About Kandy Esala Perahera
The Kandy Esala Perahera is Sri Lanka's most spectacular festival and one of the oldest and grandest Buddhist pageants in the world. Held in the hill city of Kandy, it honours the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, enshrined at the Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa). Over roughly ten consecutive nights the streets fill with caparisoned elephants, torch-bearers, fire dancers, whip-crackers, drummers and graceful Kandyan dancers in a procession that grows in scale and splendour each night.
The festival unfolds in two phases. The first five nights, the Kumbal Perahera, build steadily in size; the second five, the Randoli Perahera, are the most magnificent, culminating in a majestic final night when a tusker carries a replica of the sacred relic casket beneath a canopy. A daytime procession the following afternoon and a water-cutting ceremony at the Mahaweli River close the celebrations. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and visitors line the route each year.
Esala Perahera takes place in the lunar month of Esala, falling between July and August, and concludes on the Nikini full-moon poya night. Because the dates follow the Buddhist lunar calendar and are announced by the Temple a few months ahead, they shift from year to year. The countdown above tracks the days until the next grand finale — add it to your own page to follow the build-up to the lights of Kandy.
Upcoming dates
| 2026 | Thursday, August 27, 2026next |
| 2027 | Monday, August 16, 2027 |
| 2028 | Sunday, August 20, 2028 |
FAQ
When is the Kandy Esala Perahera?
It is held over about ten nights in the lunar month of Esala, between July and August, ending on the Nikini full-moon poya. The exact dates are set by the Temple of the Tooth each year and shift with the lunar calendar.
Why is Esala Perahera celebrated?
It honours the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha kept in Kandy and pays homage to the gods, traditionally as a plea for rain and a good harvest. It is a sacred act of devotion as well as a cultural spectacle.
How is Esala Perahera celebrated?
With nightly processions of dozens of decorated elephants, Kandyan dancers, drummers, fire performers and whip-crackers parading from the Temple of the Tooth through the streets of Kandy, growing grander each night.
Where does Esala Perahera take place?
In Kandy, the last royal capital of Sri Lanka, centred on the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa) and the surrounding streets of the city.