Eid al-Adha 2026 Likely to Fall on May 27, Says Astronomy Institute

National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics officially announced the expected dates for Arafat Day and Eid al-Adha 2026 based on astronomical calculations, as millions of Muslims prepare for one of the most important religious occasions in the Islamic calendar.

According to the institute’s astronomical guide, the crescent moon marking the beginning of Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH is expected to be born immediately after the conjunction at 10:02 p.m. Cairo local time on Saturday, May 16, 2026.

The institute explained that the new crescent moon will not yet be visible at sunset on the official observation day across Islamic countries. Instead, the old crescent is expected to set before sunset by approximately 13 minutes in Mecca and around seven minutes in Cairo. In other Egyptian cities, the old crescent is expected to disappear between five and 12 minutes before sunset, while in Arab and Islamic capitals it is expected to set between one and 35 minutes earlier.

Based on these astronomical calculations, Sunday, May 17, 2026, will complete the month of Dhu al-Qi’dah, while Monday, May 18, will mark the first day of Dhu al-Hijjah.

The institute added that Arafat Day is expected to fall on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, while Eid al-Adha is expected to begin on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.