Goa’s festival calendar stays busy from September to December. You can find Hindu festivals, lamp festivals, heritage events, boat shows, and seafood celebrations during these months. Some Goa festival 2026 dates are already confirmed. Others are listed only by month. A few venues are also still marked as tentative.
This guide uses current information from Goa Tourism, the Government of Goa, and the Ministry of Tourism. It focuses on the festivals listed for September to December 2026. It also points out where the official information is still pending. This is useful when you are planning your dates, hotel stay, or local travel. Goa recorded 10,802,410 tourist arrivals in 2025, including 10,284,608 domestic and 517,802 foreign visitors, according to the Goa Economic Survey 2025–26.
Goa Festival 2026: September to December
|
Festival |
2026 date |
Location |
|
Ganesh Chaturthi |
September 15–16 on GTDC calendar |
Goa |
|
Dussehra |
October 20 |
Goa |
|
Deepostav Festival |
October |
Porvorim, tentative |
|
Vintage Car & Bike Festival |
October |
Venue not confirmed |
|
Tripurari Poornima |
November |
Sankhali |
|
Raponkaranche Fest |
December |
Arambol, tentative |
|
Sea Food Festival |
December |
Venue to be decided |
Goa Tourism’s 2026 calendar lists these festivals. It does not give a final date for every event. The separate Goa Tourism state festival calendar also marks some venues as tentative.
September: Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the main Hindu festivals in Goa. Families bring home Ganesh idols and offer prayers. Temples and local groups also hold public programmes.
The current GTDC calendar lists Ganesh Chaturthi on September 15 and 16, 2026. The Goa government holiday list gives September 14 and 15 as the two public holidays for Hartalika/Ganesh Chaturthi. These dates refer to different parts of the official holiday and festival schedule.
Goa has also issued special rules for sound systems during certain festival days. The 2026 government order allows loudspeakers or sound systems until midnight on selected dates, including September 15 and September 18 for Ganesh celebrations.
For your plans, check the local temple or community programme close to the date. Different areas can have different celebrations.
Related read: 7 Things to Experience During Ganesh Chaturthi in Goa
October: Dussehra in Goa 2026
Dussehra in Goa 2026 is on October 20. This date appears in the GTDC calendar and the Goa government’s official holiday list.
Dussehra is also called Vijaya Dashami. It marks the end of Navratri.
In Goa, you may see:
- Temple prayers
- Religious processions
- Cultural programmes
- Community gatherings
- Traditional music
The Goa government has also included October festival dates in its 2026 order on extended sound-system hours.
October: Deepostav Festival
The Deepostav Festival is listed by Goa Tourism for October 2026. The current state festival calendar gives Porvorim as the tentative venue. It does not give a final day.
The festival is linked with Diwali and the lighting of lamps. Previous editions have included decorative lamps, Akash Kandils, rangoli, cooking contests, clay work, traditional dress, and music.
The Goa Economic Survey 2025–26 records community activities such as clay modelling, rangoli, cooking, fugdi, traditional dress, lantern-making, and musical programmes at recent Deepostav celebrations.
For 2026, use October as the planning window until Goa Tourism publishes the final programme.
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October: Vintage Car & Bike Festival
The Vintage Car & Bike Festival is also listed for October 2026 by GTDC. At present, the 2026 calendar does not give a final date or venue.
Older official tourism information places the event in Panaji. The Ministry of Tourism’s Utsav portal says the festival is organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Goa. It has included a rally of vintage cars and bikes, followed by a display where visitors can see the vehicles and speak with their owners.
Past editions have featured classic vehicles from different periods. Some programmes have also included music, fashion shows, food stalls, and prize distribution.
For 2026, treat Panaji as a past venue reference. Do not treat it as a confirmed venue until the new schedule is released.
November: Tripurari Poornima
Tripurari Poornima is held at Vithalapur in Sankhali, beside the Valvanti River. The festival is linked with the legend of Lord Shiva’s victory over Tripurasura. It is also known as Dev Diwali.
The main event is the boat competition. Teams create small decorated boats and take them onto the river. The festival also includes lamps, religious activities, music, and cultural programmes.
