Christmas in the Maldives is looking busy this year — well, next year, but the bookings start early. Four resorts have unveiled their 2026/27 festive programmes, and they read less like hotel schedules and more like a menu of ways to swap snow for sand.
The headline act is NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort on Fonimagoodhoo in Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve reached by a 35-minute seaplane from Malé or a domestic hop to Dharavandhoo plus a short speedboat ride. Its 'Havana Nights' programme runs 21 December 2026 to 7 January 2027 and opens on the resort's first anniversary under the NH Collection banner, marked with a cocktail reception and Christmas tree lighting. Christmas Eve brings cocktails, Santa and a gala dinner at Jumla, while the quirkiest entry on any Maldivian calendar this year is the Sunken Rum Dive on 29 December: divers retrieve an ocean-aged rum cask, then a guided tasting at Handhuvaru continues the story on dry land. New Year's Eve ends in fire performances and midnight fireworks over the Indian Ocean. The resort has 105 renovated beach and overwater villas plus a REVIVE Spa.
Elsewhere, Joy Island's 'Joyful Horizons' (22 December to 6 January) leans into Maldivian island life: a dhoni cruise with Captain Santa, coral planting with a marine biologist, a white party, masquerade night and a beach gala dinner with fireworks at midnight. Food-focused guests get a sommelier-led wine journey and a private candlelit dinner option.
Couples are the target at You & Me Maldives, an adults-only retreat where the standout is Krug Beneath the Waves on 28 December — a five-course dinner by Chef Andrea Berton at H2O, an underwater restaurant six metres below the surface, paired with Krug Champagne. There's also a castaway sandbank picnic, an Orthodox Christmas party on 6 January and a 'Disco Around the World' New Year's blowout.
Cocoon Maldives has double reason to celebrate: the resort turns ten on 26 December, with an anniversary beach dinner, a Lobster Beach BBQ and a closing Goodbye Gala on 6 January. Daily buffet nights span Moroccan to Maldivian, and a full Kids Village programme — gingerbread houses, piñatas, a Mini Olympics — keeps younger guests occupied.
Why it matters: if you're planning a festive escape, this is the window when resorts lock in their entertainment calendars, and the best villas over Christmas and New Year typically sell out many months ahead. Families have the most obvious pick between NH Collection, Joy Island and Cocoon, each with dedicated kids' programmes; You & Me is the clear choice for a couples' trip. Across all four, expect the same rhythm — gala dinners on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, beachside fireworks at midnight, and slow recovery brunches afterwards. Pick based on the extras: rum diving in Baa Atoll, dining underwater with Krug, or a tenth-birthday party on the beach.
