Asia After Dark Diwali 2026 at the National Museum of Asian Art

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art stays open late for Diwali on Friday, November 6, 2026, from 5:00 to 9:30 p.m. Admission is free. The museum is at 1050 Independence Avenue SW. That address covers the Freer Gallery and the Sackler Gallery. You do not need a ticket to walk in. The museum asks people to register on Eventbrite if they can, and the news release says registration is not required. A few activities have a limit and fill in the order people arrive.

The evening is Asia After Dark. Food from the Indian diaspora is for sale on the West Building plaza from 5:00 to 9:00. Family time in the galleries, crafts and a scavenger hunt, runs 5:00 to 7:00. Coloring a clay lamp, and a rangoli with Kulture Khazana, continue until 9:00 in the East Building.

Swarnendu plays the sarod, a South Asian lute, in the Meyer Auditorium at 6:00 and again at 7:15. The museum’s release calls him a young player. Vishious Vicinity, a Washington dance group, performs South Indian fusion on the plaza at 5:30, 6:15, and 7:00. At 7:30 that plaza turns into a dance floor with DJ MAIYA, through 9:30. Curators lead tours of the Indian subcontinent galleries at 7:15 and 8:15. The courtyard stays lit until the night ends.

On a normal day the museum closes at 5:30 p.m. This Friday the doors stay open. The Smithsonian Metro stop is the simple way onto the block. The listing does not add a parking map. November evenings on the plaza get cold, so bring a coat if you are staying outside for the DJ.

Fairfax County’s Kimchi Festival is Saturday, November 7. BAPS in Beltsville holds Chopda Pujan on Sunday, November 8, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m., with Annakut darshan on Tuesday. Friday is the free night on the Mall. Sunday is the mandir, north of College Park, if you want a second gathering.

Heritage India in Sterling was the expo weekend of October 24, a hall full of shopping and food. This Friday is the museum with the lights kept on: a recital, dancing on the plaza, and a DJ once it is dark.

Our take: come at 5:00 if children want the family galleries, because those end at 7:00. Come closer to 7:00 if the dance floor is why you are going. Eat on the plaza, or eat before you arrive. The door is free.

When: November 6, 2026, 5:00–9:30 p.m. (free; Eventbrite recommended)
Where: National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560