Bandos Maldives has laid out its festive plans for Christmas 2026 and New Year 2027, and the theme is Candy Land — a three-week run of themed dining, live music, family activities and excursions from 20 December 2026 to 7 January 2027.
The programme opens on 20 December with a Christmas tree lighting at Huvan Deck, carols from the Bandos Carollers, a cake-mixing ceremony, a Maldivian cooking experience and a Candy Land Street Food Market at Sea Breeze. Dining is a big thread through the calendar: a Japanese-inspired 'Tokyo in Maldives' dinner at Umi Yaki on 21 December, a food and wine pairing at Grill Bar on 23 December, a Christmas Eve gala at Gallery Restaurant from 7pm to 10pm, and a Candy Land Beach BBQ on Huvan Beach on 26 December.
Christmas Day brings Santa to Huvan Beach at 10.45am, plus morning yoga, a Christmas breakfast, an afternoon Candy Cane Beach Bash and a karaoke evening. New Year's Eve wraps up with a gala dinner at Gallery from 7pm to 9.30pm, then live music and DJ sets at Sand Bar leading into a fireworks countdown to 2027. The festivities tail off gently with a Sakura Evening at Umi Yaki on 2 January, an Orthodox Christmas beachfront dinner on 6 January, and a closing Candy Land Party Night on 7 January.
Beyond the eating and entertainment, there's plenty to do on and around the island. Guests can book sunset dolphin cruises, sunrise fishing, water sports and a sandbank picnic, or join the resort's Eco Adventures programme to learn about its sustainability work. Kids are covered through Kokko Club with gingerbread house decorating, treasure hunts, costume parades, beach games, children's discos and cooking sessions. Adults get tennis challenges, beach volleyball, water polo, aqua aerobics and staff-versus-guest football matches. Live acts Beatus Duo, The Notion Band and DJ Katty appear throughout, alongside traditional Maldivian music and dance.
Bandos itself is a solid choice for this kind of stay. It sits in North Malé Atoll, about 15 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, which makes it one of the easiest island escapes in the country — no seaplane transfer needed. It opened in December 1972 as the second tourist resort in the Maldives and now spreads 220 rooms and villas across an 18-hectare island, from garden and beach villas to overwater accommodation, with a house reef, dive centre, spa and pool thrown in.
One practical note: several festive dining experiences, excursions and activities need advance reservations and come at extra cost, so it's worth booking ahead rather than deciding on the night. For families wanting a proper Christmas abroad without a long transfer, or couples after gala dinners and fireworks over the lagoon, the programme covers both ends of the spectrum. General manager Ismail Rasheed framed the line-up around shared meals, ocean time and island life — a fitting pitch for a resort that has been doing this for over five decades.
