Diwali 2027 falls on Friday, October 29 in Singapore and in Sydney and Melbourne, the same date as India (Drik Panchang). Australia sits far enough ahead of India that in some years the local date shifts by a day, which causes the same confusion every year in WhatsApp groups across Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth. In 2027 it doesn’t: the US, UK and Europe are the ones that move, to October 28.
Why Australia can differ
Australia is 2.5 to 5.5 hours ahead of India in late October, depending on the state (Perth on AWST, Sydney and Melbourne on AEDT). Because tithi boundaries occur at a fixed instant worldwide, being far ahead of India means the relevant tithi can begin or end on what is, locally, a later calendar date, the same underlying reason festival dates can shift by a day.
Here’s the 2027 case. Amavasya runs from 8:47 PM IST on October 28 to 7:05 PM IST on October 29. In Sydney (AEDT, UTC+11) that is 2:17 AM on October 29 to 12:35 AM on October 30, so Amavasya covers the whole Sydney evening of October 29 and Diwali stays on October 29. In India, by contrast, Amavasya ends at 7:05 PM, only half an hour into the Lakshmi Puja window. The math isn’t as simple as “same date as India plus a few hours,” and in another year the answer can come out differently.
Singapore is more straightforward
Singapore is only 2.5 hours ahead of India (UTC+8 vs UTC+5:30), which is close enough that tithi boundaries rarely shift the festival to a different calendar date. In nearly every year, Singapore observes Diwali on the same date as India. Diwali is also a gazetted public holiday in Singapore, so the date is confirmed well in advance by the government.
For the roughly 400,000 Indians and PIOs in Singapore, the celebration is well-organized: Little India lights up weeks before Diwali, and community events run throughout the Deepavali period. Puja timing follows the same Pradosh Kaal principle, computed for Singapore’s sunset.
Check which date your community follows
Local temples and Indian associations in Australia typically publish their own confirmed date. The Hindu Council of Australia, temples in Parramatta, and the various state-level Indian associations all confirm their date separately. Check with your local temple or community calendar rather than assuming India’s date applies unchanged. If you see two different dates circulating, the temple nearest you is the one to follow for community events and celebrations.
Getting the puja timing right
Drik Panchang’s Lakshmi Puja muhurat for October 29, 2027: Sydney 8:44 PM to 9:27 PM and Melbourne 9:17 PM to 9:56 PM (AEDT), Singapore 7:59 PM to 9:14 PM. Sunset, where Pradosh Kaal begins, is 7:20 PM in Sydney and 7:51 PM in Melbourne, well after New Delhi’s 5:39 PM, so your window starts later.
One common mistake: families call relatives in India, hear they did Lakshmi Puja at 6:45 PM IST (inside Delhi’s 6:34 PM to 7:05 PM window), and try to do it at 6:45 PM local time in Melbourne. That is before Melbourne’s sunset. Compute your own window based on your city’s sunset, not India’s clock time.
Check your city’s timing
Use the muhurat page with your Australian or Singapore city selected to see that day’s sunset, Rahu Kaal and Abhijit Muhurat.