2026 in Sri Lanka
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The following lists notable events that will occur and take place during 2026 in Sri Lanka.
Incumbents
[edit]National
[edit]| President | Prime Minister | Speaker | Chief Justice | Opposition Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anura Kumara Dissanayake (Age 58) |
Harini Amarasuriya (Age 56) |
Jagath Wickramaratne (Age 58) |
Padman Surasena |
Sajith Premadasa (Age 59) |
|
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| National People's Power (since 23 September 2024) |
National People's Power (since 24 September 2024) |
National People's Power (since 17 December 2024) |
Independent (since 27 July 2025) |
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (since 3 January 2020) |
Provincial
[edit]Culture
[edit]Foreign relations
[edit]- List of international presidential trips made by Anura Kumara Dissanayake
- List of international prime ministerial trips made by Harini Amarasuriya
- List of state visits received by Anura Kumara Dissanayake
Ongoing Events
[edit]- Red Sea crisis – (since 19 October 2023)
- Operation Yukthiya – (since 17 December 2023)
Events by month
[edit]January
[edit]- 2 January – Kasun Munasinghe, chairman of the Matugama Pradeshiya Sabha from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, is remanded on charges of obstructing the duties of the secretary of the local council.[1]
- 5 January – Johnston Fernando, a former cabinet minister and MP, along with his son, Jerome Kenneth Fernando, is arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) and remanded on charges of alleged misuse of state property.[2]
- 6 January – Ray Jayawardhana is appointed as the next president of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), with effect from 1 July 2026.[3]
- 7 January
- General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army, arrives in Sri Lanka on a two-day official visit.[4]
- A Cessna 208 Caravan Amphibian aircraft operated by Cinnamon Air plunges into Lake Gregory in Nuwara Eliya while attempting to land at the nearby Lake Gregory Waterdrome, injuring the two pilots.[5][6]
- President Donald Trump orders the withdrawal of United States from 66 international organisations including the Colombo Plan Council.[7][8]
- 9 January – The Ministry of Environment instructs the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) to halt all construction activities in the vicinity of the Ambuluwawa tower and the Ambuluwawa mountain region.[9]
- 12 January – Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, arrives in Sri Lanka on a stopover.[10]
- 13 January – The government officially inaugurates the Rebuilding Sri Lanka national programme, which has been established to efficiently coordinate the country's reconstruction efforts following Cyclone Ditwah.[11]
- 17 January – A purple star sapphire named Star of Pure Land, weighing 3,563 carats (712.6 g; 25.14 oz), is unveiled in Sri Lanka and is claimed to be the world's largest documented specimen of its kind.[12]
- 19 January
- Darshana Samaraweera, deputy director general of languages, humanities and social sciences at the National Institute of Education (NIE), which falls under the purview of the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, and two other officials are placed on compulsory leave pending an inquiry into the controversial inclusion of a URL linking to an adult gay chat website in the newly introduced grade six English module.[13] Previously, Manjula Vithanapathirana, director general of the NIE, temporarily stepped down from her position in connection with the same incident.[14][15]
- Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders of India acquires 164,916,229 ordinary shares in Colombo Dockyard for Rs. 6.6 billion, approximately US$21.3 million, representing a 41.73% stake in the company.[16]
- 21 January – Ceylon Biscuits Limited (CBL) announces the acquisition of PT Tri Jaya Tangguh Indonesia (TJT), a coconut processing facility, with an investment exceeding US$25 million.[17]
- 23 January – Chaminda Kularatne, deputy secretary general of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, is suspended pending an inquiry into alleged irregularities related to his appointment.[18]
- 25 January – The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, announces an investment programme of US$166 million to support local businesses and stabilise the Sri Lankan economy.[19]
