of these follow lunar calendars and move by weeks from year to year, so treat the windows below as the season rather than the date, and confirm the year’s dates before you book around one.
Signature to Lucknow
Lucknow Mahotsav
🗓️ November–DecemberCraft, kathak and the city's food, at its best in the cool weeks.
Planning: Also the season for the Awadhi kitchens the city is actually known for.
Nationwide
Diwali
🗓️ October–NovemberThe biggest holiday of the year — lamps, sweets, fireworks and a week of visiting family. Cities are lit up and markets stay open late.
Holi
🗓️ MarchColoured powder and water, thrown at anyone within reach, mostly through the morning.
Navratri and Dussehra
🗓️ September–OctoberNine nights of fasting, music and dance, ending with Dussehra. What it looks like changes completely by region — garba in Gujarat, pandals in Bengal, processions in the south.
Eid al-Fitr
🗓️ shifts ~11 days earlier each yearThe end of Ramadan. The old quarters of Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Bhopal are at their best in the evenings through the preceding month, when food streets run past midnight.
Makar Sankranti and Pongal
🗓️ mid-JanuaryThe harvest turn, marked with kites in the west and north and four days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
Muharram
Lucknow is the main centre of Shia culture in India, and Muharram is its most important observance. It is a month of mourning for Imam Husain, not a celebration. Majlis gatherings fill the imambaras, and the Chota Imambara is decorated with its chandeliers and lamps. Processions pass through the old city, most of all on Ashura, the tenth day. Muharram moves about eleven days earlier each year and falls in June in 2026 and 2027. Tourist access to the imambaras can be restricted in the first ten days. If you watch a procession, dress plainly, stand back and ask before you take photos.
Bada Mangal (May–June)
Held on every Tuesday of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha, Bada Mangal is Lucknow's own festival for Hanuman. Temples in Aliganj and at Hanuman Setu have queues all day, and thousands of bhandaras, free food stalls, serve sharbat, puri and sweets across the city. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians all run stalls. In 2026 it ran over eight Tuesdays instead of the usual four or five, because of the lunar calendar.
Lucknow Mahotsav (usually late November–December)
A ten-day fair run by the state tourism department, with craft stalls, kathak, ghazals, food and old-style games. It is usually held in late November or December; the 2025 edition opened on 26 November at Smriti Upvan in Ashiyana. Venue and dates change, so check before you go.
Lucknow Literature Festival (November)
An annual literature festival with talks and readings, usually held in November.
Diwali and Jamghat (October–November)
Diwali lights up the markets of Aminabad and Chowk. The day after, Lucknow keeps up an old tradition of kite flying called Jamghat, when rooftops across the old city fill with kites.
Eid, Holi and Christmas
Eid prayers and the evenings of Ramadan make the old city the place to eat. Holi, usually in March, is played loudly in the mornings. At Christmas, Hazratganj and Christ Church are lit up and full of families.
Dewa Mela
About 26 km from the city, the dargah of the Sufi saint Haji Waris Ali Shah at Dewa holds a yearly fair with qawwali. Check the dates locally, as they follow the Hindu calendar.
See the best time to visit to match these dates with the weather.
Questions
Lucknow — FAQ
Can tourists watch the Muharram processions in Lucknow?
Yes, from a respectful distance. It is a time of mourning, so dress plainly, keep quiet, do not block the route and ask before you photograph anyone. Imambara access can be limited in these days.
When is Bada Mangal?
On the Tuesdays of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha, usually from mid-May to June. The exact Tuesdays change each year, so check the Hindu calendar for your dates.
Is Lucknow Mahotsav free to enter?
There is usually a small entry fee, with extra costs for rides and some shows. Check the state tourism department's announcements, as the venue and dates change from year to year.