Onam 2026 in UAE: Indian expats from Kerala to mark not 10, but 11-day festival — here’s why

Dubai/Abu Dhabi: Onam celebrations are under way across the UAE, with Indian expats from the south Indian state of Kerala gearing up for a festival that runs an extra day this year.

Homes, community groups, shops and public venues are all preparing for the annual celebrations of the state festival.

The change in the length of the harvest festival is linked to the Malayalam calendar, which uses nakshatras, or lunar mansion stars, to mark important days.

Traditionally, the core Onam countdown spans 10 star days, beginning with Atham star and ending with Thiruvonam star, the festival's main day.

However, Thiruvonam falls on the 11th calendar day of the Atham-to-Thiruvonam sequence this year because Vishakham star falls across two calendar dates, August 19 and 20. As a result, Thiruvonam lands on August 26 rather than the 10th calendar day of the celebrations as Atham, the first day of the traditional countdown, fell on August 16.

“The last time this happened was in 2017, if I remember correctly,” said Rajalakshmi P, a housewife in Dubai.

Onam and its significance in UAE

Onam is Kerala's major harvest festival and is tied to the legendary homecoming of mythical King Mahabali. Tradition holds that Mahabali's reign was remembered as a time of prosperity and equality, and Onam marks his annual return to Kerala.

The festival is celebrated through floral decorations known as pookkalams, the elaborate vegetarian sadhya, cultural performances, traditional games and gatherings with family and friends.

For the UAE's large Malayali community, many of these traditions have become part of the country's wider cultural calendar.

The UAE is home to around 4.5 million Indians, with more than one million estimated to be from Kerala, making Onam one of the most widely observed regional festivals among the Indian expat community.

Wearing UAE landmarks with pride

Malayali homes are abuzz with preparations, with  families shopping for traditional Kerala outfits such as shirts paired with mundu (a traditional garment worn around the waist) and set sarees (traditional white-and-gold festive attire) ahead of Thiruvonam.

“Everyone in my friends’ group always tries to match our outfits for every celebration, and Onam is no exception. But I couldn’t get my blouse for my set saree stitched because most of the tailors were already packed with orders. I finally managed to find a shop in Karama that agreed to take my order last night,” said Thara Thankachan, a business operations manager in Dubai.

This year, some Malayali retailers selling traditional outfits have introduced designs featuring UAE landmarks.

"We are very happy to see this trend emerging at a time when we are expressing our love and loyalty to the UAE," said Akshay Uthaman, a Dubai-based RJ.

He said he and his wife, Aksa Jose, had bought Kerala outfits featuring Dubai landmarks including the Burj Khalifa and the Museum of the Future. "We find it a perfect blend of our love for our motherland and our second home. It gives us an opportunity to literally wear our hearts on our sleeves," he added.

Food items for sadhya flown in

Preparations can be seen not just in homes and community organisations but also in public spaces and the supply chains behind the festival.

Fresh vegetables, coconuts, banana leaves and other ingredients associated with the Onam sadhya are being flown in from Kerala to meet seasonal demand across the GCC even amid regional tensions.

More than 2500 tonnes of fresh perishables and Onam-related food essentials are being transported from Kerala to Gulf markets by air as part of special supply arrangements by Lulu Group alone.

A first chartered flight from Kochi to Abu Dhabi carried about 50 tonnes of produce on Tuesday, while another 60-tonne shipment is scheduled for August 20 and additional consignments are being carried on regular passenger services to other Gulf countries, the company said on Tuesday.

Contests at malls, hypermarkets

Onam is increasingly visible in public spaces across Dubai too, with malls and other venues hosting cultural programmes around the festival. Multiple malls and hypermarkets are also allocating special marketplaces offering traditional clothing, handicrafts, food and festive items.

At BurJuman, for instance, celebrations running through August 29 include a pookkalam competition with Dh18,000 worth of prizes and gifts to participating teams on August 22 and cultural performances on selected weekends.

Traditional dance forms including Thiruvathira and Mohiniyattam, as well as percussion ensemble Chendamelam feature in the scheduled programme.

Stars to attend events

Such events show how Onam has moved beyond the home and community hall to become part of the UAE's broader multicultural landscape.

The festival season does not necessarily end with Thiruvonam for the expats.

In the UAE, Onam gatherings often begin ahead of the festival and continue for several weeks afterwards, with community organisations, families and groups holding celebrations over successive weekends.

Several community groups have announced mega events to mark Onam celebrations with the participation of celebrities from Kerala, mainly from the Malayalam film industry.

Mollywood’s ‘mega star’ Mammootty and ‘evergreen star’ Kunchacko Boban are scheduled to attend different community events titled Rajakeeyam and Onamamangam respectively at Sharjah Expo Centre in the first two weekends of September.