Diwali at Times Square lights up Manhattan with vibrant celebrations of light, community and culture

09 November 2025

The annual Diwali festivities in New York City returned in spectacular fashion on Saturday, November 9, transforming the iconic plaza of One Times Square into a kaleidoscope of colour, dance and culinary delights. Following a postponement due to severe weather earlier in October, organizers welcomed families, tourists and locals alike to witness a dazzling blend of tradition and modern spectacle.

The event kicked after sundown with the lighting of the diya an ornate oil lamp hewed by community leaders atop the ball-drop tower, symbolising the triumph of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. Surrounding the main stage, a bustling Diwali Bazaar offered everything from Indian street food to handcrafted decor, while live performances ranged from classical Bharatanatyam dancers to contemporary fusion bands. The atmosphere was electric yet welcoming, bridging heritage and urban experience for a wide cross-section of attendees.

One of the organisers noted that this year’s celebration was intentionally designed to amplify inclusion and visibility of South Asian culture in its heart. They highlighted that the event’s decision to move into Times Square rather than a traditional community space was a deliberate choice to bring “Diwali to the world’s stage”. The multi-hour program featured multilingual hosts, interactive kids’ zones and a countdown that mimicked the New Year’s Eve ball drop, proving the festival’s growing cultural significance.

For attendees the event served not just as entertainment but as an affirmation especially for South Asian New Yorkers of cultural pride and communal belonging. Many families dressed in festive saris and kurtas, children giggled under string lights, and strangers exchanged sweets in line with Diwali’s spirit of generosity and goodwill. A first-time visitor from Brooklyn summed it up: “We didn’t just come for the lights. We came for the feeling that our festival belongs out here in the middle of the city.”

From a broader viewpoint the evening underscored how diasporic traditions increasingly stake public space, reshape urban ritual and invite diverse audiences into cultural experiences. The Times Square setting also offered a symbolic interplay between commerce, spectacle and meaning Diwali here is both festival and event, spirituality and performance, heritage and media moment.

In short the November 9 outage of Times Square bore witness to more than fireworks and music. It represented a gathering of identity, city-life and memory where participants, performers and passers-by found light, laughter and shared story in the heart of New York.