The academic calendar in Karnataka is thoughtfully structured to provide students and educators with a balanced year that harmonizes academic excellence with the state’s rich cultural heritage. These breaks, mandated by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Government of Karnataka, are strategically timed to coincide with major festivals and seasonal shifts. For parents, students, and teachers, staying updated on the official school holiday list is essential for effective academic planning, family travel, and community participation throughout the year.
This guide presents the official Karnataka School Holiday List for the 2026 academic year, detailing mandated closures for national holidays, regional festivals, and primary term breaks like summer and winter vacations. Whether you are preparing for Ugadi, Dasara, or Deepavali, or confirming the dates for the long summer break, this resource serves as a definitive reference. While these dates apply to all government and government-aided schools, specific private or CBSE/ICSE-affiliated institutions may have minor variations in their internal schedules.
Major School Vacation Periods 2026
The Karnataka government typically organizes the academic year around three major seasonal breaks. Based on standard academic patterns for 2026, the expected schedule is as follows:
| Break Type | Estimated Duration | Tentative Dates |
| Summer Vacation | 4-6 Weeks | May 4, 2026 – June 10, 2026 |
| Dasara (Mid-Term) Break | 10-12 Days | September 24, 2026 – October 5, 2026 |
| Winter/Christmas Break | 10-15 Days | December 21, 2026 – January 15, 2027 |
Karnataka School Holiday Calendar 2026
The Government of Karnataka has officially released the list of public holidays for the year 2026, carefully balancing statutory requirements with the state's diverse cultural and religious heritage. The 2026 calendar consists of 26 General (Gazetted) Holidays, during which all state government offices, schools, and banks will remain closed, and 23 Optional (Restricted) Holidays.
| S.No. | Date | Day | Occasion |
| 1 | January 1, 2026 | Thursday | New Year Day |
| 2 | January 14, 2026 | Wednesday | Bhogi |
| 3 | January 15, 2026 | Thursday | Sankranti / Pongal (Makara Sankranti) |
| 4 | January 26, 2026 | Monday | Republic Day |
| 5 | February 15, 2026 | Sunday | Maha Shivaratri |
| 6 | March 4, 2026 | Wednesday | Holi |
| 7 | March 19, 2026 | Thursday | Ugadi |
| 8 | March 21, 2026 | Saturday | Eid-ul-Fitr (Ramzan) |
| 9 | March 22, 2026 | Sunday | Following Day of Ramzan |
| 10 | April 5, 2026 | Sunday | Babu Jagjivan Ram’s Birthday |
| 11 | March 26, 2026 | Thursday | Shri Ram Navami |
| 12 | April 14, 2026 | Tuesday | Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s Birthday |
| 13 | April 3, 2026 | Friday | Good Friday |
| 14 | May 27, 2026 | Wednesday | Eid-ul-Azha (Bakrid) |
| 15 | June 26, 2026 | Friday | Muharram / Ashoora |
| 16 | August 15, 2026 | Saturday | Independence Day |
| 17 | August 17, 2026 | Monday | Sri Krishna Ashtami |
| 18 | August 26, 2026 | Wednesday | Vinayaka Chavithi |
| 19 | August 28, 2026 | Friday | Raksha Bandhan |
| 20 | September 16, 2026 | Wednesday | Eid Milad-un-Nabi |
| 21 | October 2, 2026 | Friday | Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti |
| 22 | October 3, 2026 | Saturday | Following Day of Dasara |
| 23 | November 8, 2026 | Sunday | Diwali / Deepavali |
| 24 | November 24, 2026 | Tuesday | Kartika Purnima / Guru Nanak’s Birthday |
| 25 | December 25, 2026 | Friday | Christmas |
| 26 | December 26, 2026 | Saturday | Following Day of Christmas |
Karnataka Holiday List 2026
Gazetted Holiday List 2026
| S.No. | Date | Day | Occasion |
