The Mawlid, called Maouloud in French-speaking Africa, celebrates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. In 2027, it is expected around Saturday, August 14, give or take a day depending on the moon sighting. It is a public holiday in most of the West African and Indian Ocean countries we cover, but a quieter holiday than Korité or Tabaski: no sacrifice, no big morning prayer, and most of it happens at night, in the mosques.
For a traveler, the impact is limited: government offices and banks close on the public holiday, there are night vigils of prayer and song, and some religious towns draw very dense crowds. In Senegal, the Mawlid takes the form of the Gamou, and the Gamou of Tivaouane has its own page.
Mawlid 2027 date
The Mawlid falls on 12 Rabi al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar. The calendar is lunar, so the holiday moves about eleven days earlier each year. For 2027, Islamic.app gives Saturday, August 14, noting that the date may shift by a day depending on local sighting. In the Comoros, Office Holidays lists the public holiday on Sunday, August 15, 2027.
| Country | Mawlid 2025 | Mawlid 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Guinea | night of September 4 to 5 | Tuesday, August 25 |
| Chad | Thursday, September 4 (public holiday) | not verified |
| Côte d'Ivoire | night of September 3 to 4 (Bafing) | Tuesday, August 25 |
| Mali | not verified | Tuesday, August 25 |
| Burkina Faso | not verified | Tuesday, August 25 |
| Senegal | not verified | Tuesday, August 25 (Gamou of Tivaouane) |
| Niger | not verified | Tuesday, August 25 |
| Djibouti | not verified | Tuesday, August 25 |
Sources for 2026: Office Holidays for each country and Le Soleil for Senegal. For 2025: Guinéenews, Alwihda Info and Abidjan.net.
Our advice
Need to visit a government office or a bank in mid-August 2027? Avoid August 13, 14 and 16: the date of the public holiday is only confirmed a few days ahead.
What the holiday celebrates
The Mawlid commemorates the birth of the Prophet, in Mecca. It is celebrated mostly at night: Quran recitation, accounts of the Prophet's life, poems in his praise and prayers until dawn. In Senegal and Niger, the Sufi brotherhoods, especially the Tijaniyya, make it one of the high points of the year.
The holiday has no compulsory ritual, unlike the Eid prayer or the Tabaski sacrifice. Some currents of Islam do not celebrate it at all. Its name varies by country:
- Maouloud or Mouloud in Mali, Niger, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Chad (Maouloud El Nebi);
- Gamou in Senegal;
- Mawlid in Djibouti;
- Maoulid in the Comoros.
Country by country: public holidays and what changes for you
| Country | Usual name | Public holiday | What changes for a traveler |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mali | Maouloud | yes, plus the Prophet's Baptism a week later | travel to the whole country strongly advised against |
| Niger | Mouloud | yes | travel to the whole country strongly advised against |
| Guinea | Mouloud | yes | vigils across the country, offices closed |
| Djibouti | Mawlid | yes | vigils in the mosques, offices closed |
| Comoros | Maoulid | yes (August 15, 2027) | vigils in the mosques, offices closed |
| Senegal | Gamou | yes | roads to Tivaouane jammed |
| Burkina Faso | Maouloud | yes | travel to the whole country strongly advised against |
| Côte d'Ivoire | Maouloud | yes | vigils in families and mosques |
| Chad | Maouloud El Nebi | yes, one day | avoid places of worship and gatherings |
The public holidays come from Office Holidays (2026 or 2027) and, for Chad, from the government statement reported by Alwihda Info in 2025.
Mali: the Maouloud, then the Prophet's Baptism
Watch out
France Diplomatie (the French foreign ministry's travel advice) places all of Mali in its red zone: “all travel to Mali is strongly advised against, including for tourism and family reasons” (our translation). Also check your own government's travel advice. This section describes the holiday; it is not an invitation to travel.
In Mali, the Maouloud is celebrated with readings, prayers and night vigils in the mosques. It is a public holiday, as is the Prophet's Baptism a week later: in 2026, Office Holidays places them on Tuesday, August 25 and Tuesday, September 1.
The Baptism brings public sessions of Quran reading and prayer, with songs in the Prophet's honor. In 2022, in Senou, near Bamako, young people organized a reading to explain his life to residents (Le360 Afrique). The period is also a time for family reunions and many weddings.
In Timbuktu, the holiday centers on the Djingareyber mosque. The crowds there are such that in February 2010, a stampede during the Maouloud killed at least 15 people, mostly young girls, according to witnesses quoted by the Associated Press. See festivals in Mali.
Niger: the night at the Great Mosque of Niamey
Watch out
France Diplomatie places all of Niger in its red zone: “All travel to Niger is strongly advised against” (our translation). It rates the risk of attack and the threat of kidnapping targeting Westerners as high. The French embassy in Niamey is closed. Also check your own government's travel advice.
The Mouloud is a public holiday in Niger: it fell on Tuesday, August 25 in 2026 (Office Holidays). In Niamey, the Islamic Association of Niger celebrates it every year at the Great Mosque, with the authorities present. In 2023, the prime minister attended.
Other mosques in the capital hold their own nights. At the Cheikh Chaibou mosque, the program combines fasting, recitation of the Quran and hadiths, and poems in praise of the Prophet, from 9 p.m. until dawn. Niger's Tijani community also marks the night (Le360 Afrique). See festivals in Niger.
