Public holidays in The Gambia in 2026 include national commemorations, Christian holidays and Islamic religious holidays. Several Muslim holiday dates are movable and are confirmed during the year following the relevant Islamic-calendar and moon-sighting process. The Office of the President issues nationwide public-holiday declarations, so year-specific presidential notices are particularly important for Koriteh, Tobaski, Ashura and Mawlid.
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Next Public Holiday in The Gambia
| Date | Day | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 25, 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day | Officially Scheduled |
Public Holidays in The Gambia 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Thursday | New Year’s Day | Confirmed |
| February 18, 2026 | Wednesday | Independence Day | Confirmed |
| March 19, 2026 | Thursday | Eid-ul-Fitr (Koriteh) Holiday | Confirmed |
| March 20, 2026 | Friday | Eid-ul-Fitr (Koriteh) Holiday | Confirmed |
| April 3, 2026 | Friday | Good Friday | Confirmed |
| April 6, 2026 | Monday | Easter Monday | Confirmed |
| May 1, 2026 | Friday | International Workers’ Day | Confirmed |
| May 25, 2026 | Monday | African Liberation Day / Africa Day | Officially Scheduled |
| June 25, 2026 | Thursday | Yawm al-Ashura | Confirmed |
| August 15, 2026 | Saturday | Assumption Day (Sang Marie) | Confirmed |
| August 26, 2026 | Wednesday | Maulid Al-Nabi | Confirmed |
| December 25, 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day | Officially Scheduled |
How Public Holidays Work in The Gambia
The Gambia observes a combination of national, Christian and Islamic public holidays. The Government of The Gambia’s official Important Dates page identifies New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Workers’ Day, African Liberation Day, Christmas Day, Eid Milad-un-Nabi and Ashura among the country’s holidays.
Fixed-date holidays can generally be identified well in advance. Islamic holidays require additional care because their exact Gregorian dates depend on the Islamic calendar and, where applicable, moon-sighting confirmation.
The Office of the President regularly publishes declarations confirming the dates that will be treated as nationwide public holidays.
Koriteh in The Gambia in 2026
Eid-ul-Fitr is commonly known as Koriteh in The Gambia. The Office of the President formally declared Thursday, 19 March and Friday, 20 March 2026 as nationwide public holidays for Eid-ul-Fitr.
The presidential announcement also explained that the exact day of the religious celebration would be determined following the official moon-sighting announcement of the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council. This distinction is important because the legally declared days off can be published before the religious observance itself is finally established.
Tobaski and Eid al-Adha Holidays
Eid al-Adha is commonly known as Tobaski in The Gambia and is part of the country’s official holiday system.
The Office of the President has established a policy under which both Tobaski and Koriteh receive two public-holiday days. Muslim feast dates nevertheless remain subject to confirmation because they depend on the Islamic calendar and moon sighting.
For that reason, an exact 2026 Tobaski date should be entered into the VisaBoards database only when supported by the applicable 2026 government declaration. Third-party calculated dates should not replace a year-specific presidential confirmation.
Good Friday and Easter Monday in 2026
The Office of the President formally declared Friday, 3 April and Monday, 6 April 2026 as nationwide public holidays for Good Friday and Easter Monday.
These two holidays create the principal Easter break in The Gambia. Easter Sunday itself falls between them but does not need to be added as a separate weekday public-holiday entry when the official declaration identifies Good Friday and Easter Monday as the designated public holidays.
International Workers’ Day
International Workers’ Day is observed on 1 May. The Office of the President expressly declared Friday, 1 May 2026 a nationwide public holiday and recognised the contribution of workers to national development.
Africa Day in The Gambia
African Liberation Day, also referred to as Africa Day, is listed by the Government of The Gambia on 25 May.
In 2026, 25 May falls on a Monday. The date forms part of the country’s official holiday calendar and is distinct from the movable Islamic holidays that require year-specific religious confirmation.
Yawm al-Ashura in The Gambia in 2026
The Office of the President declared Thursday, 25 June 2026 as a public holiday throughout The Gambia in observance of Yawm al-Ashura.
Ashura is an Islamic-calendar observance, so its Gregorian date changes between years. The 2026 presidential declaration should therefore take priority over generic or predicted holiday calendars.
Assumption Day or Sang Marie
Assumption Day is commonly known as Sang Marie in The Gambia. President Adama Barrow declared Saturday, 15 August 2026 a public holiday throughout the country in observance of the Christian feast.
Sang Marie illustrates an important feature of The Gambia’s holiday system: some religious holidays are confirmed through a specific presidential declaration even where their calendar date is well established.
Maulid Al-Nabi in The Gambia in 2026
The Office of the President declared Wednesday, 26 August 2026 as a nationwide public holiday in observance of Maulid Al-Nabi.
