Updated
Uganda’s public holidays in 2027 include New Year’s Day (1 January), Liberation Day (26 January), Archbishop Janani Luwum Day (16 February), Women’s Day (8 March), Good Friday (26 March) and Easter Monday (29 March), Labour Day (1 May), Martyrs Day (3 June), Heroes Day (9 June), Independence Day (9 October), Christmas and Boxing Day, plus Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, whose dates depend on the moon. National parks and gorilla trekking run as normal on public holidays, but banks and offices close, roads and buses get busier, and Martyrs Day brings huge crowds to Namugongo near Kampala.
Public holidays in 2027
| Date | Holiday | What it marks |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 1 January | New Year’s Day | Start of the year |
| Tue 26 January | Liberation Day | The NRM’s capture of Kampala in 1986 |
| Tue 16 February | Archbishop Janani Luwum Day | The Anglican archbishop killed under Idi Amin in 1977 |
| Mon 8 March | International Women’s Day | Women’s rights and achievements |
| Around 9–10 March (moon) | Eid al-Fitr | End of Ramadan |
| Fri 26 March | Good Friday | Easter |
| Mon 29 March | Easter Monday | Easter |
| Sat 1 May | Labour Day | Workers’ day |
| Around 16–17 May (moon) | Eid al-Adha | Festival of sacrifice |
| Thu 3 June | Martyrs Day | Christians killed in Buganda in 1885–1887 |
| Wed 9 June | National Heroes Day | People who served the nation |
| Sat 9 October | Independence Day | Independence from Britain in 1962 |
| Sat 25 December | Christmas Day | Christmas |
| Sun 26 December | Boxing Day | Christmas |
What closes and what stays open
Government offices, banks and many businesses close on public holidays, so change money, withdraw cash and handle any immigration matters before a long weekend. ATMs, supermarkets, restaurants, hotels and lodges stay open. National parks operate normally: gorilla treks, chimp tracking, game drives and boat trips all run as usual, and the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s booking office may be closed, but permits booked in advance are unaffected. Domestic flights operate, though schedules can change around Christmas and Easter.
Martyrs Day and traffic around Kampala
Martyrs Day on 3 June is the biggest gathering of the year. Pilgrims from across Uganda and neighbouring countries, many walking for days, converge on the shrines at Namugongo, just east of Kampala, to remember the Catholic and Anglican converts killed on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga II in the 1880s. Crowds run into the millions in some years, and roads east of Kampala are congested for days. If you are arriving at Entebbe and heading west to the gorillas, the main impact is heavier traffic around the city. Read more about Martyrs Day.
Easter, Christmas and the end of the year are the other big travel periods, as Ugandans head home to their villages. Buses fill up and fares rise, and Kampala’s traffic can be lighter on the day itself but much heavier just before and after. See our guide to getting through Kampala’s traffic.
Holidays and gorilla permits
Ugandan and East African residents travel more during school holidays and around Christmas and Easter, which adds to demand for permits and lodges in some sectors, alongside the international peak of June to September and December to February. Easter 2027 falls in late March, before the cheaper April rate of US$600 begins; the standard permit is US$800. If you want to trek over Christmas or Easter, book well ahead. Our guide to the best time for gorilla trekking explains the seasons.
Festivals and cultural events
Beyond the official holidays, Uganda has a lively events calendar. Independence Day on 9 October brings parades and celebrations, and Christmas is celebrated with long church services, family feasts and travel home; see Christmas in Uganda. Music festivals such as Nyege Nyege near Jinja draw large crowds, with dates announced each year. The Bamasaba’s Imbalu circumcision ceremonies around Mbale take place in even-numbered years, so the next season after 2026 is 2028. Kingdoms such as Buganda hold their own anniversaries and celebrations, which are not national holidays.
Frequently asked questions
Good Friday is 26 March and Easter Monday 29 March 2027; both are public holidays.
Yes. National parks operate normally on public holidays.
3 June every year, with a huge pilgrimage to Namugongo near Kampala.
No. Banks and government offices close, but ATMs, shops, hotels and lodges stay open.
Planning a Uganda trip around public holidays and festivals adds a cultural dimension that a purely wildlife-focused itinerary cannot match. Attending a national celebration, witnessing a traditional ceremony, or coinciding with a community market day introduces a layer of Ugandan life that national park visits alone do not reveal — and these cultural encounters often leave as strong an impression as the wildlife encounters themselves.