| 1 | January 15, 2026 | Thursday | Makara Sankranti / Uttarayana Punyakala |
| 2 | January 26, 2026 | Monday | Republic Day |
| 3 | March 19, 2026 | Thursday | Ugadi Festival |
| 4 | March 21, 2026 | Saturday | Khutub-E-Ramzan (Eid-ul-Fitr) |
| 5 | March 31, 2026 | Tuesday | Mahaveera Jayanthi |
| 6 | April 03, 2026 | Friday | Good Friday |
| 7 | April 14, 2026 | Tuesday | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Jayanthi |
| 8 | April 20, 2026 | Monday | Basava Jayanthi / Akshaya Tritiya |
| 9 | May 01, 2026 | Friday | May Day (Labour Day) |
| 10 | May 28, 2026 | Thursday | Bakrid |
| 11 | June 26, 2026 | Friday | Last Day of Moharam |
| 12 | August 15, 2026 | Saturday | Independence Day |
| 13 | August 26, 2026 | Wednesday | Eid-Milad |
| 14 | September 14, 2026 | Monday | Varasiddhi Vinayaka Vrata (Ganesh Chaturthi) |
| 15 | October 02, 2026 | Friday | Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti |
| 16 | October 20, 2026 | Tuesday | Mahanavami / Ayudhapooja |
| 17 | October 21, 2026 | Wednesday | Vijayadashami |
| 18 | November 10, 2026 | Tuesday | Balipadyami / Deepavali |
| 19 | November 27, 2026 | Friday | Kanakadasa Jayanthi |
| 20 | December 25, 2026 | Friday | Christmas |
Note: Several major festivals fall on Sundays in 2026 and are therefore not listed as separate public holidays. These include Maha Shivaratri (Feb 15), Maharshi Valmiki Jayanthi (Oct 25), Kannada Rajyotsava (Nov 1), and Naraka Chaturdashi (Nov 8).
Restricted / Optional Holiday List 2026
| S.No. | Date | Day | Restricted Holiday Name |
| 1 | January 01, 2026 | Thursday | New Year's Day |
| 2 | January 27, 2026 | Tuesday | Sri Madvanavami |
| 3 | February 04, 2026 | Wednesday | Shab-e-Barath |
| 4 | March 02, 2026 | Monday | Holi Festival |
| 5 | March 17, 2026 | Tuesday | Shab-e-Qadar |
| 6 | March 20, 2026 | Friday | Jumat-Ul-Wida |
| 7 | March 23, 2026 | Monday | Devara Daseemaiah Jayanthi |
| 8 | March 27, 2026 | Friday | Sri Ramanavami |
| 9 | April 04, 2026 | Saturday | Holy Saturday |
| 10 | April 21, 2026 | Tuesday | Sri Shankarayacharya Jayanthi |
| 11 | April 22, 2026 | Wednesday | Sri Ramanujacharya Jayanthi |
| 12 | August 21, 2026 | Friday | Varamahalakshmi Vrata |
| 13 | August 27, 2026 | Thursday | Yajur Upakarma |
| 14 | August 28, 2026 | Friday | Brahma Shri Narayana Guru Jayanthi / Raksha Bandhan |
| 15 | September 04, 2026 | Friday | Sri Krishna Janmashtami |
| 16 | September 08, 2026 | Tuesday | Kanya Mariyamma Jayanthi |
| 17 | September 17, 2026 | Thursday | Vishwakarma Jayanthi |
| 18 | September 25, 2026 | Friday | Ananta Padmanabha Vrata |
| 19 | November 24, 2026 | Tuesday | Guru Nanak Jayanthi |
| 20 | November 26, 2026 | Thursday | Huttari Festival |
| 21 | December 24, 2026 | Thursday | Christmas Eve |
Karnataka Holidays 2026: Month-wise
Karnataka School Holidays: January 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday Type | Occasion |
| 01 Jan | Thursday | Restricted | New Year's Day |
| 14 Jan | Wednesday | Restricted | Uttarayana Punyakala / Makara Sankranti |
| 15 Jan | Thursday | General | Makara Sankranti Festival |
| 26 Jan | Monday | General | Republic Day |
| 27 Jan | Tuesday | Restricted | Sri Madvanavami |
Karnataka School Holidays: February 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday Type | Occasion |
| 04 Feb | Wednesday | Restricted | Shab-e-Barath |
| 15 Feb | Sunday | General | Maha Shivratri (Falling on Sunday) |
Karnataka School Holidays: March 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday Type | Occasion |
| 02 Mar | Monday | Restricted | Holi Festival |
| 17 Mar | Tuesday | Restricted | Shab-e-Qadar |
| 19 Mar | Thursday | General | Ugadi Festival |