There is an important date point for Tripurari Poornima 2026. The Ministry of Tourism’s Incredible India page currently lists November 24, 2026. However, the GTDC website has also displayed November 26 for Tripurari Poornima. The main GTDC 2026 event calendar currently gives only November without a date. Because of this difference, check the final Goa Tourism notice before fixing your travel dates.
December: Raponkaranche Fest
The Raponkaranche Fest is listed for December 2026. Goa Tourism’s latest state festival calendar gives Arambol as the tentative venue. It does not give a final date.
The festival has roots in the traditions of the local fishing community. A Goa government document describes activities such as folk dance, traditional fish catching by rapon, and seafood preparation. It also notes that the local festival has traditionally been held in September.
The state-supported festival has also been held in December in recent years. The Goa Economic Survey records the Raponkarancho Seafood Festival 2025 from December 28 to 30 at Arambol. These are past dates. They should not be treated as the confirmed 2026 schedule.
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December: Sea Food Festival
The Sea Food Festival is listed by Goa Tourism for December 2026. The latest state festival calendar gives the venue as to be decided. No final 2026 date is listed yet.
Goa Tourism has held seafood festivals in different places in the past. The 2024 state festival programme, for example, listed a seafood festival at Miramar. The 2025 Raponkarancho Seafood Festival was held at Arambol.
This means you should not assume that an older venue will be used in 2026.
Seafood events can include local dishes, fishing traditions, music, and cultural programmes. The exact format depends on the final event plan.
How to Plan Around Goa Festivals in 2026
Use these simple checks before you book your trip:
- Check the latest Goa Tourism event listing.
- Confirm the date when the listing gives only a month.
- Check the venue before booking transport.
- Allow extra travel time around large public events.
- Follow temple rules during religious festivals.
- Carry some cash for small local stalls and transport.
- Check local traffic updates on busy festival days.
- Do not rely on dates from an older festival edition.
For example, Resort Rio in Arpora can be one base for visitors staying in North Goa. From there, you can plan trips based on the final festival venues and timings.
Why 2026 Festival Dates Need Checking
Festival calendars can change. Some events follow religious dates. Others depend on government planning, venue availability, or local arrangements.
The current 2026 Goa Tourism calendar shows this clearly. Dussehra has a fixed date of October 20. Ganesh Chaturthi is listed for September 15–16. But Deepostav and the Vintage Car & Bike Festival are listed only as October events. Raponkaranche Fest and the Sea Food Festival are listed only for December.
The state festival calendar also uses the word “tentative” for several venues. This is why you should check the official listing again before you travel.
Also read: Goa in September 2026
Conclusion
The September to December period covers several major Goa festival 2026 events. You can see religious celebrations, lamp displays, classic vehicles, river boat events, fishing traditions, and seafood programmes during these months.
The safest way to plan is to separate confirmed dates from tentative listings. Dussehra is confirmed for October 20. Ganesh Chaturthi has September dates on the GTDC calendar. Several October and December events still need final details.
For a North Goa stay, Resort Rio in Arpora is one option to consider while you plan your festival visits. Check the official Goa Tourism calendar again before your travel date. This is especially important for Tripurari Poornima and the December events, where official 2026 details are still being updated.
FAQs
What are the main Goa festivals in September to December 2026?
The main festivals listed by Goa Tourism are Ganesh Chaturthi, Dussehra, Deepostav Festival, Vintage Car & Bike Festival, Tripurari Poornima, Raponkaranche Fest, and the Sea Food Festival.
When is Dussehra in Goa in 2026?
Dussehra, or Vijaya Dashami, falls on October 20, 2026. The date is listed by GTDC and the Goa government.
When is Tripurari Poornima in Goa in 2026?
The Ministry of Tourism’s Incredible India page lists November 24, 2026 at Sankhali. GTDC has also displayed November 26 on another official page. Since the official pages do not match, check the final GTDC notice before making fixed travel plans.
Are the December 2026 seafood festival dates confirmed?
No. Goa Tourism currently lists the Raponkaranche Fest and Sea Food Festival for December 2026, but final dates have not been published. The state calendar lists Arambol as the tentative venue for Raponkaranche Fest and says the Sea Food Festival venue is still to be decided.
