Malaysia’s calendar mixes Islamic, Chinese, Hindu, Buddhist and national holidays, and that makes it one of the most festive countries in Southeast Asia. It also means a trip can collide with a nationwide shutdown or a transport crush if dates are not checked. This guide lists the 2026 and 2027 federal holidays, what actually closes, and how to plan around the busiest periods.
Dates below are the federal gazetted dates as listed by published calendars at the time of writing (October 2026). Islamic holiday dates depend on moon sighting and can move by a day, and 2027 Deepavali and Hari Raya dates are provisional until the government confirms them. Always check the official announcement a few weeks before travel.
Public Holidays 2026
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Tue 17 - Wed 18 Feb | Chinese New Year |
| Fri 20 Mar | Additional Hari Raya Aidilfitri holiday |
| Sat 21 - Sun 22 Mar | Hari Raya Aidilfitri (some states add Mon 23 Mar) |
| Fri 1 May | Labour Day |
| Wed 27 May | Hari Raya Haji (Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, Terengganu add Thu 28 May) |
| Sun 31 May | Wesak Day |
| Mon 1 Jun | Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s Birthday |
| Wed 17 Jun | Awal Muharram (Islamic New Year) |
| Tue 25 Aug | Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday (Maulidur Rasul) |
| Mon 31 Aug | National Day (Hari Merdeka) |
| Wed 16 Sep | Malaysia Day |
| Sun 8 Nov | Deepavali (not observed in Sarawak) |
| Fri 25 Dec | Christmas Day |
New Year’s Day (1 January) and Thaipusam (1 February in 2026) are state-level holidays rather than federal ones, so coverage varies by state.
Public Holidays 2027
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Fri 1 Jan | New Year’s Day (most states) |
| Fri 22 Jan | Thaipusam (Selangor, KL, Penang, Johor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and others) |
| Sat 6 - Mon 8 Feb | Chinese New Year (6-7 Feb, replacement Mon 8 Feb) |
| Wed 10 - Thu 11 Mar | Hari Raya Aidilfitri (provisional, moon sighting) |
| Sat 1 May | Labour Day |
| Mon 17 May | Hari Raya Haji (provisional; four northern states add Tue 18 May) |
| Thu 20 May | Wesak Day |
| Sun 6 Jun | Awal Muharram (replacement Tue 8 Jun) |
| Mon 7 Jun | Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s Birthday |
| Sun 15 Aug | Maulidur Rasul (replacement Mon 16 Aug) |
| Tue 31 Aug | National Day |
| Thu 16 Sep | Malaysia Day |
| Thu 28 Oct | Deepavali (provisional) |
| Sat 25 Dec | Christmas Day |
Note that our Eid 2027 guide may list a slightly different first day, because the final date is set only after the moon is sighted. Treat any date more than a few weeks out as provisional.
What Is Open and Closed
Banks and government offices: closed on all federal holidays. Banks in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu follow a Friday-Saturday weekend. Exchange counters in malls and at KLIA usually stay open; see our currency and money guide for where to change cash.
Shopping malls and supermarkets: open on virtually every holiday, often with extended hours and sales. Pavilion KL, Suria KLCC and Sunway Pyramid trade through Hari Raya and Deepavali.
Restaurants and hawker food: most stay open. Muslim-owned stalls pause on the first day of Hari Raya in some areas, while Chinese-owned kopitiams and hawker stalls commonly close for 3 to 7 days around Chinese New Year. In Penang and Ipoh, finding a closed favourite is common in the first week of the lunar year. Our food guide helps with alternatives.
Attractions and museums: Petronas Towers, Batu Caves, national parks and major museums generally open, although some close the first day of Hari Raya or Chinese New Year. Book timed tickets early, because local crowds double on holidays. A Kuala Lumpur tour booked ahead avoids sold-out slots.
Public transport: KTM, LRT, MRT and Rapid KL run, often on a reduced Sunday-style schedule on the first day of Hari Raya. Long-distance trains, express buses and domestic flights sell out; see getting around Malaysia and the ETS train guide.
Alcohol: sold in licensed venues, Chinese-majority areas and convenience stores in non-Muslim districts, but can be restricted in some states and around the Muslim holidays.
Most Disruptive Holidays for Travellers
1. Hari Raya Aidilfitri. The biggest exodus of the year. Malaysians return to their home towns in the days before, so highways to the east coast and north are gridlocked and ETS tickets vanish weeks ahead. Flights to Kota Bharu, Kuala Terengganu and Langkawi cost two to three times normal. Many Malay-run shops and restaurants close for the first one to three days. Cities like Kuala Lumpur empty out and are surprisingly quiet.
2. Chinese New Year. Expect closures of Chinese-run shops, kopitiams and some tour operators for several days, with extremely high demand for travel to Penang, Malacca, Ipoh and across the border to Singapore. Hotels in George Town fill early. See our Chinese New Year 2027 guide.
3. Deepavali. Lighter nationwide effect but busy in Little India, Brickfields and Batu Caves. Deepavali is not a public holiday in Sarawak. See the Deepavali 2026 guide.
4. School holiday collisions. Year-end school holidays overlap Christmas and run into Chinese New Year some years. Our note on year-end school holidays 2026 covers the dates.
5. Hari Raya Haji and Wesak. Both create long weekends. Wesak 2026 falls on a Sunday, so check for a replacement day in your state.
Quieter, Easier Holidays
Labour Day, Awal Muharram, Maulidur Rasul and the Agong’s Birthday create mostly local long weekends. Hari Merdeka (31 August) and Malaysia Day (16 September) bring parades and fireworks in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and crowds at Dataran Merdeka, but attractions and transport run normally.
State-Only Holidays
Each state adds holidays that national calendars miss. These include sultans’ birthdays in Selangor, Johor, Perak and Pahang, Federal Territory Day on 1 February in KL, Putrajaya and Labuan, Gawai Dayak in Sarawak on 1-2 June, Pesta Kaamatan (Harvest Festival) in Sabah on 30-31 May, and Penang’s George Town World Heritage Day on 7 July. Nuzul Quran falls in Ramadan and is a holiday in several states.
Ramadan Is Not a Public Holiday but Matters
Ramadan precedes Hari Raya. Muslim eateries are quieter in daytime, while Ramadan bazaars (pasar Ramadan) open in the late afternoon and are excellent for street food. Tourists are not required to fast, but avoid eating and drinking openly in front of fasting people in Malay-majority areas. Read our etiquette guide and the full Ramadan in Malaysia travel guide.
Practical Planning Tips
- Book trains, flights and island ferries 6 to 8 weeks before Hari Raya and Chinese New Year.
- Drive on the day before or after the peak, not during it. Traffic on the North-South Expressway can triple journey times.
- Reserve hotels early in Penang, Malacca and Johor Bahru around Chinese New Year.
- Withdraw cash a day ahead if a long closure approaches, since bank branches shut and some ATMs run empty.
- Consider travel insurance for Malaysia when booking peak-holiday trips, as changes are costlier.
- Use the shoulder weeks between holidays for quieter attractions; see best time to visit Malaysia.