Stock market to shut for fifteen days in 2026 as NSE releases holiday list for New Year

New Delhi: The National Stock Exchange has released its trading holiday calendar for 2026, giving investors an early view of the days when the markets will remain closed across the cash and derivatives segments.

The schedule, issued under the exchange bye laws and the framework governing futures and options, lists fifteen full trading holidays and clarifies which public holidays fall on weekends. It also confirms the date of the annual Muhurat Trading session. The number of trading holidays is slightly higher than in the current year.

Full list of trading holidays in 2026

Sr. No. Date Day Holiday Description
1 January 26, 2026 Monday Republic Day
2 March 03, 2026 Tuesday Holi
3 March 26, 2026 Thursday Shri Ram Navami
4 March 31, 2026 Tuesday Shri Mahavir Jayanti
5 April 03, 2026 Friday Good Friday
6 April 14, 2026 Tuesday Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti
7 May 01, 2026 Friday Maharashtra Day
8 May 28, 2026 Thursday Bakri Id
9 June 26, 2026 Friday Muharram
10 September 14, 2026 Monday Ganesh Chaturthi
11 October 02, 2026 Friday Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti
12 October 20, 2026 Tuesday Dussehra
13 November 10, 2026 Tuesday Diwali Balipratipada
14 November 24, 2026 Tuesday Prakash Gurpurab Sri Guru Nanak Dev
15 December 25, 2026 Friday Christmas

The market year begins with a holiday on Republic Day on January 26. Other significant closures include Holi on March 3, Ram Navami on March 26, Mahavir Jayanti on March 31 and Good Friday on April 3. The exchanges will also shut for Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14, Maharashtra Day on May 1 and Bakri Id on May 28. In the latter half of the year, markets will be closed for Muharram on June 26, Ganesh Chaturthi on September 14 and Gandhi Jayanti on October 2. Dussehra will fall on October 20, followed by Diwali Balipratipada on November 10 and Guru Nanak Jayanti on November 24. The final holiday of the year will be Christmas on December 25.

No trading holiday on Diwali?

A notable point is that Diwali does not appear as a trading holiday in the list because it falls on a Sunday in 2026. Four holidays land on weekends and therefore do not disrupt trading. These are Mahashivratri on February 15, Eid Ul Fitr on March 21, Independence Day on August 15 and Diwali Laxmi Pujan on November 8. Despite Diwali Laxmi Pujan falling on a Sunday, the exchanges will conduct the customary Muhurat Trading session on November 8, with timings to be announced closer to the date.

For investors and traders, the holiday calendar plays a significant role in planning portfolios, derivatives expiry strategies and settlement timelines. Holiday clusters can influence liquidity, volatility and alignment with global markets, particularly for those active in index options and commodities.