Holi in Kathmandu

When is Holi in Kathmandu in 2027?

Holi in Kathmandu is listed for Sunday 21 March 2027, and the Terai plains in the south mark it a day later. Most sources agree on this split, but not all of them. Nepalis call the festival Fagu Purnima, as it falls on the full moon of the month of Falgun.

The consulate’s page is a closure list for that office, so it may just reflect the date it picked to close. The Ministry of Home Affairs notice, as reproduced by Pradhan and Associates, settles this: 21 March for 56 hill districts and 22 March for 21 Terai districts. Because the date follows the moon, confirm it close to your trip. Holi 2026 has already passed.

What happens during Holi?

People throw coloured powder and water at each other, mostly in the street and in private compounds. In Kathmandu, the season starts about a week early. The Kathmandu Post says a decorated wooden pole with coloured flags, the Chir, is raised in front of the Gaddhi Baithak in Basantapur, on the eighth day of the waxing moon of Falgun.

On the day itself, revellers of all ages join in. In the past, young people threw water-filled balloons, known as lolas, at passers-by in the days after the Chir went up. The Post reported in 2025 that this had largely stopped, and police said they had seen no such incidents that year.

We won’t explain the religious meaning here in detail, as accounts vary and we haven’t sourced them to a reliable reference.

Where does Holi happen in the valley?

Holi happens across the valley, and the Post names three main places. Basantapur is by far the most visible, beside Kathmandu Durbar Square.

PADT’s list of festivals at Pashupatinath marks Holi as “Open to All”. We don’t have reliable reports on Thamel for this festival.

Who takes part?

Local people of all ages take part, along with visitors who want to join. The Himalayan Times described revellers of all ages in 2019. Police numbers give some sense of the size: The Kathmandu Post reported more than 2,700 personnel across the valley in 2025.

Remember that some people don’t want to play. The Ministry of Home Affairs warning in 2019 named pedestrians, women and children, and that’s who the rules on consent are meant to protect.

What are the rules on colours and water balloons?

Colour and water balloons are only acceptable with consent, and police have said they can act on people who ignore that. These notices change by year, but the message has been steady.

• 2019: Kathmandu Metropolitan Police said officers would detain people who applied colour or threw balloons without permission, and that people could call 100 to report it, according to Onlinekhabar.
• 2019: the Ministry of Home Affairs warned against forcefully smearing colour on pedestrians, women or children, The Himalayan Times reported.
• 2026: the Kathmandu District Administration Office asked people to avoid forced colours and throwing balloons or water at anyone against their will. It also restricted alcohol in public and gatherings on public roads, partly because of election rules that year.

The 2027 notice wasn’t out when we checked, in November 2026. In 2026 the notice was reported a few days before Holi, and gathering rules can change.

How should visitors behave?

Ask before you put colour on anyone, and accept a no straight away. This matters even when someone else has just coloured you.

• Stay clear of worship. Don’t bring coloured powder into temples or shrines, and keep it off monuments.
• Photos: keep cameras in a waterproof cover. Ask before you photograph individuals up close, especially women and children. Our guide for photographers has more.
• Clothes: wear something you can throw away, as colour may not wash out.
• Skin and eyes: keep your mouth and eyes closed if colour comes your way. These are our own suggestions.
• If you’re bothered: move away towards a shop or a police officer. Police gave 100 as the number in 2019. See our page on whether Kathmandu is safe.

How does Holi affect traffic and sightseeing?

Holi brings heavy police checks and some risk from drunk drivers, while the sites themselves should stay reachable. The table shows what police reported in the most recent years we could find.

The 2022 report said police had warned of more accidents on Holi than on normal days. The 2025 checks focused on vehicles carrying groups.

So expect delays at checkpoints, and don’t ride or hire a motorcycle that day. The Kathmandu half day tour visits Durbar Square, right beside Basantapur, so expect colour there. Patan or Swayambhunath may be calmer for sightseeing, though we can’t promise that. On a private tour, site swaps can be arranged, so tell us your date when you ask.

Is the Terai date relevant to a Kathmandu visit?

Mostly not, unless you’re travelling onward to the south. Kathmandu and the hills mark Holi on the first date, and qppstudio shows the second as a holiday for the Terai and Inner Madhesh. If you’re flying south on 22 March 2027, expect the same festivities there.