Hajj 2026

What this countdown tracks

The Hajj 2026 — the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah and the surrounding holy sites — falling on 8 to 13 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH, projected to correspond to Tuesday 26 May to Sunday 31 May 2026 in the Gregorian calendar, subject to the moon-sighting confirmation by the Saudi Supreme Court. Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for every able and financially capable Muslim adult, drawing two to three million pilgrims to the Hijaz each year.

About this festival

Hajj is the spiritual pinnacle of the Islamic calendar, performed in a specific sequence over five days and nights at five sites within Saudi Arabia: Makkah, Mina, Arafat, Muzdalifah and Jamarat. The rites trace to Prophet Ibrahim, his wife Hajar and son Ismail, and were renewed by the Prophet Muhammad's Farewell Hajj in 10 AH (632 CE). Pilgrims enter the state of ihram from one of the five miqat boundaries; perform tawaf (seven circumambulations of the Ka'bah at the Masjid al-Haram); sa'i (seven traverses between Safa and Marwah); travel to Mina on the 8th of Dhu al-Hijjah; stand in worship on the plain of Arafat on the 9th (the Day of Arafah, the central rukn of Hajj); proceed at sunset to Muzdalifah; and over the next three days perform the stoning of the Jamarat, the Eid al-Adha sacrifice, the head-shaving (halq) or trim, and the farewell tawaf.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah administers a national-quota system based on roughly 1,000 pilgrims per million Muslim population, refined post-pandemic by the Nusuk platform that handles visa, accommodation, transport and ID for international pilgrims. Air-conditioned tents at Mina, the Mashaer Metro between Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat, the multi-storey Jamarat Bridge, the Grand Mosque expansion to a 2-million worshipper capacity, and a heat-management protocol after the 2024 fatalities are central to the 2026 logistics.

Observances

The 2026 Hajj is expected to coincide with the height of the Saudi summer, with daytime temperatures in Mina and Arafat reaching 45–50°C. Pilgrims are advised to perform afternoon and evening rites, hydrate, and use the cooling stations and emergency clinics that the Ministry of Health operates. The Day of Arafah on 9 Dhu al-Hijjah is observed worldwide as a day of fasting for non-pilgrims; the next day, 10 Dhu al-Hijjah, is Eid al-Adha — the global Festival of Sacrifice. Live coverage of the Day of Arafah khutbah, broadcast from Masjid al-Namirah, is a high-watermark moment for Muslim audiences worldwide.

Past observances

• Hajj 2025 (Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH / June 2025): around 1.6 million international pilgrims after Saudi tightened unauthorised access; expanded heat-management.
• Hajj 2024 (June 2024): around 1.83 million pilgrims; over 1,300 deaths attributed to extreme heat and unauthorised pilgrims.
• Hajj 2023 (June 2023): 1.85 million pilgrims; first full-capacity Hajj after the COVID-19 reductions.
• Hajj 2022 (July 2022): 899,353 pilgrims under partial pandemic restrictions.
• Hajj 2020 and 2021: limited to roughly 1,000 and 60,000 domestic pilgrims under COVID-19 restrictions — the most restricted Hajj since the founding of the modern kingdom.

How to follow

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah maintains official information at hajj.gov.sa and through the Nusuk platform. Saudi state broadcasters Al Saudiya, Al Ekhbariya and Quran TV provide multilingual live coverage of tawaf, the Day of Arafah khutbah, and the Jamarat. The Saudi Press Agency, Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, Anadolu, BBC Arabic and AFP wire reports cover logistics and incidents. Saudi authorities post real-time crowd-density alerts via the Tawakkalna and Nusuk apps. Eid al-Adha sermons from the Grand Mosque are streamed worldwide.

Related countdowns

Pair Hajj 2026 with Eid al-Adha 2026, the global day of sacrifice that closes the Hajj cycle. Other Islamic-calendar tentpoles include Ramadan 2027, Eid al-Fitr 2027, and Muharram 2027. The cross-tradition picture lives at the Islamic festival hub.

FAQ

When is Hajj 2026? 8 to 13 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH, projected as Tuesday 26 May to Sunday 31 May 2026, subject to moon sighting. Where does Hajj take place? In Makkah, Mina, Arafat, Muzdalifah and Jamarat in the Hijaz region of Saudi Arabia. Why does Hajj matter? It is the Fifth Pillar of Islam and a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for every able adult Muslim, performed in a specific sequence over five days. Can non-Muslims enter the Hajj sites? No — Makkah and Madinah are restricted to Muslims, with checkpoints at the city limits. Other parts of Saudi Arabia are open to all visitors.