- 26 January – Ambeon Holdings, through its subsidiary Ambeon Essentials, enters into a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) to acquire a 51.11% controlling stake in Harischandra Mills through the purchase of 918,118 shares.[20]
- 28 January
- Tamim Rahman, the former owner of the Dambulla Thunders franchise, pleads guilty to match-fixing charges during the 2024 Lanka Premier League and is sentenced to a four-year prison term, suspended for five years, along with a fine of Rs. 24 million, approximately US$78,155, by the Colombo High Court.[21]
- Saman Ekanayake, the former secretary to the president, is remanded until 11 February 2026 by the Colombo Magistrate's Court over charges of alleged misuse of public funds during the tenure of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.[22]
February
[edit]- 4 February – Acharya Devvrat, the Governor of Gujarat, and Harsh Sanghavi, the deputy chief minister of Gujarat, arrives in Sri Lanka accompanying the Devni Mori relics of The Buddha. The exposition of the relics will be held at Gangaramaya Temple from 4 to 11 February.[23][24]
- 5 February – Samudika Jayarathna is appointed as the 42nd Auditor General of Sri Lanka, becoming the first woman to hold the post.[25]
- 7 February – The 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, commences with Pakistan playing the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground (SSC) in Colombo.[26][27]
- 9 February – Mangubhai C. Patel, the Governor of Madhya Pradesh, and Chowna Mein, the deputy chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, arrives in Sri Lanka to facilitate the return of Devni Mori relics back to India.[28]
- 11 February – Twelve individuals are sentenced to death by a trial-at-bar of the Gampaha High Court for the murder of former MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala and his security officer on 9 May 2022 in Nittambuwa during the 2022 Sri Lankan protests. Four defendants receive suspended prison sentences, while 23 others are acquitted.[29] Capital punishment in Sri Lanka has not been enforced since 23 June 1976.
- 16 February – Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), arrives in Sri Lanka on a three-day official visit.[30]
- 17 February
- David Lammy, the deputy prime minister, secretary of state for justice and lord chancellor of the United Kingdom, arrives in Sri Lanka on an official visit.[31]
- Parliament votes 154–2 to abolish pensions granted to former Members (MPs).[32]
- Sandro Veronesi, the founder and group president of Oniverse, announces a €30 million (approximately US$35 million) investment in Sri Lanka.[33]
- The 2025 G.C.E. Ordinary Level (O/L) Examination commence with a total of 451,463 candidates sitting for the examination at 3,545 centres island wide.[34]
- 19 February – Admiral Stephen Koehler, commander of the United States Pacific Fleet, arrives in Sri Lanka on an official visit.[35]
- 21 February – Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club (CR & FC) wins the 2025–26 Maliban Inter-Club 'A' Division Rugby League, securing the domestic inter-club rugby title.[36]
- 22 February – The 2026 Ironman 70.3 Colombo triathlon is held at Port City Colombo.[37][38]
- 24 February – Professor Susiripala Manawadu is appointed as the 14th Governor of the Southern Province, following the death of previous governor Bandula Harischandra in November 2025.[39]
- 25 February – Major General Suresh Sallay, the former head of the State Intelligence Service, is arrested on suspicion of "conspiracy and aiding and abetting" the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings.[40]
- 27 February – Sri Lankan-born baker Sithamparappillai Jegatheepan wins the 2026 Concours de la meilleure baguette de Paris.[41]
March
[edit]- 4 March – A United States Navy submarine sinks the Iranian Navy frigate IRIS Dena, approximately 40 nautical miles (74 km; 46 mi) off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, outside the territorial waters but within the exclusive economic zone, in an event related to the 2026 Iran war. The Sri Lanka Navy rescues 32 survivors from the crew of 180 and recover 87 bodies, with about 60 sailors still unaccounted for.[42][43] The submarine which was involved in the engagement is later identified as USS Charlotte.[44]
- 6 March – The Sri Lanka Navy interns the Iranian Navy replenishment ship IRIS Bushehr and its 208 crew members after the vessel requested assistance following the sinking of IRIS Dena, and docks the ship at Trincomalee Harbour.[45] These actions are governed by the Hague Convention of 1907 (XIII) Convention concerning the Rights and Duties of Neutral Powers in Naval War.[46]
