Holiday planning
Long Weekends in Sri Lanka 2027
Sri Lanka has 15 long weekends in 2027. The longest natural break is 2 days around Day Prior to Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day & Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day (Tue 13 Apr – Wed 14 Apr). Take Thursday and Friday off and turn the Day Prior to Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day & Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day break into a 6-day run.
15
Long weekends
6
Longest break (days)
15
Bridge day opportunities
All long weekends in Sri Lanka 2027
Sorted by calendar date. "Days off" = the natural break without any annual leave. "Bridge days" = working days to take as paid leave to extend the break.
| Date range | Holiday | Days off | Bridge days to take | Total break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 14 Jan – Sun 17 Jan | Tamil Thai Pongal Day | 3 | Thursday(Thu 14 Jan) | 4d |
| Thu 21 Jan – Sun 24 Jan | Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day | 3 | Thursday(Thu 21 Jan) | 4d |
| Thu 4 Feb – Sun 7 Feb | National Day | 1 | Friday(Fri 5 Feb) | 4d |
| Sat 6 Mar – Wed 10 Mar | Id Ul-Fitr (Eid al-Fitr) | 1 | Monday + Tuesday(Mon 8 Mar, Tue 9 Mar) | 5d |
| Thu 25 Mar – Sun 28 Mar | Good Friday | 3 | Thursday(Thu 25 Mar) | 4d |
| Tue 13 Apr – Sun 18 Apr | Day Prior to Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day, Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day | 2 | Thursday + Friday(Thu 15 Apr, Fri 16 Apr) | 6d |
| Sat 17 Apr – Tue 20 Apr | Bak Full Moon Poya Day | 1 | Monday(Mon 19 Apr) | 4d |
| Sat 15 May – Wed 19 May | Id Ul-Alha (Eid al-Adha) | 3 | Tuesday + Wednesday(Tue 18 May, Wed 19 May) | 5d |
| Tue 18 May – Sun 23 May | Vesak Full Moon Poya Day, Day Following Vesak Full Moon Poya Day | 4 | Tuesday + Wednesday(Tue 18 May, Wed 19 May) | 6d |
| Thu 17 Jun – Sun 20 Jun | Poson Full Moon Poya Day | 3 | Thursday(Thu 17 Jun) | 4d |
| Fri 13 Aug – Mon 16 Aug | Milad un-Nabi (Prophet's Birthday), Nikini Full Moon Poya Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 13 Aug) | 4d |
| Sat 11 Sept – Wed 15 Sept | Binara Full Moon Poya Day | 1 | Monday + Tuesday(Mon 13 Sept, Tue 14 Sept) | 5d |
| Thu 14 Oct – Sun 17 Oct | Vap Full Moon Poya Day | 3 | Thursday(Thu 14 Oct) | 4d |
| Thu 28 Oct – Sun 31 Oct | Deepavali Festival Day | 1 | Friday(Fri 29 Oct) | 4d |
| Fri 10 Dec – Mon 13 Dec | Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 10 Dec) | 4d |
Best long weekends in Sri Lanka 2027
The top breaks ranked by total consecutive days off.
April
Day Prior to Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day & Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day
Tue 13 Apr – Sun 18 Apr
6
days
May
Vesak Full Moon Poya Day & Day Following Vesak Full Moon Poya Day
Tue 18 May – Sun 23 May
6
days
March
Id Ul-Fitr (Eid al-Fitr)
Sat 6 Mar – Wed 10 Mar
5
days
May
Id Ul-Alha (Eid al-Adha)
Sat 15 May – Wed 19 May
5
days
How to use bridge days in Sri Lanka
A bridge day (sometimes called a sandwiched day) is a working day that sits between a public holiday and a weekend. By taking it as paid annual leave, you connect the holiday to the weekend and create a longer uninterrupted break.
For example, if a public holiday falls on a Thursday, taking Friday off gives you Thursday + Friday + Saturday + Sunday — four consecutive days using only one day of leave.
In Sri Lanka 2027, there are 15 bridge day opportunities highlighted in the table above. The biggest gain is around Day Prior to Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day & Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day: take Thursday and Friday off to turn a 2-day break into 6 consecutive days using only 2 days of annual leave.
Public holidays linked to long weekends
Day Prior to Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day
Tue 13 Apr
Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day
Wed 14 Apr
Vesak Full Moon Poya Day
Thu 20 May
Day Following Vesak Full Moon Poya Day
Fri 21 May
Id Ul-Fitr (Eid al-Fitr)
Wed 10 Mar
Id Ul-Alha (Eid al-Adha)
Mon 17 May
Binara Full Moon Poya Day
Wed 15 Sept
Tamil Thai Pongal Day
Fri 15 Jan
Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day
Fri 22 Jan
National Day
Thu 4 Feb
Good Friday
Fri 26 Mar
Bak Full Moon Poya Day
Tue 20 Apr
Poson Full Moon Poya Day
Fri 18 Jun
Milad un-Nabi (Prophet's Birthday)
Sun 15 Aug
Nikini Full Moon Poya Day
Mon 16 Aug
Vap Full Moon Poya Day
Fri 15 Oct
Deepavali Festival Day
Thu 28 Oct
Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day
Mon 13 Dec
Continue exploring
More for Sri Lanka 2027
Public holidays
Public holidays in Sri Lanka 2027
Full list of 25 public holidays with dates and observance notes.
Working days
Working days in Sri Lanka 2027
Monthly breakdown of weekdays minus public holidays.
Other year
Long weekends in Sri Lanka 2026
Same bridge day analysis for 2026.
Region guide
Public holidays across Asia Pacific
Compare holiday calendars for neighbouring countries in the region.
Calculator
Working Days Between Two Dates
Net working days for any date range — public holidays excluded, 192 countries.
Frequently asked questions
How many long weekends does Sri Lanka have in 2027?
Sri Lanka has 15 long weekends in 2027 where a public holiday creates a break of three or more consecutive days.
What is a bridge day?
A bridge day is a regular working day that falls between a public holiday and a weekend. Taking it as annual leave creates an uninterrupted break of four or more days using just one or two days of paid leave — maximising your time off.
What is the longest long weekend in Sri Lanka in 2027?
The longest break is 6 days from Tuesday, 13 April 2027 to Sunday, 18 April 2027, centred around Day Prior to Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day and Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day (taking Thursday and Friday as annual leave).
How can I get the most days off with the least leave in Sri Lanka 2027?
The best bridge day opportunity is around Day Prior to Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day & Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day (Tue 13 Apr – Wed 14 Apr). Take Thursday and Friday as annual leave to get a 6-day break using only 2 days of paid leave.
Are bridge days public holidays in Sri Lanka?
No. Bridge days are ordinary working days — employees choose to take them as paid annual leave. They are not legally mandated public holidays.