When Is Ramadan?

Ramadan 2026 is expected to begin at sunset on Tuesday 17 February 2026 and run until the evening of Thursday 19 March 2026, lasting 30 days. Eid al-Fitr, the festival that marks the end of Ramadan, falls on Friday 20 March 2026. These dates are based on astronomical calculation and may shift by a day either side depending on local moon-sighting (the Hilal).

In 2027 Ramadan is expected to start on Saturday 6 February. Because the Islamic calendar is purely lunar (12 lunar months totalling 354 days), Ramadan moves forward roughly 11 days each year against the Gregorian calendar, gradually rotating through every season over a 33-year cycle. The countdown on this page tracks the next Ramadan from your local time.

The Islamic Hijri calendar is built on lunar months that begin with the sighting of the new crescent moon. A lunar year is about 354 days long, 11 days shorter than the solar year. That difference is why Ramadan slides earlier each year against Gregorian dates, and why a child born in summer Ramadan will, by their thirties, have lived through Ramadan in every season.

Two methods determine the start: physical moon-sighting (used in Saudi Arabia, the UK Council of Mosques, and most traditional communities) and astronomical calculation (used by the Fiqh Council of North America and some other bodies). The two can disagree by a day. Most UK mosques publish their official start date a day or two beforehand once the moon is sighted, which is why predicted dates are sometimes off by 24 hours.

Adult Muslims fast from dawn (Fajr) to sunset (Maghrib) every day, abstaining from food, drink (including water), smoking, and intimate relations during daylight hours. The fast is broken at sunset with iftar, traditionally with dates and water following the Prophet Muhammad's example, then a full meal. Suhoor is the pre-dawn meal eaten before fasting begins.

Children, pregnant or nursing women, the sick, elderly, travellers, and menstruating women are exempt and can either make up the days later or pay fidya (a charitable donation) instead. The fast is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and the spiritual focus through the month is on increased prayer, Quran recitation, and charity (zakat is often paid before Eid).

Eid al-Fitr (the 'Festival of Breaking the Fast') marks the end of Ramadan and falls on the first day of Shawwal, the next Islamic month. The day starts with a special communal Eid prayer at the mosque, often at dawn or shortly after, followed by family visits, gift exchanges (especially for children), and meals shared with friends and extended family. Many UK Muslims take the day off work; some employers grant it as flexible religious leave.

Eid al-Fitr typically lasts 1 to 3 days depending on the country. It's distinct from Eid al-Adha (the 'Festival of Sacrifice') which falls about two months later and marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage. Use the [When Is Diwali](/when-is-diwali) tool to check overlapping festival dates.