| 20 Mar | Friday | Restricted | Jumat-Ul-Wida |
| 21 Mar | Saturday | General | Khutba-E-Ramzan (Eid al-Fitr) |
| 23 Mar | Monday | Restricted | Devara Daseemaiah Jayanthi |
| 27 Mar | Friday | Restricted | Sri Ramanavami |
| 31 Mar | Tuesday | General | Mahaveera Jayanthi |
Karnataka School Holidays: April 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday Type | Occasion |
| 03 Apr | Friday | General | Good Friday |
| 04 Apr | Saturday | Restricted | Holy Saturday |
| 14 Apr | Tuesday | General | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Jayanthi |
| 20 Apr | Monday | General | Basava Jayanthi / Akshaya Tritiya |
| 21 Apr | Tuesday | Restricted | Sri Shankarayacharya Jayanthi |
| 22 Apr | Wednesday | Restricted | Sri Ramanujacharya Jayanthi |
Karnataka School Holidays: May 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday Type | Occasion |
| 01 May | Friday | General | May Day / Labour Day |
| 28 May | Thursday | General | Bakrid (Eid al-Adha) |
Karnataka School Holidays: June 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday Type | Occasion |
| 26 Jun | Friday | General | Last Day of Moharam |
Karnataka School Holidays: July 2026
No major general or restricted holidays fall in July for the 2026 calendar year in Karnataka.
Karnataka School Holidays: August 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday Type | Occasion |
| 15 Aug | Saturday | General | Independence Day |
| 21 Aug | Friday | Restricted | Varamahalakshmi Vrata |
| 26 Aug | Wednesday | General | Eid-Milad |
| 27 Aug | Thursday | Restricted | Yajur Upakarma |
| 28 Aug | Friday | Restricted | Brahma Shri Narayana Guru Jayanthi / Raksha Bandhan |
Karnataka School Holidays: September 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday Type | Occasion |
| 04 Sep | Friday | Restricted | Sri Krishna Janmashtami |
| 08 Sep | Tuesday | Restricted | Kanya Mariyamma Jayanthi |
| 14 Sep | Monday | General | Varasiddhi Vinayaka Vrata (Ganesh Chaturthi) |
| 17 Sep | Thursday | Restricted | Vishwakarma Jayanthi |
| 25 Sep | Friday | Restricted | Ananta Padmanabha Vrata |
Karnataka School Holidays: October 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday Type | Occasion |
| 02 Oct | Friday | General | Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti |
| 10 Oct | Saturday | General | Mahalaya Amavasye |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | General | Mahanavami / Ayudhapooja |
| 21 Oct | Wednesday | General | Vijayadashami |
| 26 Oct | Monday | General | Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti |
Karnataka School Holidays: November 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday Type | Occasion |
| 01 Nov | Sunday | General | Kannada Rajyothsava (Falling on Sunday) |
| 08 Nov | Sunday | General | Naraka Chaturdashi (Falling on Sunday) |
| 10 Nov | Tuesday | General | Balipadyami / Deepavali |
| 24 Nov | Tuesday | Restricted | Guru Nanak Jayanthi |
| 26 Nov | Thursday | Restricted | Huttari Festival |
| 27 Nov | Friday | General | Kanakadasa Jayanthi |
Karnataka School Holidays: December 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday Type | Occasion |
| 24 Dec | Thursday | Restricted | Christmas Eve |
| 25 Dec | Friday | General | Christmas Day |
Check the link given below to download the Karnataka School Holiday List 2026 PDF:
Karnataka School Holiday List 2026 Download PDF
Karnataka School Holiday List 2026–27 helps students, parents, and teachers plan studies and vacations in advance. With proper breaks and long festival holidays, the calendar ensures a healthy balance between learning and rest.
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