Festivals in Mauritius
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Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Tamil and Chinese
Here is the list of 17 Festivals in Mauritius
1. Thaipusam Cadavee
A festival celebrated by the Tamil community in Mauritius, Thaipusam Cadavee is celebrated in the honour of Lord Murugan, either in January or February. On this day pilgrims walk barefoot carrying the 'Cadavee' which is a wooden arch covered with flowers, supported by wooden rods and richly decorated with flowers, coconut tree leaves, lime and peacock feather.
2. Chinese Spring Festival
Often referred to as the Chinese New Year, the Spring Festival in Mauritius is celebrated every year on different dates in either January or February. Fireworks and firecracker explosions accompany the celebration. Red, considered to be the colour of happiness for the Chinese community, is the dominant colour during this festival.
3. Thimithi
The Tamil community in Mauritius primarily celebrates the Thimithi festival. It is observed either in December or February. There is a process of 'purification', which takes ten days. During this time, people meditate, pray and fast. On the 11th day, devotees go to the temple and walk barefoot on charcoal embers. Later, they dip their feet in milk to ease the pain of their burns.
4. Sakifo Music Festival
Sakifo is a popular music festival in Mauritius ongoing for 18 years. It is considered the biggest music festival in the entire Indian Ocean. Celebrated each year for 3 days at the Reunion Island and attended by almost 40,000 people, Sakifo festival unites the local, national, Indian Ocean and international artists.
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5. Pere Laval Pilgrimage
The pilgrimage is held each year on the night in September. On this night, not only the Catholics but also Mauritians of all communities walk up to the tomb of the priest. The shrine of French Catholic priest and missionary Pere Jacques-Desire Laval is something of a Lourdes of the Indian Ocean. Many miracles have been attributed to pilgrimages here.
6. Mid-Autumn Festival
Also known as the Moon Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival in Mauritius is celebrated in September. Considered a harvest festival, the Chinese community in Mauritius celebrates the Mid-Autumn festival with great enthusiasm. On this day, mooncakes are made and offerings are made to the moon goddess. Dates: 6th October 2025
7. La Isla Music Festival
Started in 2017, La Isla 2068 is a music festival organised by the La Isla Social Club for all the music and art enthusiasts. The festival celebrates Mauritian talent and foreign icons with 12 hours of non-stop music. It is called La Isla 2068 as Mauritius will celebrate its 100 years of independence in 2068.
8. Lantern Festival
The lantern festival is celebrated 15 days after the Chinese New Year. Lantern Festival marks the end of New Year celebrations of the Chinese community in Mauritius. On the streets of the main Mauritian towns, costumed parades and dragon dances are organised during this time. Dates: 12th February 2025
9. Ghoon (Muharram)
Commemorating the martyr of Inam Hussein, this festival in Mauritius is celebrated with vibrancy by a minority of the Muslim community in Mauritius. Inam Hussein was a descendant of the Prophet Mohamed. A parade is held with this regard on the streets of Plaine-Verte, in Port Louis. Dates: Dates yet to be announced for 2025
10. Kaz'Out Festival
Kaz'Out is a music festival celebrated each year in Mauritius to promote and celebrate the diverse musical cultures and local and international artists. There are various concerts and live acts at the festival with an exotic genre of cocktails. Kaz'Out means out of your house or out of the box, clearly signifying the aim of the festival which is to go out there and discover new horizons.
11. Holi
Holi, the celebration of joy and colour is celebrated with much fervour in Mauritius. The festival usually lasts two days and starts with a bonfire (holika) in the evening time. People sing and dance in their folk styles. The bonfire is believed to symbolise the death and defeat of evil Holika, who was burned to death and reduced to ashes after she tried to her nephew.
12. Yaum-Un-Nabi
The festival of Yam-Un-Nabi celebrates the birth of Prophet Mohamed. Devotees gather at the mosque on this day and listen attentively to the story of Prophet Mohamed's life. At the same time, Eid-al-Adha is celebrated to commemorate the sacrifice of the Prophet Abraham. Animals are sacrificed (which includes sheep, goat or cattle) and this is divided into three parts.
