Kenya Events and Holidays Calendar 2026

KENYA · EVENTS GUIDE

Kenya skips November holidays, then fills December with Jamhuri Day, concerts and Christmas. Here is the dated calendar for visitors from the US.

Kenya has no national holiday in November 2026, and its next public holiday is Jamhuri Day on Saturday, 12 December. Between now and Christmas the calendar is filled by concerts and a race weekend instead.

This guide lists five dated events confirmed with their ticket sellers, with prices in US dollars and times in US Eastern. It also covers the entry rules, the Ebola cases and the US State Department advisory.

The Holiday Dates You Can Plan Around

Kenya’s Public Holidays Act lists Jamhuri Day on 12 December, Christmas on 25 December and Boxing Day on 26 December. In 2026 they fall on a Saturday, a Friday and a Saturday, and New Year’s Day is Friday, 1 January 2027.

The Act moves a holiday only when it lands on a Sunday, and none of these does. The festive season therefore brings one long weekend, from Friday, 25 to Sunday, 27 December, and no extra Monday.

The Act’s only other late-year holiday is Diwali, kept by Hindus and set by the moon. Its 2026 date is not in the Act, and no Gazette notice declaring any other day a holiday.

Mashujaa Day, Kenya’s heroes’ holiday, fell on Tuesday, 20 October 2026 and has passed. The Mashujaa Day guide explains why the next one is in 2027.

Kenya Events Calendar for November and December

On 14 and 15 November, RX Motorsport Kenya Management Ltd runs RX Fest Round 3, a rallycross weekend, in Nairobi at Kasarani. Rallycross is short, head-to-head car racing on a closed circuit.

Ticketsasa, a Kenyan ticket platform, sells a weekend pass for KES 500 (about US$3.85). Saturday’s 7:00 a.m. listing is 11:00 p.m. US Eastern on Friday, 13 November.

On Saturday, 28 November, Dope Caesar and Mista.C meet in the Continental Clash, a billed head-to-head show in Nairobi. The Tikiti ticket page lists no venue or start time.

Tikiti prices run from KES 1,500 (about US$12) to KES 4,500 (about US$35) for backstage access. The organisers are Mista.C and Perfectionist Ent, and a group-of-four ticket costs KES 5,000 (about US$38.50).

On Friday, 11 December, the British DJ Fatboy Slim plays MUZE Open Air in Hangar 16 at Wilson Airport in Nairobi. The listing starts at 8:00 p.m., which is noon US Eastern, and runs until 5:00 a.m.

Mookh, a Kenyan ticket platform, lists five price phases from KES 1,000 (about US$7.70) to KES 5,000 (about US$38.50). Only the top phase was still available on 29 October.

On Saturday, 12 December, the Congolese singer Ferre Gola plays the ASK Arena in Nairobi at the Dala Festival. The listing starts at 3:00 p.m., which is 7:00 a.m. US Eastern.

Mookh lists available tickets from KES 4,000 (about US$31) to KES 25,000 (about US$193). Tables of four and eight are listed at KES 100,000 and KES 200,000 (about US$770 and US$1,540).

On Friday, 18 December, the American rock musician Jack White plays Masshouse at Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi. AfricaCentric Entertainment and Snowball Industries present the show.

The store page gives the day but no year, time or prices, though its weekdays match 2026. Tickets went on sale on Wednesday, 9 September, so read the store page before you plan flights.

Time Difference and Prices in US Dollars

Kenya keeps East Africa Time, UTC+3, all year. After US clocks go back on Sunday, 1 November, Nairobi is eight hours ahead of US Eastern.

Prices here use the market rate of 29 October 2026. At that rate a KES 1,000 note (about US$7.70) is a handy unit for tips.

Ticket prices on the platforms are set by the organisers and can change or sell out. Check each page on the day you buy, and read the refund terms first.

Entry Rules and Costs for US Visitors

Foreign visitors, including Americans, need Kenya’s electronic travel authorisation, the eTA, before they board. The government portal says each traveller needs their own, and normal processing starts at US$30.

Since 5 October 2026, visitors must also hold Kenyan inbound health insurance, sold through the eTA application or the eCitizen portal. The premium is up to US$44 per person, covers up to three months, and a US policy does not replace it.

Normal processing is generally completed within three business days, and expedited processing adds US$100. The portal says the passport must be valid for six months and carry at least one blank page.

Apply well before the December rush, because the portal says some applications take longer than three days. The guide to Kenya’s entry rules explains what the eTA does not allow.

