Need to know
Fasting periods are shorter this year as Ramadan falls within winter
Ramadan 2026 predicted start date and fasting times – what we know so far
- Ramadan 2026 is set to begin next week, meaning Britain’s Muslim community will experience their fast during mid winter for the first time in several years. In contrast to the lengthy, demanding fasts that have taken place during the spring and summer months, this Ramadan’s shorter days will be a different experience and opportunity for concentration, wellbeing, and spiritual renewal.
- Within the Islamic lunar calendar, dates are established through sightings of the new crescent moon. Efforts to observe the moon will start on February 17 this year.
- According to astronomical calculations in the Umm al-Qura Calendar of Saudi Arabia and by certain mosques, including Stechford Masjid on Albert Road in Birmingham, Ramadan may begin on the evening of Tuesday, February 17, 2026, with the initial day of fasting on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
- Nevertheless, UK astronomers suggest there’s minimal likelihood of spotting the moon on February 17, which would result in the current month (Shaban) extending one additional day and Ramadan fasting commencing on Thursday, February 19. Verified moonsightings near the time will confirm the date for Saudi Arabia, the UK and elsewhere.
- So far, only Oman has confirmed their start date of Ramadan as Thursday, February 19, using astronomical calculations ahead of any moonsighting.
- Mosques and Islamic organisations prepare a Ramadan timetable enabling their congregation to maintain a structured schedule for worship and fasting. Stechford Masjid has released a provisional Ramadan 2026 calendar predicated on a February 18 start date, reports Birmingham Live. This provides a clear indication of the mealtimes, prayer times and expected duration of fasting each day. Each morning, a nourishing meal known as sehri or suhoor is eaten, whilst in the evening, the fast concludes with a celebratory feast called iftar following a full day without food or liquid.
- Five prayer sessions – fajr, dhuhr, asr, maghrib and isha – are also observed throughout the day.
- Typically, sehri must conclude at least 10 minutes prior to the fajr morning prayer, whilst at the day’s conclusion, iftar begins immediately following the maghrib prayer at sunset. Times can vary slightly between mosques within the same country, but not by much.
- According to Stechford Masjid’s schedule, on the anticipated opening day (February 18), sehri concludes at 6.03am with iftar at 5.29pm, representing a fasting period of 11 hrs 26 mins. Throughout the sacred month, this duration increases as daylight hours naturally lengthen due to seasonal transitions, meaning that on the final day (March 19) sehri finishes at 4.58am with iftar at 6.22pm – a fasting period extending by two hours to 13 hrs 24 minutes.
- These timings present a striking difference to the 18-hour fasts experienced during summer observations of Ramadan in previous years. The milder temperatures during this period also minimise the danger of heat exhaustion and serious dehydration, rendering it a particularly suitable time for those unfamiliar with fasting or young people beginning their first-ever partial fasts.
- This year, Ramadan will conclude before the clocks advance by an hour on March 29, meaning there won’t be an abrupt shift in mealtimes and prayer schedules like in 2024 and 2025.
- Read more about Ramadan 2026: Oman becomes first country to confirm start date ahead of moonsighting
David Bentley, Véronique Hawksworth, AI Content Editor