13. Eid Ul-Fitr
Eid Ul-Fitr is a public holiday in Mauritius. This festival in Mauritius is celebrated at the end of the month of Ramadan or Ramzan. The festival involves prayers, exchange of gifts, visits to family and charity to the poor. The festival is celebrated in the mosques with family gatherings and dinners. Dates: 31st March 2025
14. Ganesh Chaturthi
The Hindu community in Mauritius celebrates the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. It commemorates the birth of God Ganesh. On this day, Hindus visit their temples and go to the river banks or beaches with small replicas of the elephant head God. These replicas are traditionally made of clay and mud. They are immersed in water before sunset.
15. All Saints' Day
All Saints Day is celebrated by the Christians in Mauritius on 2nd of November. This day is devoted to honouring the dead. It also commemorates the arrival of the first Indian labourers in Mauritius. This day is also a public holiday in Mauritius. Dates: 1st November, every year
16. Maha Shivaratri
Maha Shivaratri is one of the most auspicious Hindu festivals celebrated by the people of Mauritius. Maha Shivaratri translates to 'great night of Lord Shiva'. According to the Hindu calendar, this festival in Mauritius falls on the thirteenth night and fourteenth day of the Hindu month of Phalguna (February - March). Devotees of Lord Shiva converge near Ganga Talao, the sacred lake.
17. Christmas
Christmas is celebrated by the entirety of the Mauritian population, regardless of community and religion. You can find Santa Claus in many commercial centres and public spaces. During the Christmas season, you can come across many tropical fruits like mangoes, pineapples, longans, litchis, and watermelons of all sizes.
No small country celebrates as much as Mauritius does. A Hindu majority, a large Catholic minority, a substantial Muslim community and long-established Tamil and Sino-Mauritian populations mean the public holiday calendar carries Diwali, Christmas, Eid, Chinese Spring Festival and Thaipusam Cavadee in the same year, and everyone tends to turn up to everyone else's. The biggest by a distance is Maha Shivaratri in February or March, when hundreds of thousands walk to Grand Bassin, the crater lake in the south known as Ganga Talao, carrying decorated kanwars. It is the largest Hindu gathering anywhere outside India and the roads south are effectively closed to normal traffic for several days. In September the Pere Laval pilgrimage draws comparable crowds to Sainte Croix. Most Hindu and Muslim dates move each year with the lunar calendar, so check the official holiday list before booking. See also cities in Mauritius, churches in Mauritius and museums in Mauritius.
This post was published by Sravya Vemuri
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FAQs on Festivals in Mauritius
What is the biggest festival in Mauritius?
Maha Shivaratri. Over several days in February or March, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims walk to Grand Bassin, a crater lake in the south regarded as sacred, many carrying elaborate wooden kanwars. It is the largest Hindu observance outside India.
Why does Mauritius have so many public holidays?
Because it recognises the major festivals of all its main communities. Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Tamil and Chinese occasions all appear on the official calendar, which gives Mauritius one of the longest public holiday lists of any country.
Do the festival dates change each year?
Most of them do. Hindu, Muslim, Tamil and Chinese festivals follow lunar calendars, so their Gregorian dates move annually and the government publishes the confirmed list each year. Only Christmas, New Year, Labour Day and the national days are fixed.
What happens at Thaipusam Cavadee?
It is the Tamil festival honouring Lord Murugan, marked by devotees carrying a cavadee, an arched wooden frame, often with skewers piercing the skin, after ten days of fasting. Processions run to Tamil temples across the island in January or February.
Will festivals affect travel or opening hours?
Yes on the major ones. Shops, banks and offices close on public holidays, and the roads towards Grand Bassin are heavily congested for several days around Maha Shivaratri. Hotels and restaurants generally stay open throughout.
Can visitors take part or watch?
Watching is expected and welcomed at almost all of them, and the music festivals such as Sakifo, Kaz'Out and La Isla are ticketed events open to anyone. At religious processions, keep a respectful distance, ask before photographing individuals, and dress covered if entering a temple or shrine.
