BMC schools to close for 16 days for Diwali from November 5 to 23

The education department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has released its holiday schedule for 2026, and it provides a long 16-day break for Diwali.

The BMC's education officer has issued a circular to the headmasters of all municipal schools of every language medium in Mumbai, as well as private aided primary schools.

According to the education department, the Diwali holiday will begin on Thursday, November 5, 2026, and run until Monday, November 23, 2026. Three Sundays fall in between. Counting them, children will not have to attend school for a total of 16 days.

The day after the break ends, Tuesday, November 24, 2026, is a holiday for Guru Nanak Jayanti. Schools will therefore reopen directly on Wednesday, November 25, 2026.

Every year, the Diwali holiday dates are announced late, and people travelling to their villages face difficulty. Railway tickets are unavailable and bus bookings are full. This time the BMC has announced the dates early, giving everyone time to plan.

Lakhs of families in Mumbai travel to their villages in the Konkan, Khandesh and Marathwada regions for Diwali. For them, getting the holiday dates early is a big relief. They can now make railway reservations at leisure. Teachers will also find it easier to plan their own leave.

The circular also contains an important instruction for private schools. Many schools in Mumbai run both primary and secondary sections on the same campus, and confusion over holiday dates sometimes arises in such schools.

The solution given is that if the holidays of the secondary section differ from the BMC's primary holidays, the school concerned may make changes within its 76 annual holidays with the permission of the education officer.

The education department has also said that if the government issues any new rule on school holidays in future, the education officer will have full authority to change this schedule.