Ramadan in 2026 is expected to start around the evening of Tuesday 17 February or Wednesday 18 February 2026 , depending on local moon sighting and the method your community follows. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar and the month begins with the sighting of the new crescent, the exact start date can differ by a day from country to country.

Key dates at a glance

  • Many calendars list the start of Ramadan 2026 as the evening of 17 February 2026 , with the first fasting day on Wednesday 18 February 2026.
  • Other organisations expect it to begin on the evening of 18 February 2026 , which would make Thursday 19 February 2026 the first fasting day.
  • All of these are estimates ; most scholars and national councils still confirm the start only after local or regional moon sighting.

Think of it like a “window” of likely dates: communities that follow astronomical calculations may announce earlier and be firm on one date, while communities that insist on naked-eye moon sighting might wait until the night itself and could differ by a day.

Why dates differ

  • The Islamic calendar is about 10–11 days shorter than the Gregorian year, so Ramadan moves earlier each year.
  • Start and end are tied to the new crescent moon (hilal) ; visibility changes with geography, weather, and method of calculation.
  • Some countries use national moon-sighting committees , some follow Saudi Arabia or other regional authorities , and some follow local mosque councils.

A simple example: if the new moon is astronomically born on 17 February but is not visible in your region that evening, your local authority might declare the start on the following night instead.

What you should do locally

To know the exact day in your area :

  1. Check your local mosque or Islamic centre’s Ramadan timetable (they usually publish it a few weeks before the month).
  1. Follow the announcements of your country’s official religious authority (if applicable).
  2. If you follow a particular fiqh council or national organisation, go with their published calendar for consistency in your worship.

A practical tip: mark both 17 and 18 February 2026 on your calendar, get spiritually and logistically ready as if it may start on the earlier date, and then simply follow the final local announcement.

TL;DR: Ramadan 2026 is generally expected to begin in the third week of February 2026 , most likely on the evening of 17 or 18 February , with the first fast on 18 or 19 February , but your exact start depends on local moon-sighting and announcements.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.