Christmas and New Year in the Maldives looks set to be busier than ever, with several resorts publishing detailed festive schedules for 22 December 2026 to 6 January 2027 — and a new air link from Siberia arriving just in time for the peak season.
Joy Island's 'Joyful Horizons' programme leans into island life. The season opens with a Christmas tree lighting on Rainbow Beach and Captain Santa's Ocean Escape, a family dhoni cruise. Christmas Day brings Santa by boat, a festive brunch and a beach BBQ, while foodies get dedicated events including a sommelier-led wine journey, an Italian wine evening and a private candlelit dinner for two. Families are well covered with Beach Family Olympics, kayak races, coral planting with a marine biologist and a daily kids' club, plus themed nights from a Hawaiian fire show to a Glow After Dark party.
You & Me Maldives, an adults-only retreat, is going heavy on romance. Its standout is Krug Beneath the Waves on 28 December — a five-course dinner paired with Krug Champagne at H2O, the resort's underwater restaurant six metres below the surface, curated by Chef Andrea Berton. Other options include a dinner aboard the Love Boat, a sunken sand table experience, sandbank picnics and spa rituals under the stars. New Year's Eve ends with fireworks over the lagoon after a Disco Around the World party.
Cocoon Maldives has extra reason to celebrate: the resort turns 10 on 26 December, marking the decade with a beachfront anniversary dinner, cake-cutting and lobster BBQ. Its 16-day schedule mixes gala dinners, a Fish Market night, cultural shows, daily yoga and a packed Kids Village with mini Olympics and gingerbread-house making.
Getting there for the season just got simpler for Russian travellers, too. S7 Airlines launched scheduled flights from Novosibirsk to Velana International Airport in late October 2026, operating twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays with Airbus A320s. The roughly 5,600km route takes about 10.5 hours with a refuelling stop in Termez, Uzbekistan, and lets Siberian travellers skip a plane change in Moscow. Russia is the Maldives' second-largest source market after China, with around 229,200 Russian arrivals in the first nine months of 2026 — up nearly 15% year on year.
Why it matters: if you're dreaming of a beach Christmas or a fireworks-over-the-lagoon New Year, these resorts have now published their full calendars, so you can pick based on vibe — family fun at Joy Island or Cocoon, adult romance at You & Me — and book while festive slots and good rooms remain. Anyone flying from Siberia or nearby regions now has a direct-ish option that avoids Moscow connections entirely.