Guinea: a holiday run by the Religious Affairs secretariat
In Guinea, the Mouloud is a public holiday, on Tuesday, August 25 in 2026 according to Office Holidays. The date is announced by the General Secretariat for Religious Affairs (SGAR). In 2025, its statement set the celebration for the night of Thursday, September 4 to Friday, September 5, nationwide.
The SGAR organizes the holiday with its regional offices and chooses a theme. In 2025, it was “the Unity of the sons and daughters of Guinea for building a strong and prosperous nation”, with a call to pray for peace and social cohesion (Guinéenews, our translation).
Watch out
France Diplomatie advises against travel unless essential to the border areas with Mali and Côte d'Ivoire, including Siguiri and Mandiana. The rest of the country is at increased vigilance. Demonstrations “can lead to violent incidents” (our translation): avoid gatherings. In Conakry, armed robberies are rising, especially at night.
See festivals in Guinea and Guinea entry requirements.
Djibouti: a public holiday of prayer
In Djibouti, the Mawlid celebrates the Prophet's birth with prayers and night vigils in the mosques. It is a public holiday: it fell on Tuesday, August 25 in 2026 (Office Holidays). As with all holidays in the Islamic calendar, the date can shift by a day depending on the moon sighting.
Watch out
Djibouti City is at increased vigilance for France Diplomatie, which strongly advises against the area near the border with Eritrea. It recommends vigilance near places of worship. Do not photograph military installations, or people without their consent.
See festivals in Djibouti and Djibouti entry requirements.
Comoros: the Maoulid, a public holiday on August 15, 2027
In the Comoros, an overwhelmingly Muslim country, the Maoulid is a public holiday. Office Holidays sets it on Sunday, August 15 in 2027, a day after the date given by Islamic.app. In 2026, Eid al-Fitr had also been celebrated there a day after most neighboring countries. The Prophet's birth is celebrated with prayers and night vigils in the mosques.
Watch out
France Diplomatie places the archipelago at increased vigilance, with no area advised against. It asks travelers to avoid gatherings and night driving, and never to board a kwassa-kwassa (small fishing boat).
See festivals in the Comoros and Comoros entry requirements.
The neighbors: Senegal, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire and Chad
Of these four countries, only Senegal has a separate Mawlid page on our site, for the Gamou of Tivaouane. The holiday is a public holiday in all four.
Senegal: the Gamou of Tivaouane
In Senegal, the Mawlid is called Gamou. The best known, that of the Tijanis in Tivaouane, dates back to 1902 and draws huge crowds: about five million pilgrims were expected in 2025. The date is set by Conacoc: Tuesday, August 25 in 2026, and around August 14 in 2027. Everything is covered on our Gamou of Tivaouane page.
Burkina Faso
The Maouloud is a public holiday there, on Tuesday, August 25 in 2026 according to Office Holidays. See festivals in Burkina Faso.
Watch out
France Diplomatie places all of Burkina Faso in its red zone: “all travel to Burkina Faso is strongly advised against” (our translation), Ouagadougou included. The French embassy is closed.
Côte d'Ivoire
The Maouloud is a public holiday in Côte d'Ivoire (Office Holidays). In the Bafing region, in the west, the night of September 3 to 4, 2025 was celebrated in Touba, Ganhoué, Ferentella and Sekodougou. In Touba, the celebration is held every year at the home of one of the town's leading families, in turn (Abidjan.net). See festivals in Côte d'Ivoire.
Chad
The government declares the Maouloud El Nebi a “public holiday throughout the national territory” (our translation), under a 1997 decree. In 2025, it was Thursday, September 4, and the next day remained a working day (Alwihda Info).
Watch out
All of Chad is classified orange or red by France Diplomatie, N'Djamena included, with a high threat of kidnapping targeting Westerners. It asks travelers to avoid markets, places of worship and gatherings, which “could be a target” (our translation).
See festivals in Chad.
Traveling during the Mawlid
The Mawlid does little to disrupt a trip. Here is what to plan for:
- Date: allow a day of leeway around August 14, 2027, and around the 15th in the Comoros.
- Government offices and banks: closed on the public holiday. In Mali, also allow for the Prophet's Baptism a week later.
- Transport: roads to the big gatherings, such as Tivaouane in Senegal, are jammed.
- Vigils: prayers and songs can go on until dawn. If you are a light sleeper, stay away from mosques.
- Clothing and photos: loose, covering clothes near places of prayer, and never a photo without consent.
- Safety: big religious gatherings are exactly what France Diplomatie asks travelers to avoid in several countries. Also check your own government's advice.
Our advice
Mid-August is the rainy season in the Sahel and West Africa. Storms can cut roads: allow extra time for any trip outside the big cities.
Whether you need a visa depends on your nationality: check your case on our entry requirements page. For the other major Muslim holidays, see Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha and Tabaski, and for the rest of the year, our festival calendar.
Mawlid: frequently asked questions
When is the Mawlid in 2027?
Around Saturday, August 14, 2027, give or take a day. The Comoros have listed it on Sunday, August 15. Each country confirms the date a few days ahead.
Mawlid, Maouloud, Gamou: what's the difference?
None in substance. They are names for the same holiday, the Prophet's birth, in different languages and countries. Gamou is the Senegalese name.
Is the Mawlid a public holiday?
Yes in all nine countries on this page, usually for a single day. Mali adds the Prophet's Baptism a week later.
Can I attend a Mawlid vigil?
Often, yes, dressed appropriately and discreetly, ideally with a member of the community. Avoid the middle of the night at very large gatherings, when crowds are densest.
