The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has officially released its holiday calendar for the year 2026, outlining the days when trading activities will be suspended. Indian equity market participants will observe a total of fifteen trading holidays in 2026, providing clear dates for investors and traders to plan their financial year accordingly.
Complete List of Market Closures for 2026
According to the official NSE calendar, the market holidays are spread throughout the year. The exchange has also noted that four significant holidays, including Mahashivratri, Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramadan Eid), Independence Day, and Diwali Laxmi Pujan, coincide with weekends in 2026, when markets are typically closed anyway.
The detailed list of holidays is as follows:
- January 26 - Republic Day
- March 3 - Holi
- March 26 - Shri Ram Navami
- March 31 - Shri Mahavir Jayanti
- April 3 - Good Friday
- April 14 - Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti
- May 1 - Maharashtra Day
- May 28 - Bakri Id
- June 26 - Muharram
- September 14 - Ganesh Chaturthi
- October 2 - Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti
- October 20 - Dussehra
- November 10 - Diwali / Balipratipada
- November 26 - Prakash Gurpurb Sri Guru Nanak Dev
- December 25 - Christmas
Month-Wise Distribution and Market Context
The month of March 2026 will see the highest number of market holidays, with three non-trading days. This is followed by the months of April and May, which will each have two market holidays. The release of this calendar is a standard annual practice that helps the financial community schedule corporate actions, derivative expiries, and investment strategies around these closures.
The announcement comes as Indian equity markets navigate a period of consolidation. On the last trading Friday of December, the benchmark indices closed in negative territory. The Sensex declined by 367 points, or 0.43%, to settle at 85,041.45. Similarly, the Nifty 50 slipped 100 points, or 0.38%, to close at 26,042.30. The BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices also saw minor declines of 0.18% and 0.34%, respectively.
Weekly Performance and Expert Outlook
Despite the subdued session, the broader weekly trend remained positive. For the week ending December 26, the Sensex managed to gain 112 points (0.13%), breaking a two-week losing streak. The Nifty 50 also rose by 0.30%, ending its three-week decline.
Commenting on the market's recent behavior, Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, stated, "Indian equity markets closed the holiday-shortened week on a cautious note, with mild profit booking emerging near lifetime highs amid thin trading volumes and persistent FII outflows. Despite the marginal decline, the broader market structure remains constructive, underpinned by strong domestic institutional participation, resilient earnings expectations, and stable macroeconomic conditions."
He added that the week reflected healthy consolidation at elevated levels, which helps the market build a steady base as it transitions into the new calendar year. With the 2026 holiday calendar now published, market participants can look ahead and structure their trading and investment timelines with greater certainty, avoiding potential liquidity crunches around major festival and national holidays.
