What's on in Colombo (Sri Lanka), Sri Lanka through the year

Peak crowds — the editor's peak month, Year-end break in Sri Lanka

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Blue whales off Mirissa (1 Nov – 15 Apr (usually))

Peak crowds — the editor's peak month, Independence Day

• Holiday

  Independence Day

  4 FebNational holidayClosuresCrowded

  A military parade and closed roads in the capital on 4 February, and a public holiday across the island. Government offices and many shops shut for the day. Source ↗

Still on: Blue whales off Mirissa (1 Nov – 15 Apr (usually))

Busy — between the peaks, February break in Sri Lanka

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Blue whales off Mirissa (1 Nov – 15 Apr (usually))

Peak crowds — Sinhala and Tamil New Year, Sinhala & Tamil New Year break in Sri Lanka

• Holiday

  Sinhala and Tamil New Year

  13–14 AprSchool holidaysClosures

  The island stops for several days in mid-April. Shops, kitchens and transport shut, buses and trains out of Colombo are full for a week beforehand, and hotels run on skeleton staff. Source ↗

• Festival

  Vesak

  30–31 MayMajor festivalClosures

  The Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death marked with paper lanterns outside every house and free food stalls, dansal, set up on the roadsides. Alcohol sales stop and meat comes off many menus for the poya. Source ↗

Still on: Blue whales off Mirissa (1 Nov – 15 Apr (usually))

Quiet — the editor's quiet month, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  East coast season

  1 May – 30 Sep · usuallyDry season

  While this coast is under the monsoon, the other side of the island is in its dry season: Trincomalee, Pasikudah and the surf at Arugam Bay are at their best exactly when Colombo is at its worst.

• Season

  Southwest (Yala) monsoon

  15 May – 15 Sep · usuallyRisk

  The southwest monsoon soaks Colombo and the west and south coasts, with rain in heavy bursts and a sea too rough for the beach towns south of the city. Low season here, high season on the far side of the island.

Still on: Vesak (30–31 May)

Quiet — the editor's quiet month, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in June.

Still on: Vesak (30–31 May), East coast season (1 May – 30 Sep (usually)), Southwest (Yala) monsoon (15 May – 15 Sep (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Festival

  Esala Perahera

  18–28 AugMajor festivalCrowdedBook early

  Ten nights of tusker elephants, whip-crackers, fire dancers and drummers processing through Kandy, three hours inland. Rooms along the route are sold a year ahead and the town is impassable on the last nights. Source ↗

Still on: East coast season (1 May – 30 Sep (usually)), Southwest (Yala) monsoon (15 May – 15 Sep (usually))

Quiet — the editor's quiet month, Esala Perahera

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: East coast season (1 May – 30 Sep (usually)), Southwest (Yala) monsoon (15 May – 15 Sep (usually)), Esala Perahera (18–28 Aug)

Busy — between the peaks, August break in Sri Lanka

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: East coast season (1 May – 30 Sep (usually)), Southwest (Yala) monsoon (15 May – 15 Sep (usually))

Quiet — the editor's quiet month, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Second inter-monsoon

  1 Oct – 20 Nov · usuallyRisk

  The wettest weeks of the year on this coast, delivered as heavy afternoon and evening thunderstorms rather than a steady soak. Mornings are often clear enough to be useful.

Shoulder season — between the peaks

• Nature

  Blue whales off Mirissa

  1 Nov – 15 Apr · usuallyWhale season

  The boats run out of Mirissa, three hours south, from November to April, and December to March is when the sea is calm enough to see anything. Early starts, and a genuinely rough ride on a bad morning.

Still on: Second inter-monsoon (1 Oct – 20 Nov (usually))

Peak crowds — the editor's peak month, Year-end break in Sri Lanka

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: Blue whales off Mirissa (1 Nov – 15 Apr (usually))