Cayman Islands Public Holidays 2026 and 2027
Every public holiday and the rule behind its date, and the Cayman year month by month.
The short answer
The Cayman Islands have 12 public holidays a year. The next one is Remembrance Day, Monday 9 November 2026.
2026 public holidays
| Date | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 Jan | New Year's Day | |
| Mon 26 Jan | National Heroes Day | |
| Wed 18 Feb | Ash Wednesday | |
| Fri 3 Apr | Good Friday | |
| Mon 6 Apr | Easter Monday | |
| Mon 4 May | Emancipation Day | |
| Mon 18 May | Discovery Day | |
| Mon 15 Jun | King's Birthday | |
| Mon 6 Jul | Constitution Day | |
| Mon 9 Nov | Remembrance Day | |
| Fri 25 Dec | Christmas Day | |
| Mon 28 Dec | Boxing Day | Boxing Day is Sat 26 Dec; the holiday is the Monday |
Source: the Cayman Islands Government's official list (gov.ky). Cayman Thanksgiving (Sunday 6 December) is an official observance, not a public holiday.
2027 public holidays (expected)
The government has not published the 2027 list yet; it usually appears in December. These are the dates the law's rules give, and we will replace them with the official list when it is out.
| Date | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 1 Jan | New Year's Day | |
| Mon 25 Jan | National Heroes Day | |
| Wed 10 Feb | Ash Wednesday | |
| Fri 26 Mar | Good Friday | |
| Mon 29 Mar | Easter Monday | |
| Mon 3 May | Emancipation Day | |
| Mon 17 May | Discovery Day | |
| Mon 14 Jun | King's Birthday | Depends on the UK date, not announced yet |
| Mon 5 Jul | Constitution Day | |
| Mon 15 Nov | Remembrance Day | |
| Mon 27 Dec | Christmas Day | Christmas is Sat 25 Dec; holiday taken Monday, as in 2021 |
| Tue 28 Dec | Boxing Day | Boxing Day is Sun 26 Dec; holiday taken Tuesday, as in 2021 |
Some online calendars put Remembrance Day 2027 on 8 November. The law sets it as the Monday after Remembrance Sunday, which in 2027 is 14 November, so the holiday is Monday 15 November.
How the dates are set
The Public Holidays Act lists each holiday and its rule, and Cabinet can add to it by Order (Emancipation Day was added in 2024). Most fall on a Monday:
- Fixed: New Year's Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
- Easter: Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and Easter Monday move with Easter.
- Set Mondays: National Heroes Day (fourth Monday in January), Emancipation Day (first Monday in May), Discovery Day (third Monday in May) and Constitution Day (first Monday in July).
- Following the UK: the King's Birthday is the Monday after the UK's official birthday Saturday; Remembrance Day is the Monday after Remembrance Sunday.
Weekends: the Act has only two weekend rules. New Year's Day moves to the Monday when it falls on a Saturday or Sunday. Boxing Day moves to the Monday when Christmas falls on a Saturday, and when Christmas falls on a Sunday the Monday and Tuesday are both holidays. Christmas Day itself has no weekend rule, but the government sets the observed days in its list each year: in 2021, with Christmas on a Saturday, it gave Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December, and in 2026 it moved the Boxing Day holiday from Saturday 26 to Monday 28 December.
A general election day is also a public holiday, and the government occasionally adds a one-off holiday, as it did for the King's coronation in 2023.
What's open on public holidays
Most public holidays are quiet but not closed: supermarkets, restaurants, beaches and the main attractions open, usually on shorter hours, while government offices and courts close. Christmas Day and Good Friday are the exceptions, when the big supermarkets and most attractions close and only hotels and restaurants may sell alcohol. Store-by-store hours, alcohol rules, pharmacies and more: what's open on public holidays in Grand Cayman.
Easter camping
Camping on the beach over Easter is a Cayman tradition, and the rules allow it. Residents may camp on public land without a permit on a public holiday, for seven days either side of one, and for up to ten days around Easter. Visitors who are not resident need a permit, at CI$200 (US$240) per tent. Cooking fires are allowed only on a barbecue, portable fire pit or stove; a bonfire needs a permit, and the fine for one without starts at CI$1,000 (US$1,200).
The Cayman year, month by month
January
Peak season in full swing: dry, breezy, and the busiest cruise months begin. National Heroes Day makes the fourth Monday a long weekend. The Cayman Cookout, the island’s marquee food festival, typically runs mid-January at the Ritz-Carlton.
February
The most distinctive holiday of the year: Ash Wednesday is a public holiday, and it is Agriculture Show day, when a good part of the island heads to the showgrounds for livestock, produce competitions and local food. Peak tourist season continues.
March
Usually the busiest cruise month of the year and prime beach weather. CAYFEST, the national festival of the arts, builds through early spring to its finale, Red Sky at Night at the Harquail Theatre (21 March in 2026), and the Orchid Show blooms at the Botanic Park in late March. No public holidays in a typical March, though Easter lands here in some years.
