Guide

Holi 2027: date, meaning and flights to India

By Travel Care team · Last checked 20 October 2026

Holi 2027 is on Monday 22 March, with Holika Dahan on the evening of Sunday 21 March. In 2028, Holika Dahan is on Friday 10 March and Holi on Saturday 11 March (Drik Panchang, New Delhi). Holi 2027 falls during the South Australian school term, but the Easter long weekend starts four days later (Good Friday 26 March), so a week away covering both is possible. For the classic Holi in Mathura and Vrindavan, fly into Delhi.

Holi dates: 2027 and 2028

Year	Holika Dahan (bonfire night)	Holi (Rangwali Holi, Dhulandi)	Around it in Australia
2027	Sunday 21 March	Monday 22 March	SA Term 1 runs 27 January – 9 April. Good Friday is 26 March and Easter Monday 29 March
2028	Friday 10 March	Saturday 11 March	Falls on a weekend

Dates are for New Delhi from Drik Panchang. Holi follows the lunar calendar and is held on the full moon (Purnima) of the month of Phalguna, so some regional calendars and community events may differ by a day.

What is Holi?

Holi is the Hindu spring festival, best known as the festival of colours. It has two parts. On the first evening, Holika Dahan, families light a bonfire to mark the story of Prahlad and the defeat of Holika, the victory of good over evil. The next morning is Rangwali Holi, when friends, neighbours and strangers throw gulal (coloured powder) and water at each other, and families share sweets such as gujiya and drinks such as thandai. In the Braj region it is also closely tied to the stories of Radha and Krishna.

Where Holi is celebrated in India

Where	What's special	Fly into
Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana (Braj)	The best-known Holi in India, with temple celebrations and Lathmar Holi in Barsana and Nandgaon in the days before Holi	Delhi, then by road or train
Delhi	Neighbourhood and family celebrations, and the easiest arrival from Australia	Delhi
Jaipur and Udaipur	Holika Dahan and colour celebrations in the old cities	Delhi, then a short domestic flight, train or drive
Anandpur Sahib, Punjab	Hola Mohalla, the Sikh festival of martial skills and gatka, is held over several days around Holi. The 2027 programme is set by the organisers at Anandpur Sahib, so check the dates before you book. We'll confirm them for your trip	Amritsar or Delhi (Chandigarh is closest)
Mumbai and Gujarat	Big city and housing-society celebrations, with Holika bonfires the night before	Mumbai or Ahmedabad
Shantiniketan, West Bengal	Basanta Utsav, a quieter spring festival with music and dance	Kolkata

Public Holi celebrations can get crowded and rough. Many families prefer to play Holi at home, with relatives or at a hotel event. Carry your phone in a sealed bag, wear old clothes, and put oil on your skin and hair beforehand so the colour washes out.

When to fly from Australia for Holi

March is one of the quieter months for flights between Australia and India, after the summer holiday rush and before the April school holidays. That usually means more choice of dates. A few things to plan around in 2027:

It's school term in SA. Holi falls in Term 1, so families with school-age children need to take time off. Pairing Holi with the Easter long weekend (Good Friday 26 March to Easter Monday 29 March) means fewer school days missed.
Arrive by Saturday 20 March. Flying out on Thursday 18 or Friday 19 March gets you there in time for Holika Dahan on the Sunday evening, with a day's buffer for delays.
Easter return flights fill up. Coming back over the Easter weekend is popular, so book that leg early or come back a few days later.
Weather: north India is warming up in late March. It's a comfortable time for sightseeing before the heat of April and May.

Our cheapest time to fly guide explains how fares move through the year.

Flights for Holi 2027

Non-stop to Delhi: Air India flies non-stop from Melbourne and from Sydney. Qantas's seasonal Melbourne–Delhi flight runs until 27 March 2027, so it is still operating at Holi. See Melbourne to Delhi and Sydney to Delhi.
From Adelaide and Brisbane: there are no non-stops to India. The usual routes are one stop via Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai or Doha. See Adelaide to Delhi and Brisbane to Delhi.
Mumbai and Gujarat: one stop from all four cities. See Sydney to Mumbai and Melbourne to Ahmedabad.
Punjab for Hola Mohalla: see Adelaide to Amritsar. Our Vaisakhi guide covers the routes into Amritsar in detail.

Book onward travel inside India (trains to Mathura, flights to Jaipur) at the same time as your international flights, because Holi week is busy on Indian trains and roads too.

Holi in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney

Holi in Australia falls in early autumn, and community groups, temples and councils in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney hold colour festivals, often on the nearest weekend. Dates and venues change each year, so check with your temple or community association from February. Planning to bring parents over for a visit instead? See our parents' page.

Talk to a real person about Holi flights

Fares and schedules change every day, so we don't publish prices on this page. For live fares, call or WhatsApp the Travel Care team on 0421 882 733. We're a family-run agency at 222 Henley Beach Road, Torrensville, booking flights since 2010, and we speak English, Hindi and Punjabi. Seen a cheaper fare somewhere else? Send us the screenshot and we'll see what we can do.

Last checked: 20 October 2026 by the Travel Care team.

Questions we get asked

When is Holi in 2027?

Holi (Rangwali Holi) is on Monday 22 March 2027, with Holika Dahan on the evening of Sunday 21 March, according to Drik Panchang for New Delhi.

When is Holi in 2028?

Holika Dahan is on Friday 10 March 2028 and Holi on Saturday 11 March 2028 (Drik Panchang, New Delhi).

Where is the best place to celebrate Holi in India?

Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana in the Braj region are the best known. Delhi, Jaipur and Udaipur are also popular, and many families simply celebrate at home with relatives.

Is Holi 2027 in the Australian school holidays?

No. In South Australia it falls in Term 1. Easter starts four days later (Good Friday 26 March 2027), so some families combine the two and miss fewer school days.

Which airport should I fly into for Holi in Mathura and Vrindavan?

Delhi. Air India flies non-stop to Delhi from Melbourne and Sydney, and Qantas flies non-stop from Melbourne until 27 March 2027. From Delhi, Mathura is a few hours by road or train.