Health and Safety for the Festive Season

On Monday, 19 October 2026, the State Department raised its Kenya advisory from Level 2 to Level 3, Reconsider Travel. The US Embassy in Kenya says the change is due to health risks, and the advisory explainer covers the wording.

It says do not travel to Eastleigh and Kibera in Nairobi, or to Lamu, Garissa and several northern and coastal counties. Check every venue’s location against that list before you book.

Kenya’s health ministry confirmed its first Ebola case on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, a traveller from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. By Monday, 26 October the ministry’s updates, relayed by the EU’s disease-control agency, showed nine cases and two deaths.

The last confirmed case was reported on Tuesday, 20 October, and 98 contacts were still under watch on 26 October. The World Health Organization, the UN’s health agency, says Kenya still faces a high risk of further imported cases.

The report on airport screening for US travellers explains the checks on arrival. Kenya also requires visitors to hold local health insurance, as the entry section above explains.

Level 3 is not a travel ban, but insurers and employers may treat it differently from Level 2. Check your policy terms before paying for non-refundable fares or tickets.

Getting to Nairobi From the United States

Nairobi is the main gateway for flights from the United States, and most visitors land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The venues in this guide are all in Nairobi, so a base in the city covers every date.

This guide did not confirm current nonstop schedules or fares from the US. Book flights and rooms early for Thursday, 17 to Saturday, 19 December, when several events overlap.

School Terms and the Exam Weeks

The 2026 school calendar closes the third term on Friday, 23 October. The national secondary exam, the KCSE, runs from Monday, 2 to Friday, 20 November.

The KCSE is the national exam that ends four years of secondary school. The calendar sets the December school holiday to run until Friday, 1 January 2027, and no 2027 opening date was found.

What It Means for You

If you want a holiday, plan around Saturday, 12 December and Friday, 25 to Sunday, 27 December. Expect shut offices on Friday, 25 December and Friday, 1 January 2027.

If you want an event, buy only from the platforms named above. Apply for the eTA and the required health insurance early, and read the advisory and your policy terms before paying.

What Is Not Known

The State Department page could not be opened on 29 October, so Level 3 and its date come from the US Embassy. Read the full advisory on travel.state.gov before you book, because the level can change again.

The course of the Ebola outbreak is not known, although the last case reported by 26 October dated from 20 October. Another change in the advisory level before December is possible.

The Continental Clash has no published venue, start time or refund terms. Jack White’s page gives no year or prices, and Ferre Gola’s page shows both noon and 3:00 p.m. sessions on 12 December.

SolFest, the festival founded by the band Sauti Sol, is billed for 17 to 19 December. Its official store page lists no dates, venues or prices, so it is left out.

No Gazette notice adding a holiday, no 2026 Diwali date and no 2027 school opening date were found. Nonstop flight schedules from the US were not checked either.

Related Coverage

Start with the Kenya holidays in December 2026 guide, which covers the law, rail travel and the festive weekend in depth. The Nairobi city page and the Kenya news hub cover the wider country.

Event guides: RX Fest at Kasarani, Continental Clash and Fatboy Slim at Wilson Airport. Also read the Ferre Gola Jamhuri Day guide, the Jack White guide and the SolFest guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the next public holiday in Kenya?

Jamhuri Day, Kenya’s independence holiday, is Saturday, 12 December 2026. There is no national holiday in November.

What events are on in Kenya in November and December 2026?

Confirmed shows include RX Fest on 14 and 15 November and Continental Clash on 28 November. Fatboy Slim plays on 11 December, Ferre Gola on 12 December and Jack White on 18 December.

What does a US visitor need to enter Kenya?

An electronic travel authorisation from US$30 and Kenyan health insurance of up to US$44, both bought online before boarding. The passport must be valid for six months and have at least one blank page.

Is Kenya safe for Americans in December 2026?

The State Department rates Kenya Level 3, Reconsider Travel, since 19 October 2026. Read the full advisory and your insurance terms before you book.

Sources: Kenya Law, Public Holidays Act; Kenya Directorate of Immigration Services, eTA portal; US Embassy in Kenya, Level 3 advisory notice, 20 October 2026; US State Department, Kenya travel advisory; US Embassy in Kenya, health insurance notice, 16 October 2026; Kenya eCitizen, inbound travel health insurance; World Health Organization Africa office, week 41 situation report; European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Ebola update, 28 October 2026; Kenya Ministry of Education, 2026 academic calendar; Ticketsasa, RX Fest Round 3; Tikiti, Continental Clash; Mookh, Fatboy Slim; Mookh, Ferre Gola; Hustlesasa, Jack White store; SolFest store; open.er-api.com (all accessed 29 October 2026).

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