When Is Ramadan 2028? Ramadan 1449 Expected Dates and Fasting Hours

Ramadan is now moving into the heart of winter in the northern hemisphere. Ramadan 1449 is expected to begin in late January 2028 — the earliest in the Gregorian year for over three decades — bringing some of the shortest fasts that Muslims in Europe and North America have seen in a generation. Here are the expected dates and what they mean in practice.

Ramadan 2028: expected dates

Event	Expected date (Umm al-Qura)
Sha’ban 1449 begins	Wednesday 29 December 2027
Mid-Sha’ban (night of the 15th)	Tuesday 11 January 2028, after sunset
Moon sighting for Ramadan	Thursday 27 January 2028, after sunset
1 Ramadan 1449	Friday 28 January 2028
First taraweeh	Thursday 27 January 2028 (evening)
Last ten nights begin	Wednesday 16 February 2028, after sunset
27th night	Tuesday 22 February 2028, after sunset
Eid al-Fitr 1449	Saturday 26 February 2028 (or Sunday 27 February)

The Umm al-Qura calendar gives Ramadan 1449 29 days, which would put Eid on Saturday 26 February. If the Shawwal crescent is not seen on the evening of 29 Ramadan (Friday 25 February), Ramadan completes 30 days and Eid moves to Sunday 27 February. In countries where Ramadan starts a day later by local sighting, every date shifts accordingly.

These are calculated, expected dates. As with every Ramadan, the start is confirmed by the moon-sighting announcement you follow, usually on the evening of 29 Sha’ban.

Why Ramadan 2028 is so early

The Islamic year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, so Ramadan moves earlier every year:

Ramadan	Expected start
1447	18 February 2026
1448	8 February 2027
1449	28 January 2028
1450	mid-January 2029

Ramadan 1451 is expected to begin on 5 January 2030, and Ramadan 1452 on 26 December 2030 — the year Ramadan crosses into December. After that it will move through autumn, reaching late summer again in the 2040s.

Fasting hours in late January 2028

Day length depends on season and latitude. These are approximate fasting hours (Fajr to Maghrib) for the first day of Ramadan 1449, using each region’s commonly used calculation method:

City	Approx. fast on 1 Ramadan 1449
London	about 11 hours (05:49–16:42)
Toronto / New York	about 11–11¼ hours
Cairo	about 12 hours
Karachi / Makkah	about 12¼–12½ hours
Kuala Lumpur / Jakarta	about 13½–13¾ hours
Johannesburg	about 14¾ hours
Sydney	about 15½ hours (04:36–20:04)

The days lengthen through the month in the north and shorten in the south. Check your exact times on our prayer times page as the date approaches.

For people in northern Europe and North America who remember 18–19 hour fasts in the late 2010s, winter Ramadans are a welcome change. For Muslims in Australia, South Africa and South America, the opposite is true: Ramadan is moving into their summer.

What winter fasting changes

Taraweeh comes early. With Maghrib around 16:40 in London and Isha around 18:30, taraweeh can be finished by about 20:00. Families with young children often find this the most manageable season for attending the mosque.

Suhoor is late enough to sleep first. With Fajr around 05:50 in London, suhoor can be eaten at a normal breakfast time.

Iftar falls during the working day’s end. For workers and students, iftar around 16:40 means breaking the fast at work or school, or on the commute. Keep dates and water in your bag.

Cold and short days affect mood and energy. Prioritise sleep, stay warm, and get daylight where you can.

Plan now: dates to put in your calendar

• Make-up fasts: if you owe fasts from Ramadan 1448 (2027), complete them before late January 2028. Winter weekdays make make-up fasting easier than at any time in years.
• Sha’ban fasting: the Prophet ﷺ fasted much of Sha’ban; in 1449 it runs from about 29 December 2027 to 27 January 2028.
• Annual leave: request leave around Friday 25 – Monday 28 February 2028 to cover both possible Eid days.
• Zakat: if your zakat date is in Ramadan, the 1449 date will be about 11 days earlier than in 1448.
• Children’s fasting goals: short winter days are ideal for children trying their first full fasts.

Ramadan 1449 and the exam season

Late January and February is exam and coursework season in many school and university systems. In the UK, January mock exams and university semester exams overlap the start of Ramadan; in the northern hemisphere generally, February is a heavy teaching month. A few practical ideas:

• Talk to schools and universities early. Many institutions have policies for religious observance; some will move an exam that falls on Eid if asked in advance. Give them the two possible Eid dates — Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 February 2028.
• Revise in the morning. With suhoor around 05:30–06:00 and Fajr soon after, the early morning is a quiet, focused time for study in winter.
• Protect sleep. Short days make it tempting to stay up late after taraweeh; a consistent bedtime does more for concentration than any revision trick.
• Remember the concessions. Islamic law excuses those for whom fasting causes genuine harm. Exam stress alone is not an excuse, but illness is — and anyone unsure should ask a scholar rather than push through.

Ramadan 1449 in the southern hemisphere

For Muslims in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Chile, Ramadan 1449 falls in high summer. In Sydney, the first fast is about fifteen and a half hours, with Maghrib after 20:00 and Isha after 21:30 — so taraweeh can finish close to midnight, with suhoor before 04:30. Heat adds to the challenge.

Communities there have developed practical habits over the past decade of summer Ramadans: shorter taraweeh sessions with an option to pray eight rak’ahs, family iftars that double as dinner for children, and earlier bedtimes on weeknights. If you are in the southern hemisphere, hydration between iftar and suhoor is the single most important thing to plan.

Who is exempt from fasting — a quick reminder

The Quran sets out the exemptions (2:184–185):

• The ill and travellers may break the fast and make up the days later.
• Those who cannot fast at all because of old age or chronic illness pay fidyah — feeding one poor person for each day missed — instead of fasting.
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women who fear for themselves or their child may break the fast; scholars differ on whether they make up the days, pay fidyah, or both.
• Women during menstruation or post-natal bleeding do not fast and make up the days afterwards.
• Children are not obliged to fast before puberty, though many families encourage practice fasts — and short winter days are ideal for that.

Suhoor and iftar in a winter Ramadan

Short days do not mean the fast is effortless. Cold weather increases appetite, and darkness can make it harder to wake for suhoor. A few suggestions:

• Warm, slow-release suhoor: porridge, eggs, wholemeal toast, and a warm drink.
• A light iftar first: dates and water, pray Maghrib, then eat the main meal — the gap helps digestion.
• Hydrate between iftar and bed: winter air and heating dry you out; spread water through the evening.
• Get outside in daylight, even briefly — it helps with sleep and mood.

Looking further ahead

Hijri year	Ramadan begins (expected)	Eid al-Fitr (expected)
1448	8 February 2027	9 March 2027
1449	28 January 2028	26 February 2028

Our Ramadan countdown automatically switches to the next Ramadan once the current one has started, so you can always see how many days remain.

Summary

• Ramadan 1449 is expected to begin Friday 28 January 2028; first taraweeh on Thursday evening, 27 January.
• Eid al-Fitr 1449 is expected Saturday 26 February 2028, or Sunday 27 February.
• Fasts will be short in the northern hemisphere (about 11–12½ hours) and long in the southern hemisphere.
• Dates are calculated; confirm with your local moon-sighting announcement.