Tisha B'Av 2026

What this countdown tracks

Tisha B'Av 2026 — the Jewish day of mourning commemorating the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem — falling on Thursday, July 23, 2026 (the 9th of Av). Observed with a 25-hour fast, the reading of the Book of Lamentations, and the customs of mourning.

About this festival

Tisha B'Av is the most solemn fast day in the Jewish calendar — only Yom Kippur surpasses it in halakhic stringency. The 9th of Av is traditionally remembered as the date of multiple historical disasters in Jewish history: the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BCE; the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 CE; the fall of the Bar Kochba revolt and the levelling of Betar in 135 CE; the ploughing of Jerusalem one year after the Bar Kochba defeat; and (according to some traditions) the expulsion of Jews from England in 1290 and from Spain in 1492.

The Mishnah lists five things that happened on the 9th of Av and explains the day's status: "On the 9th of Av it was decreed that our forefathers would not enter the Land [Numbers 14:32], the First Temple was destroyed, the Second Temple was destroyed, Betar was captured, and Jerusalem was ploughed up." The Talmud expands this list with later catastrophes that fell on or near the same date.

The fast lasts 25 hours from sunset to nightfall (sundown the previous evening to nightfall on the 9th of Av), with no eating, drinking, washing, anointing, leather footwear or marital relations. The synagogue is dimmed; congregants sit on the floor or low stools; the Book of Lamentations (Eicha) is read aloud in a distinctive cantillation; kinot (medieval and modern lamentation poems) are recited through the morning.

How it's observed

The 25-hour fast is preceded by Seudat Hamafseket — the meal before the fast — traditionally a meal of bread, hard-boiled eggs and lentils, eaten on the floor or low stools to begin the mourning. The fast begins at sundown the previous evening (in 2026 this is the evening of Wednesday, July 22).

In Israel, Tisha B'Av is observed nationally. Restaurants close; cinemas and theatres close; live music is stopped; the Old City of Jerusalem becomes the focal point, with tens of thousands of mourners gathering at the Western Wall (Kotel) for the recitation of Lamentations and kinot. The annual march around the Old City walls (Sovevu Zion) traces the historical perimeter and is one of the most symbolically loaded events of the Jewish year.

In the diaspora, observance is largely synagogue-based. Liturgically the day is marked by the absence of tefillin in the morning service (they are donned only at Mincha), the reading of Eicha in the evening, and the recitation of kinot through the morning. Many observant Jews attend films or videos about Jewish history during the day to extend the mourning theme into the secular hours.

Past observances

• August 13, 2024 — Tisha B'Av 2024
• July 27, 2023 — Tisha B'Av 2023
• August 7, 2022 — Tisha B'Av 2022
• July 18, 2021 — Tisha B'Av 2021
• July 30, 2020 — Tisha B'Av 2020
• August 11, 2019 — Tisha B'Av 2019

How to observe

Hebcal, Chabad.org and the Orthodox Union publish exact start and end times by city. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation live-streams the Lamentations reading at the Kotel. Aish HaTorah and Chabad publish kinot guides and videos. Major Jewish day schools and Conservative/Orthodox synagogues run Tisha B'Av programmes throughout the day.

Related countdowns

Tisha B'Av 2026 anchors the Three Weeks of mourning (the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av) and sits in the wider Jewish calendar alongside Purim 2026, Sukkot 2026, Tu BiShvat 2026 and Rosh Hashanah 2026.

FAQ

When is Tisha B'Av 2026? Sundown Wednesday July 22 to nightfall Thursday July 23, 2026 — the 9th of Av. What's the fast like? A 25-hour fast with no food, water, washing, anointing, leather footwear or marital relations — comparable in stringency to Yom Kippur. What's read in synagogue? The Book of Lamentations (Eicha) is read in the evening; medieval kinot are recited through the morning. Are there mourning customs? Yes — sitting on the floor or low stools, no leather shoes, no Torah study (other than mournful texts), reduced greetings, and no festive activity.