April
Good Friday and Easter Monday bookend Cayman’s biggest camping tradition: Easter weekend beach camping. Conch and whelk season closes after 30 April; from 1 May the shells stay in the water until November.
May
The most packed month of the year. Two long weekends: Emancipation Day (first Monday) and Discovery Day (third Monday). Carnival everywhere: in 2026 Batabano and CayMAS united as One Cayman Carnival with the main parade late in the month, while Braccanal takes over Cayman Brac around the Discovery Day weekend. Cayman Art Week opens 50+ venues across the islands in late May, and the Out of this World music fest (9,600 strong at Camana Bay in 2026) closes the month. Nassau grouper season opens 1 May.
June
Hurricane season opens 1 June (see the prep guide; the real peak is months away). The King’s Birthday holiday lands mid-month, the Flowers Sea Swim typically brings hundreds to the Seven Mile Beach mile in June, and Saharan dust hazes arrive.
July
Constitution Day makes the first Monday a long weekend, and the long quiet summer stretch settles in. Sargassum season peaks on exposed coasts; Seven Mile Beach is usually spared.
August
The quiet build-down: hot, humid, and the start of the low season. No public holidays; a good month for locals’ deals as visitor numbers thin.
September
The island’s quietest month (about 26,800 air arrivals in September 2025 versus roughly 69,000 in March) and the statistical peak of hurricane season around 10 September. Many restaurants take their annual closures now.
October
Low season winds down and the festival year restarts: October is Cayman Cocktail Month, with specialty cocktails at bars island-wide and the Cayman Cocktail Week events from 23 October in 2026, then Pirates Week opens on Cayman Brac (30–31 October 2026). Restaurant closures taper; hurricane season remains live into November.
November
The big month: Pirates Week on Grand Cayman (6–14 November 2026) with the landing, parades and fireworks, then Little Cayman’s weekend (20–21 November). Remembrance Day is the Monday after Remembrance Sunday (9 November in 2026). Conch and whelk season opens 1 November, hurricane season ends 30 November, Gimistory storytelling typically tours the districts early in the month, NCAA teams fly in for the Cayman Islands Classic basketball tournament at John Gray in late November, the Camana Bay tree lighting in mid-November starts nightly light shows that run to early January, and Porter’s winter nonstops from Toronto and Ottawa return.
December
The Cayman Islands Marathon takes over George Town’s roads on the first Sunday (6 December in 2026). Lobster season opens 1 December (three per person per day; see the seafood guide). Christmas Day and Boxing Day close the holiday year, and peak tourist season begins again.
Questions
What are the public holidays in the Cayman Islands in 2026?
New Year's Day (1 Jan), National Heroes Day (26 Jan), Ash Wednesday (18 Feb), Good Friday (3 Apr), Easter Monday (6 Apr), Emancipation Day (4 May), Discovery Day (18 May), King's Birthday (15 Jun), Constitution Day (6 Jul), Remembrance Day (9 Nov), Christmas Day (25 Dec) and Boxing Day (holiday on Monday 28 Dec).
Is Ash Wednesday a public holiday in the Cayman Islands?
Yes. It is also Agriculture Show day, when the annual show draws crowds for livestock, produce and local food.
How many public holidays does the Cayman Islands have?
Twelve a year, plus a general election day in election years.
Is the Boxing Day holiday 2026 on Saturday or Monday?
Boxing Day itself is Saturday 26 December, the day after Christmas. Because it falls on a weekend, the public holiday is taken on Monday 28 December.
What is the biggest festival in the Cayman Islands?
Pirates Week, the national festival, across all three islands in late October and November (2026: Cayman Brac 30 to 31 October, Grand Cayman 6 to 14 November, Little Cayman 20 to 21 November).
When is low season in the Cayman Islands?
September and October. September is the quietest month for visitors (about 26,800 air arrivals in September 2025, against roughly 69,000 in March) and the peak of hurricane season.
Methodology and sources
Dates come from the Cayman Islands Government's official public holidays list and the Public Holidays Act (2007 Revision) with the Public Holidays Order 2024. Alcohol rules come from the Liquor Licensing Act (2019 Revision), section 11, and the government's Good Friday 2026 and holiday-season 2025 notices. Pharmacy hours come from the Health Services Authority's holiday notices; attraction and supermarket hours from each venue's own website or direct confirmation. Camping rules come from the Public Lands Regulations 2021, regulations 13 and 16. Festival timings are typical months unless the organisers have announced dates; season markers come from Daily.ky's verified guides (marine seasons from the National Conservation Regulations, hurricane season from NOAA, arrivals from CIAA data). Exchange rate CI$1 = US$1.20. Holiday hours can change for a particular holiday, so check before a special trip. This is general information, not legal advice. Full methodology and corrections policy: /about. Last updated: 6 November 2026.