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Public Holidays in Madagascar 2026 – National & Public Holidays

Post Date · Modified · Country · Madagascar

Public Holidays in Madagascar 2026 – National & Public Holidays

Madagascar's public holidays in 2026 are governed primarily by Decree No. 2026-006 of 8 January 2026, which establishes the country's paid and non-working holiday calendar. The schedule includes national commemorations, Christian holidays and Muslim religious holidays. Some additional cultural holidays were also created for 2026, but their dates depend on separate official decisions.

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Next Public Holiday in Madagascar

[next_public_holiday country="Madagascar"]

Public Holidays in Madagascar 2026

[public_holidays country="Madagascar" year="2026"]

Official Legal Basis for Madagascar Public Holidays

The principal year-specific source for Madagascar's 2026 public holidays is Decree No. 2026-006 of 8 January 2026, issued by the Prime Minister.

Article 1 declares the listed dates public holidays that are non-working and paid for 2026. The decree was issued under Article 115 of Law No. 2024-014 of 14 August 2024 establishing Madagascar's Labour Code.

The annual decree also provides for additional religious and cultural holidays whose exact dates are determined separately.

Christian Public Holidays in Madagascar

Christian observances make up a substantial part of Madagascar's official 2026 holiday calendar. Decree No. 2026-006 expressly lists Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Pentecost, Whit Monday, Assumption Day, All Saints' Day and Christmas Day as paid public holidays.

Easter Holidays in 2026

Easter Sunday falls on 5 April 2026 and Easter Monday on 6 April. Both dates are expressly included in the official annual decree.

Ascension and Pentecost

Ascension Day falls on Thursday, 14 May 2026. Pentecost is observed on Sunday, 24 May, followed by Whit Monday on 25 May.

Assumption, All Saints' Day and Christmas

Assumption Day falls on 15 August 2026, All Saints' Day on 1 November and Christmas Day on 25 December. Each is listed as a paid public holiday under Decree No. 2026-006.

Eid al-Fitr in Madagascar in 2026

Eid al-Fitr was observed on Friday, 20 March 2026 and was a public, non-working and paid holiday throughout Madagascar.

Decree No. 2026-006 does not itself assign a Gregorian date to Eid al-Fitr. Instead, Article 2 provides that the holiday follows the calendar fixed by the Muslim community. The Ministry of Labour later announced 20 March as the applicable 2026 date.

Eid al-Adha in Madagascar in 2026

Eid al-Adha was observed on Wednesday, 27 May 2026. The Ministry of Labour announced the day as public, non-working and paid throughout Madagascar in accordance with Decree No. 2026-006 and the calendar supplied by the Muslim community.

Commemoration of the Events of 1947

Madagascar observes 29 March as the commemorative day for those who died during the events of 1947. In 2026, the holiday falls on Sunday, 29 March and is expressly listed in the annual public-holiday decree.

Independence Day in Madagascar

Independence Day is observed on 26 June. In 2026, the national holiday falls on Friday, 26 June and is designated as a paid, non-working public holiday under Decree No. 2026-006.

Commemoration of the Events of 25 September 2025

Friday, 25 September 2026 was subsequently declared a paid and non-working day throughout Madagascar to commemorate the events of 25 September 2025.

The date was not part of the original January holiday calendar. It was introduced later under Decree No. 2026-2212 as a special one-off national commemoration.

There was conflicting official communication immediately before the holiday, but the Prime Minister's Office ultimately published the applicable decision and the Ministry responsible for Labour confirmed that the day was to be observed as non-working and paid.

Malagasy New Year in 2026

Decree No. 2026-006 recognizes the Malagasy New Year, or Taombaovao Malagasy, as a public, non-working and paid holiday once its date is established through the national consultation process.

The decree did not assign a specific Gregorian date. Authorities stated in March 2026 that no nationally agreed official date had yet been established. Traditional celebrations held around that period therefore did not automatically constitute the statutory nationwide holiday envisaged by the decree.

Because no final authoritative 2026 date has been verified, the Malagasy New Year is not assigned an invented date in the VisaBoards database.

National Culture Day in Madagascar

Article 3 of Decree No. 2026-006 provides that Madagascar's National Culture Day is also to be non-working and paid, with its date determined separately by the Ministry of Communication and Culture.

No final authoritative 2026 date was verified for this holiday. It is therefore recognized as part of the legal holiday framework but is not assigned a date in the VisaBoards schedule until an official date can be supported.

International Women's Day in Madagascar

International Women's Day is treated differently from Madagascar's general nationwide public holidays. Decree No. 2026-006 lists 8 March but expressly states that the day is non-working only for women.

For that reason, International Women's Day is not included in the primary VisaBoards nationwide-general-population holiday dataset.

Can Madagascar Declare Additional Public Holidays?

Yes. Article 4 of Decree No. 2026-006 states that any additional day outside those already provided for by the decree that is declared non-working and paid must be established by a separate decree.

This mechanism allows Madagascar to add special one-off holidays during the year when an appropriate government decision is issued.

Are Public Holidays Paid in Madagascar?

Yes. Decree No. 2026-006 classifies the holidays covered by it as fériées, chômées et payées, meaning public holidays that are non-working and paid.

The decree also recognizes that certain establishments and categories of workers may be unable to stop operating because of the nature of their activities. Such exceptions are subject to rules established by the ministry responsible for labour.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many verified public holiday dates are in the Madagascar 2026 VisaBoards dataset?

The current verified VisaBoards dataset contains 15 nationwide public-holiday dates for 2026. This includes the fixed holidays in the annual decree, the subsequently confirmed Eid dates and the special nationwide commemoration on 25 September. It excludes International Women's Day because the day off applies only to women and excludes cultural holidays for which no final 2026 date has been verified.

What is the next public holiday in Madagascar?

The next public holiday changes throughout the year. The live VisaBoards section near the top of this page displays the upcoming holiday using the current Madagascar holiday database.

When is Eid al-Fitr in Madagascar in 2026?

Eid al-Fitr was observed on Friday, 20 March 2026. The Ministry of Labour confirmed it as a public, non-working and paid holiday throughout Madagascar.

When is Eid al-Adha in Madagascar in 2026?

Eid al-Adha was observed on Wednesday, 27 May 2026 and was declared non-working and paid throughout the country.

When is Madagascar Independence Day in 2026?

Madagascar's Independence Day falls on Friday, 26 June 2026.

Is Easter Sunday a public holiday in Madagascar?

Yes. Easter Sunday is expressly listed in Madagascar's 2026 public-holiday decree. In 2026, Easter Sunday falls on 5 April, followed by Easter Monday on 6 April.

Is International Women's Day a public holiday in Madagascar?

Decree No. 2026-006 lists International Women's Day on 8 March but states that the non-working holiday applies only to women. It is therefore not treated as a general-population nationwide holiday in the VisaBoards primary dataset.

Is the Malagasy New Year a public holiday?

Decree No. 2026-006 recognizes Taombaovao Malagasy as a paid public holiday, but its date must be established through a national consultation. No final authoritative 2026 date has been verified, so VisaBoards does not assign it an estimated date.

Is National Culture Day a public holiday in Madagascar?

The 2026 decree provides for a paid National Culture Day, but its date must be set separately by the Ministry of Communication and Culture. A final authoritative 2026 date has not been verified.

Was 25 September 2026 a public holiday in Madagascar?

Yes. The date was ultimately declared non-working and paid nationwide as a special commemoration of the events of 25 September 2025 under a later government decision.

Official Sources for Public Holidays in Madagascar

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