- 7 March – Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club (CR & FC) wins the 2026 Clifford Cup inter-club knockout rugby tournament, defeating Havelock Sports Club 12–10 in the final at CR & FC Grounds, Colombo, to complete the domestic double for the 2025–26 season.[47]
- 9 March
- The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is officially dissolved with effect from today and replaced by six state-owned companies (SOE) under the government's CEB restructuring programme.[48][49]
- Gary Kirsten, a South African cricket coach and former cricketer, is appointed head coach of the Sri Lanka national cricket team by Sri Lanka Cricket on a two-year contract commencing on 15 April 2026.[50]
- Sir Mark Tucker, former chairman of HSBC and current independent non-executive chairman of AIA Group, arrives in Sri Lanka to deliver the keynote address at the forum "Reconnecting to Capital, and Repositioning Sri Lanka in a Fragmenting World", organised by the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors, on 10 March at the Port City Colombo.[51]
- 13 March – Sri Lanka repatriates the remains of 84 Iranian sailors killed in the sinking of IRIS Dena on 4 March.[52]
- 15 March – The Sri Lankan government reintroduces the digital QR code-based National Fuel Pass system to ration fuel sales to motorists in order to conserve fuel amid the effects of the 2026 Iran war and the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis.[53]
- 16 March – The government declares every Wednesday a public holiday, reverting to a four-day working week to conserve fuel.[54]
- 19 March – Sergio Gor, the United States Ambassador to India and special envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs, arrives in Sri Lanka on an official visit.[55]
- 22 March – The government imposes a 25% increase in fuel prices.[56]
- 23 March – Masato Kanda, president of the Asian Development Bank, arrives in Sri Lanka on an official visit.[57]
- 24 March – Brito Fernando is awarded the Per Anger Prize 2026, the Swedish Government's international prize for human rights and democracy, for his work seeking truth and justice for people who have disappeared involuntarily in Sri Lanka during periods of political violence and civil war.[58]
- 26 March – The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka conducts the country's first paperless court hearing, held entirely on a digital system under the e-Court Project.[59]
- 27 March
- Kumara Jayakody, the Minister of Energy and MP from National People's Power, is served with indictments before the Colombo High Court in connection with allegations of corruption that caused a loss of Rs. 8,859,708 (approximately US$28,218) to the state in 2016.[60]
- The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka rules that Keheliya Rambukwella, a former cabinet minister and MP, along with several others, had violated the fundamental rights of the public by procuring health supplies in breach of standard procurement procedures in 2022. He is ordered to pay Rs. 75 million (approximately US$239,000) to the state, while the others are ordered to pay varying amounts.[61]
- Kamal Amarasinghe, the Commissioner General of Motor Traffic, is arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department in connection with an investigation into alleged irregularities in vehicle registration.[62]
April
[edit]- 2 April
- NDB Bank detectes an employee-linked fraud amounting to Rs. 380 million (approximately US$1.21 million).[63] On 6 April 2026, the bank revises this figure to Rs. 13.2 billion (approximately US$41.93 million) in a disclosure to the Colombo Stock Exchange.[64]
- The National Audit Office, in a special audit report, states that irregularities have occurred and proper procedures were not followed in the procurement of coal for the Lakvijaya Power Station for the 2025–2026 season.[65][66]
- 4 April – Trinity College wins the 2026 President's Trophy inter-school knockout rugby tournament, defeating Royal College 58–26 in the final held at Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo.[67]
- 10 April – The motion of no confidence presented against Kumara Jayakody, Minister of Energy, is defeated in Parliament by a majority of 104 votes, with 153 members voting against and 43 in favour.[68]
