Reunion Island events calendar 2027: enjoy the locals' tips

In Reunion Island, there's almost always a festival happening somewhere. Here's how to choose your season, and how to behave once you're there.

The dates below are those of 2027. Religious festivals follow lunar calendars and change every year: always check with the town hall or the organisers before you book.

January to March: harvests, lights and the end of Ramadan

• January: Pongal, the Tamil harvest festival, around 14 January (sometimes the 15th depending on the temple). Temples bless tools and animals, and sweet rice is cooked until it overflows, for prosperity. Miel Vert, a major agricultural fair at Plaine des Cafres, usually from 7 to 18 January. Chinese New Year falls on 6 February in 2027: lion dances, firecrackers, red costumes.
• February: Cavadee, a major Tamil ceremony, with firewalking and penitents. Spectacular and sacred. It falls on 23 January in 2027. Ramadan also begins at the start of February in 2027.
• March: Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, around 9-10 March 2027, depending on the sighting of the moon. Holi, the festival of colours, follows on 22-23 March 2027 and is celebrated more discreetly than in India, within the Indian community.

Local tips

• Pongal: stop by a Tamil temple early in the morning (Saint-Pierre, Saint-Leu, Saint-Benoît).
• Miel Vert: go and taste the local produce.
• Chinese New Year: head to the Chinese quarter of a big town (Saint-Denis, Saint-Pierre, Saint-André).
• Cavadee: watch respectfully, ask before taking photos, and wear covering clothes. Try Saint-André (Petit-Bazar temple) and Saint-Pierre.
• Eid al-Fitr: rue Maréchal Leclerc in Saint-Denis is decked with decorated arches, a lovely way to feel the atmosphere without intruding.
• Holi: join in if you're invited, wear clothes you can throw away, and let yourself get covered in colour with a smile.

April to June: the dry season settles in

• April: Puthandu, the Tamil New Year, on 14 April (a solar date, so the same every year), with chariot parades, Indian dances and fireworks. Many neighbourhood festivals.
• May: the Leu Tempo Festival, a free street arts festival in Saint-Leu, usually in early May. Eid al-Adha, expected in mid-May 2027 (estimates range from 16 to 27 May depending on the source: check with a mosque).
• June: Sakifo in Saint-Pierre, music from around the world and the Indian Ocean. The Grand Boucan, the island's big carnival, with a parade of floats and the burning of King Dodo, at the end of June on the Saint-Paul seafront. Fête de la musique on 21 June.

Local tips

• Puthandu: Sainte-Suzanne, Saint-Leu, Saint-Louis and Saint-Paul each run their own programme over several days. Check the dates town by town.
• Neighbourhood festivals: look at the posters outside the town halls, that's where it all happens.
• Leu Tempo: follow the programme posted around town, shows follow one another all day in several places.
• Eid al-Adha: it's a family and religious celebration rather than a public one, with no parade to follow. You can feel the atmosphere in the Zarabe and Comorian neighbourhoods of Saint-Denis.
• Sakifo: buy your tickets in advance.
• Grand Boucan: come in fancy dress and stay for the evening fireworks.
• 21 June: wander around the towns, you're bound to find a free concert.

July to September: the food and craft festivals

• July: the cycling tour, the Chouchou Festival in Hell-Bourg (end of July), and the Choca Festival in Entre-Deux, which celebrates the local aloe.
• August: the Turmeric Festival at Plaine des Grègues, and the Vacoa Festival in Saint-Philippe, usually early to mid-August, with weaving, food and concerts. To understand what you'll see there, read The vacoa strand.
• September: the Maloya Festival in Saint-Pierre, in early September, and the Fête de la Salette on 19 September (a fixed date every year) in Saint-Leu, the island's biggest Catholic procession.

Local tips

• Cycling tour: follow a stage with locals at the roadside.
• Chouchou Festival: head up to Hell-Bourg to taste chouchou (chayote) in every shape and form.
• Turmeric and Vacoa festivals: ideal for meeting producers and tasting traditional dishes. In Saint-Philippe, don't miss the vacoa weaving workshops.
• Maloya Festival: stay late. The "krasé maloya", improvised sessions around the roulèr drum, happen in the evening.
• Fête de la Salette: come in the late afternoon on the 18th for the torchlight procession, one of the most powerful moments of the year. Stay discreet, it's first and foremost a moment of faith.

October to December: lights, vanilla and memory

• October: Dipavali, the Hindu festival of lights, with candles, parades, costumes and sweets. It falls on 29 October in 2027. The Florilèges du Tampon, a flower festival, during the school holidays.
• November: the Vanilla Festival in Bras-Panon and the Fèt Koko in Saint-Paul, usually in mid-November.
• December: 20 December, Fét Kaf, the commemoration of the abolition of slavery. Public holiday, maloya everywhere. It is the most important celebration on the island. The Liberté Métisse Festival takes place around that date in L'Étang-Salé-les-Bains.

Local tips

• Dipavali: go to Saint-André or La Possession for the parade. The big Saint-André parade can come a few weeks after the festival date.
• Florilèges du Tampon: enjoy the flower parade and the funfair.
• Vanilla Festival: buy your vanilla directly from the growers in Bras-Panon.
• Fèt Koko: taste the coconut-based dishes and follow the traditional contests.
• Fét Kaf: read up on the history of abolition beforehand. Go to the speeches, listen to the maloya and respect the emotion of the moment. It's the most authentic moment of the year.

When to go, depending on what you're after

• Tamil and Hindu festivals: from January to April, then in October.
• Crafts and local produce: from July to September.
• Music festivals: May, June and September.
• The island's memory: 20 December.

Going further

This calendar comes from the "Cultural calendar" chapter of our cultural guide to Reunion Island, which details each festival, what to know before you go and how to behave. A free preview is available.