The official notice distinguished the public-holiday date from the underlying religious anniversary. For the VisaBoards holiday schedule, the legally declared day off should therefore be used rather than substituting an independently calculated religious-calendar date.
What Happens When a Public Holiday Falls on a Weekend?
The Office of the President announced a standardisation policy stating that when a public holiday falls on Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday will be declared a public holiday.
The same policy establishes two public-holiday days for both Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha while recognising that the actual dates of Muslim feasts remain dependent on moon sighting.
For database purposes, an observed Monday should still be added only when the applicable arrangement is supported by an official holiday declaration or sufficiently direct government evidence for that year.
Independence Day in The Gambia
Independence Day is observed on 18 February. President Adama Barrow’s official address dated 18 February 2026 marked the 61st anniversary of the Republic of The Gambia’s independence.
Unlike Islamic holidays, Independence Day is fixed and does not depend on moon sighting or another religious-calendar confirmation process.
Christmas Day in The Gambia
Christmas Day is observed on 25 December and appears on the Government of The Gambia’s official holiday list.
Christmas Day falls on Friday, 25 December in 2026. Any additional Christmas, Boxing Day or observed holiday should be added to the 2026 database only when supported by the relevant government declaration rather than assumed from previous years.
Long Weekends in The Gambia in 2026
Several confirmed 2026 public holidays create extended breaks for people who normally have Saturday and Sunday off.
- Koriteh: Thursday, 19 March and Friday, 20 March create a four-day break when combined with the weekend.
- Easter: Good Friday on 3 April and Easter Monday on 6 April create a four-day Easter weekend.
- Workers’ Day: Friday, 1 May creates a three-day weekend.
- Africa Day: Monday, 25 May creates a three-day weekend.
- Christmas: Friday, 25 December creates a three-day weekend for people with a standard Saturday-Sunday weekend.
Additional extended breaks may arise from movable Islamic holidays or official weekend substitutions, but they should be treated as confirmed only after the appropriate government announcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the next public holiday in The Gambia?
The next public holiday changes throughout the year. The live VisaBoards section near the top of this page displays the next upcoming holiday from The Gambia public-holiday database.
What is The Gambia’s country code?
The Gambia’s ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code is GM.
What is Koriteh?
Koriteh is the Gambian name commonly used for Eid-ul-Fitr, the Muslim festival marking the end of Ramadan.
When were the Koriteh public holidays in 2026?
The Office of the President declared Thursday, 19 March and Friday, 20 March 2026 as nationwide public holidays for Eid-ul-Fitr.
What is Tobaski?
Tobaski is the name commonly used in The Gambia for Eid al-Adha. Government policy provides two public-holiday days for Tobaski, while the exact dates remain subject to the Islamic-calendar confirmation process.
Are Islamic holiday dates fixed in The Gambia?
No. Government guidance states that Muslim feast dates are subject to the Islamic calendar and moon sighting, with official announcements used to confirm the applicable dates.
When was Yawm al-Ashura observed in 2026?
The President declared Thursday, 25 June 2026 a nationwide public holiday for Yawm al-Ashura.
When was Sang Marie in The Gambia in 2026?
Assumption Day, commonly known as Sang Marie, was declared a nationwide public holiday on Saturday, 15 August 2026.
When was Maulid Al-Nabi observed as a public holiday in 2026?
The officially declared public holiday for Maulid Al-Nabi was Wednesday, 26 August 2026.
Does The Gambia provide a Monday holiday when a public holiday falls on a weekend?
The Office of the President has announced a policy under which a public holiday falling on Saturday or Sunday is followed by a Monday public holiday. Year-specific official announcements should still be checked before adding an observed date to a holiday database.
Who declares public holidays in The Gambia?
The Office of the President issues nationwide public-holiday declarations. For movable Islamic holidays, announcements may also depend on the date determined through the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council’s moon-sighting process.
Official Sources for Public Holidays in The Gambia
- Government of The Gambia – Important Dates: identifies the country’s principal public holidays and explains that Islamic holiday dates vary.
- Office of the President – Eid-ul-Fitr Public Holidays 2026: confirms 19 and 20 March 2026 as nationwide Koriteh holidays and explains the moon-sighting requirement.
- Office of the President – Easter Public Holidays 2026: confirms Good Friday on 3 April and Easter Monday on 6 April.
- Office of the President – International Workers’ Day 2026: confirms 1 May 2026 as a nationwide public holiday.
- Office of the President – Yawm al-Ashura 2026: confirms 25 June 2026 as a nationwide public holiday.
- Office of the President – Assumption Day 2026: confirms 15 August 2026 as Sang Marie and a public holiday throughout the country.
- Office of the President – Public Holiday Standardisation Policy: explains the two-day Koriteh and Tobaski policy and the treatment of public holidays falling on weekends.
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