- 15 April – Sri Lanka repatriates 238 Iranian sailors from the IRIS Bushehr and the IRIS Dena, both damaged during the Iran war, after providing temporary shelter on humanitarian grounds.[69]
- 16 April – Sri Lanka Customs officials arrest nine Chinese nationals at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo for attempting to smuggle communication equipment concealed on their bodies, which officials say is intended for use in internet fraud operations.[70]
- 17 April
- President Anura Kumara Dissanayake appoints a three-member Presidential Commission of Inquiry, chaired by justice of the Supreme Court Gihan Kulatunga, to investigate coal purchases made for the generation of electricity, covering the period from the inception of coal-based power generation in Sri Lanka until 16 April 2026.[71][72][73]
- Kumara Jayakody, Minister of Energy, and Udayanga Hemapala, secretary to the Ministry of Energy, resign from their respective posts to facilitate an impartial and independent inquiry into coal imports.[73][74]
- 19 April – C. P. Radhakrishnan, vice president of India, arrives in Sri Lanka on an official visit.[75]
- 20 April – Anura Karunathilake is appointed Minister of Energy, in addition to his portfolio of Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation.[76]
- 21 April – Ven. Pannakara Thero arrives in Sri Lanka at the invitation of President Dissanayake to undertake a Walk for Peace from 22 April, commencing in Dambulla and concluding on 28 April at Independence Square in Colombo, covering a distance of approximately 188 kilometres (117 mi). The procession will carry a sapling from the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, and the thero will be accompanied by other Buddhist monks and Aloka, a rescue dog of Indian origin.[77][78]
- 22 April – The Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ministry, under President Dissanayake, claims that US$2.5 million (approximately Rs. 800 million), part of a US$22.9 million (approximately Rs. 7.3 billion) bilateral debt repayment to Australia, was diverted by a hacker following a breach of the ministry's systems.[79] The ministry further claims that the cyberattack and the subsequent fraud were initially identified in January 2026.[80][81]
- 25 April
- Eranga Weeraratne, deputy minister of Digital Economy, states that the US$2.5 million fraud at the Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ministry is a phishing and impersonation scam, not a system hack.[82]
- Twenty-two Buddhist monks are arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport, Negombo, for smuggling 110 kilograms (240 pounds) of cannabis concealed in their luggage.[83]
- 28 April – Nalinda Jayatissa, Minister of Health and Mass Media and Cabinet spokesperson, states that an amount of US$625,000 (approximately Rs. 200 million) remitted to the United States Postal Service has not been received by the intended recipient, and that investigations are underway to determine the cause of the discrepancy and trace the funds.[84]
- 29 April
- Shammi Silva, president of Sri Lanka Cricket, along with all office-bearers and members of the executive committee, resign from their posts with effect from today.[85]
- Sunil Kumara Gamage, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, appoints Eran Wickramaratne, a former Member of Parliament, as chairman of a nine-member interim committee (Sri Lanka Cricket Transformation Committee) to manage Sri Lanka Cricket until fresh elections are conducted and also to implement structural reforms.[86]
- 30 April – An official interdicted pending inquiry into the US$2.5 million cyber fraud at the Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ministry is found dead at his home.[87]
May
[edit]- 3 May
- Mohamed Muizzu, President of the Maldives, arrives in Sri Lanka on a state visit.[88]
- Mikhail Murashko, Minister of Health of the Russian Federation, arrives in Sri Lanka on an official visit.[89]
- 7 May
- Sri Lanka Police arrest 30 Chinese and Vietnamese nationals in Colombo in a crackdown on cyberscams in the country, raising the total number of those detained to 261.[90]
- The Welfare Benefits Board, which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, states that Rs. 248.8 million (approximately US$772,415) has erroneously been paid to nearly 50,000 Aswesuma beneficiaries in April 2026 due to duplicate payments.[91]
- Tô Lâm, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and president of Vietnam, arrives in Sri Lanka on a state visit.[92]
