Here’s what was confirmed for the Maldives in October 2026: resort guest programs in five atolls, including chef, art and tennis residencies, a Michelin chef week and a family Halloween week, plus a run of Dhivehi-language film screenings in Malé. The month is now over, so read this page as the record of what was scheduled. Several of these are guest-only resort programs rather than public events, and that’s noted for each one. Where nothing is independently confirmed, we say so rather than filling the calendar with guesses.
October 14, 17 & 21 — Chef Fabrizio Zanetti Residency, Kandolhu
Swiss chef Fabrizio Zanetti of Suvretta House in St. Moritz hosts three dining events at Kandolhu Maldives in North Ari Atoll: a lunch at The Market on October 14, a dinner at Olive Restaurant on October 17, and a wine-paired dinner at Olive on October 21, per the resort’s own event listing on Visit Maldives. Olive seats a maximum of 22 guests for the evening dinners. The dinners were part of the resort’s regular guest program, not a publicly ticketed event. For a wider look at where to stay in the atoll, see our guide to Ari Atoll resorts.
October 15, 16, 22 & 23 — Dhivehi Film “Dhevi” Screenings, Malé
The Maldives National Centre for the Arts lists screenings of the Dhivehi-language film “Dhevi” at the Olympus cinema in Malé on these four dates. The film also screened on October 1, 2, 8 and 9, so the run covered every Thursday and Friday from October 1 to 23. This is a public screening, not a resort event — useful to know if a Malé stopover happens to land on one of these dates.
October 21–31 — Matthew Williamson Art Residency, Finolhu
British designer Matthew Williamson runs an art residency at Finolhu in Baa Atoll, with workshops at the resort’s Art Lab on abstract painting inspired by tropical palm motifs, open to any skill level. The resort’s own announcement doesn’t state whether this is limited to staying guests.
October 23–27 — Jamie Murray Tennis Residency, Finolhu
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Jamie Murray hosts a tennis residency at the same resort, overlapping with the art residency above — informal coaching, personalized court time, and interactive clinics. Access terms aren’t specified in the announcement.
October 25 – November 3 — Joshua Acquaviva Residency, Alila Kothaifaru
Park Hyatt Milan’s Joshua Acquaviva runs a ten-day Italian dining residency at Alila Kothaifaru in Raa Atoll, working alongside Executive Chef Frank Wackerhagen at Pibati Sul Mare, the beachside Italian restaurant, with handmade pasta, artisanal pizza, and small-group pizza-making workshops.
October 26 — Dhivehi Film “Majunoon,” Malé
A second NCA-listed screening, at Olympus in Malé, listed for 8:30 PM.
Late October — Halloween
Kuda Villingili Resort in North Malé Atoll, about 30 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, ran a Halloween week called “Friendly Spirits & Ghosts After Dark” from October 28 to November 1, 2026. Children had treasure hunts, craft workshops and cooking activities, and the evenings brought guided night snorkeling, sunset cruises, open-air cinema, mixology sessions and a themed buffet dinner for all guests.
If an October trip is built around any of the resort residencies above, remember that none of these include transport or accommodation — budgeting for the stay itself is separate from whatever these programs might cost on top of it, and none of the resorts have published specific pricing for the sessions listed here.
October 19–24 — Michelin Master Series with Theodor Falser, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
Theodor Falser of Johannesstube in South Tyrol opened Conrad’s Michelin Master Series in South Ari Atoll with a sunset soirée, a seven-course dinner at the Ithaa undersea restaurant, which seats about 14 per service, a champagne cruise and a five-course beachfront lobster dinner. Conrad is reached only by a compulsory 30-minute seaplane at US$700 return per adult. The series continues with Simon Hulstone on November 16–21 and Gabriela Filca on December 1–7.
October 2026 had no public holidays in the Maldives: the nearest were the Day the Maldives Embraced Islam on September 13 and Victory Day on November 3. The weekly Friday rule still applied. MTCC atoll ferries do not run on Fridays (October 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30), only the airport ferry between Velana and Malé keeps its daily schedule, and in Malé the National Museum is closed on Fridays.