Mauritius Events, Things to Do and Festivals 2014 / 2015

(Mauritius, MU, Africa)

The lively cultural mix of the Mauritian people makes for an interesting calendar of annual events. Celebrations range from Hindu religious festivals to Chinese New Year parties. Mauritius also hosts a number of international sporting events and competitions.

Port Louis is central to the festivals scene on the island, hosting annual events such as the Duchess of York Cup and Barbé Cup horse races, respectively in May and July, followed by Father Laval Day each September. Many yearly festivities, fun things to do and national holidays take place all over the island of Mauritius, including the Abolition of Slavery Day in February, Ougadi (Ugadi) and National Day each March, Labour Day in May, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Ganesh Chaturthi every August, and Eid ul-Fitr, which is usually held in November or December.

Mauritius Calendar of Festivals and Events

January

• Chinese Spring Festival / New Year - held in either January or February according to the Chinese calendar, which varies from year to year. Parties are staged to celebrate the start of the New Year in China. Food and fireworks play an important role in the festivities, as does the colour red
• Thaipoosam Cavadee - January / February, a colourful Hindu festivity centred around the Tamil community. Visitors to the Cavadee can expect everything from walking on fire to climbing up a ladder of swords. Wooden pots of milk are transported to temples on yokes decorated with flowers

February

• Abolition of Slavery - February 1st, a public Mauritian holiday held each year at the beginning of February
• Maha Shivaratree (Shivaratri) Festival - February / March, an annual event that is celebrated by devotees of Hindu, paying tribute to Shiva, a Hindu God. This celebration is given in honour of Lord Shiva and usually involves a procession to Grand Bassin, a sacred lake on the island where the pilgrims collect holy water
• South Indian Ocean Billfish Competition - an annual fishing competition where teams of anglers fish for four days as they aim to haul in their winning billfish, blue marlin and black marlin catch. The event is hosted by the Le Morne Angler's Club in Black River

March

• Ougadi / Ugadi - March / April, a holiday marking the beginning of the Telegu New Year
• National Day (Independence Day) - March 12th, marking the date when the country gained its independence in 1968, as well as the date it became a Republic in 1992

April

• Indian Ocean Rowing Race - held between April and July each year, teams start in Western Australia and row their boats across the Indian Ocean. This 4,825-km / 3,000-mile route generally takes the rowers between 60 and 80 days to reach this island, marking the end of this epic race

May

• Labour Day - May 1st, a public holiday at the beginning of May, often referred to as Worker's Day
• Royal Raid - runners compete over one of two courses - 35 km / 22 miles or 80 km / 50 miles. Both courses are off-road and take in some beautiful, if sometimes challenging, mountain terrain. The longer course starts at the Casela Bird Park / Yemen Nature Reserve and finishes at Tamassa. The shorter route starts at Jet Ranch, also finishing in Tamassa
• Duchess of York Cup - a popular horse race that's watched by thousands. The race is held at the Champ de Mars Racecourse in Port Louis
• Crossroads of Flavours - a culinary festival for locals and visitors who enjoy all things food related. This event includes cooking demonstrations, guided tours of markets and orchards and, of course, opportunities to taste Mauritian cuisine

June

• Mauritius Marathon - surely there's no better place to run the iconic 26.2-mile distance than around a tropical island. The race starts in Tamarin and finishes at Saint Felix

July

• Barbé Cup - a popular horse racing event held at the Champ de Mars Racecourse (Hippodrome) in Port Louis city

August

• Kiteival - an annual kite surf festival which is held in different venues around Mauritius
• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - August 15th, a religious holiday
• Ganesh Chaturthi - August / September, a Hindu fest staged to celebrate the birth of Ganesha, the God of wisdom

September

• Father Laval Day - celebrated on September 9th each year to commemorate the birthday of Jacques Désiré Laval, an 18th-century French priest and protector of slaves. A procession takes place, ending at the shrine to Père Laval at Sainte Croix in Port Louis
• Mauritius Open Classic - part of the Surf Ski World Series. This annual kayak race attracts local and international paddlers and kicks off a week of surf ski events
• Mauritius Ball Room Dancing Spectacular - expect everything from the cha cha cha to the quick step as dancers compete for the top spot. Held at the Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre in Pailles

October

• Divali (Dipavali) - held in October or November to commemorate the return of Rava. Hindu homes all over Mauritius are illuminated by clay oil lamps
• Opera Mauritius - a feast of all things opera-related. Most of the performances by international and local singers are held at the J and J Auditorium in Phoenix (next to Vacoas), with many other venues also staging operatic performances
• Ferney Trail - held on the eastern side of the island, this 10-km / 6-mile trail course can be walked or run. The longer 28-km / 17-mile course is considered to be far more challenging, taking runners off road and across the Bambous Mountain Range

November

• Arrival of Indentured Labourers - November 2nd, a public holiday
• Festival International Kréol - this lively celebration of creole culture usually features dancing, music concerts and literary readings, as well as a great deal of partying
• Eid ul-Fitr (Eid al-Fitr) - November / December, a day of celebration amongst the Muslim community, marking the end of Ramadan

December

• Mauritius Golf Open - each year, players from all over the world come to the island's renowned Constance Belle Mare Plage Resort to compete in this popular golfing tournament. Both professional and amateur players take part in a week-long series of golfing events on the resort's championship golf course

More information about Port Louis Events and Festivals.