- 8 May
- Kapila Chandrasena, an airline and telecommunications executive who served as the CEO of SriLankan Airlines, Mihin Lanka and Mobitel, is found dead at his home in Kollupitiya, Colombo under suspicious circumstances, according to Sri Lanka Police.[93]
- Ashardeen Moinudeen, deputy mayor of the Kurunegala Municipal Council and a member of the All Ceylon Makkal Congress, is arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) for allegedly soliciting a bribe of Rs. 3 million (approximately US$9,320).[94]
Predicted and scheduled events
[edit]- 23 May–14 June – 2026 Asia Rugby Championship
- 18–21 June – Sri Lanka Expo 2026 will be held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo.[95]
- June–July – The 2026 SAFF Championship will be hosted in Sri Lanka.[96]
- 8 July – 8 August – 6th Lanka Premier League[97]
- 7–11 October – Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka 2026 will be held at the City of Dreams Sri Lanka, Colombo.[98]
Holidays
[edit]| Maha Season (Northeast Monsoon) | First Inter-monsoon (from mid March) |
Yala Season (Southwest Monsoon) (from mid April) |
Second Inter-Monsoon (from mid October) |
Maha Season (Northeast Monsoon) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | ||||
| 2 Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day |
1 Navam Full Moon Poya Day |
3 Medin Full Moon Poya Day |
1 Bak Full Moon Poya Day |
1 May Day & Full Moon Poya Day[101] |
29 Poson Full Moon Poya Day |
29 Esala Full Moon Poya Day |
25 Milad un-Nabi |
26 Binara Full Moon Poya Day |
25 Vap Full Moon Poya Day |
8 Deepavali |
23 Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day | ||||
| 14 Thai Pongal |
4 Independence Day |
21 Eid al-Fitr |
3 Good Friday |
27 Id Ul-Alha |
27 Nikini Full Moon Poya Day |
24 Il Full Moon Poya Day |
25 Christmas Day | ||||||||
| 15 Maha Shivaratri Day |
13 Day prior to Sinhalese & Tamil New Year Day |
30 Vesak Full Moon Poya Day[101] |
|||||||||||||
| 14 Sinhalese & Tamil New Year Day |
31 Day following Vesak Full Moon Poya Day |
||||||||||||||
Deaths
[edit]
Nihal Seneviratne (b. 1934)
Y. Karunadasa (b. 1934)
Sirisumana Godage (b. 1936)
January
[edit]- 4 January – Chandrasena Thalangama, 81, journalist and lyricist.[102]
- 6 January – Nihal Seneviratne, 91, civil servant, secretay general of the Parliament of Sri Lanka (1981–1994).[103]
- 10 January – Darshana Handungoda, 55, political journalist and YouTuber.[104]
- 13 January – Iqbal Athas, 81, journalist.[105]
- 15 January – Raju Bandara, 65, singer and musician.[106]
- 18 January – Nandana Gunathilake, 63, politician, MP (2000–2010).[107]
- 28 January – Koyan Chamitha, 28, naval officer, first Sri Lankan to successfully complete the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training conducted by the United States Navy (USN).[108]
- 29 January – Sena Samarasinghe, 89, film director.[109]
February
[edit]- 1 February – Bandula Harishchandra, 86, artist.[110]
- 13 February – Tissa Vitharana, 91, politician, cabinet minister, governor, MP (2004–2015, 2020–2024).[111]
- 21 February – Sunil Fernando, 81, cricket coach.[112]
- 23 February – Raja de Silva, 102, scientist, archaeologist, Commissioner of Archaeology (1967–1979).[113]
- 26 February – Kithsiri Perera, 97, actor.[114]
March
[edit]- 3 March – S. K. Sangakkara, attorney-at-law, father of Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara.[115]
- 5 March – Eric Abeywardena, actor.[116]
- 7 March – Rajitha Rodrigo, actor.[117]
- 22 March – Aloysius Pieris, 91, Jesuit priest and theologian.[118]
- 30 March – Rezvi Sheriff, 77, academic, nephrologist and physician.[119]
April
[edit]- 2 April
- Mahinda Wijesekara, 83, politician, cabinet minister and MP.[120]
- Dan Piachaud, 89, cricketer (Oxford University, MCC, national team).[121]
- 3 April – Bhakti Dharmapriya Mendis, 47, journalist, founding editorial board member of Lakbima newspaper.[122]
- 6 April – Subashini Balasubramaniyam, 36, actress.[123]
- 15 April – Charles Lakshan, 44, singer.[124]
- 26 April – Y. Karunadasa, 92, Buddhist scholar.[125]
- 29 April – Deshabandhu Sirisumana Godage, 90, entrepreneur, book publisher and chairman of Godage International Publishers.[126]
- 30 April – Mahesh Jayasinghe, 66, actor.[127]
May
[edit]- 7 May – Suda Wannila Aththo, 62, Rathugala indigenous leader.[128]
- 8 May – Kapila Chandrasena, 61, airline and telecommunications executive, CEO of SriLankan Airlines, Mihin Lanka and Mobitel.[93]
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