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Dancers in a circle at a garba night

Navratri and Garba in Charlotte, 2026 and 2027

By the CharlotteIndians.com team · Last checked October 31, 2026

Navratri 2026 ran from 11 to 19 October, and Navratri 2027 starts on 30 September. Charlotte has more garba nights than most people realize, spread across the Park Expo, Cabarrus Arena in Concord, temple halls, and event centers in Concord and south Charlotte. Every 2027 garba night we find will be listed here as it is announced, and below is a record of the 2026 circuit so you know what comes back each year.

20 places listedFree to be listed

In short

Navratri 2026 was 11 to 19 October with Dussehra on 20 October. Navratri 2027 starts 30 September, with Dussehra on 9 October 2027. The big ticketed garba nights are at the Park Expo and Conference Center on Briar Creek Road and at Cabarrus Arena in Concord; the Hindu Center of Charlotte and Trimurti Temple carry the community and temple nights. Garba nights for 2027 go on this page from our events board as they are announced.

The 2026 garba circuit

Here is what the 2026 season looked like, so you know what to expect next year. Kirtidan Gadhvi played a live garba and musical night on Friday 18 September at the Park Expo and Conference Center, 800 Briar Creek Road, doors at 6pm and garba from 8pm. The Cabarrus Arena night in Concord on Saturday 3 October was first announced as Garba Night with Bhoomi Trivedi; the ticket page later listed Geeta Rabari, $35 a ticket, doors at 6pm, 7pm start, all ages, paid parking, and it sold out before the date. The Hindu Center of Charlotte then ran three nights at the Park Expo: Charlotte Ratri B4 Navratri on Friday 9 October, and Charlotte’s Biggest Garba and Dandiya Festival on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 October, all from 8pm with tickets from $20. Trimurti Temple held nine days of Navaratri celebrations from 11 October with free entry, and the Aalapan Durga Puja ran on Friday 9 October at Gold Hill Elementary in Fort Mill.

Community and temple garba

The Hindu Center of Charlotte, 7400 City View Drive, anchors the community circuit. In 2025 it ran Navratri garba nights at the Park Expo on 26 and 27 September, a kids garba at the temple on 5 October and a Sharad Purnima garba on 10 October, alongside bhajans, havan, special pujas and Vijayadashami at the temple; its 2026 Park Expo nights are listed above. Trimurti Temple Devasthanam runs nine days of Navaratri puja with free entry. The Bengali associations hold Durga Puja the same week, which is why Durga Puja listings appear on this page too. Temple nights are the cheaper way in and the ones to pick with small children.

Chaniya choli, lehenga and ethnic wear

7 places, swipe →

Local boutiques and made-to-order. Several are studio or appointment based rather than walk-in shops, so message first.

  • Bandhej By Richa11411 Blue Grove Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277Bandhej By Richa is an Indian clothing and jewelry boutique run from a private home in south Charlotte, in business since 2013. It carries outfits for women, men, teens and girls for weddings and festivals: designer and traditional lehenga sets, Indo-Western dresses, Lucknowi Chikankari clothing, sarees, dupattas, sherwanis, juttis and matching imitation jewelry. Because it works from a residence, the owner asks customers to call ahead for an appointment. Payment by cash, Zelle and major cards is accepted, according to its listing. Call 201-949-3652 to book a time.View on Sulekha ↗CallDirections
  • Saree Ghor CharlotteOnline store, Charlotte, NCCharlotte based desi clothing retailer stocking sarees, salwar kameez, kurtas, and kids' ethnic wear with fast US shipping.Visit website ↗Directions
  • Nareeka Collection8713 Armstrong Park Dr, Charlotte, NC 28277, USANareeka Collection is a Charlotte-based online shop for Indian and Indo-Western clothing and jewelry for men and women. Its men's festive range includes kurta sets, Pathani kurtas, Chikankari and Banarasi kurtas, Jodhpuri and Nehru jackets, and sherwani sets, with prices on the site from about $48 to $175. Shipping is free on orders over $200. Order through its website or call 704-615-7776.Visit website ↗CallDirections
  • Meenakshi Creations LLC474 Kimbrell Crossing Dr, Fort Mill, SC 29715Appointment-based Indian designer ethnic wear boutique carrying kurtis, suits, sarees, and kids lehengas for the whole family.View on Sulekha ↗Directions
  • Sattika - The Exquisite Loom LLCCharlotte, NC, United States, 28277CallDirections
  • ARNI Fashion LLC6912 Meridale Forest Drive Charlotte, NC 28269, USAARNI Fashion is a Charlotte jewelry and fashion label, in business since 2023, that sells Indian heritage jewelry, including bridal and temple collections, through its online shop. The brand has shown collections at fashion events including New York Fashion Week in February 2025 and Emirates Fashion Week, and it also works with aspiring models, influencers and creators. It is a BBB accredited business. Orders, pre-orders, shipping and refund policies are on its website; call 704-626-0861 with questions.Visit website ↗CallDirections
  • Sumangali Couture888 Pecan Tree Ln, Fort Mill, SC 29715, United StatesCallDirections

Jewelry and oxidized sets

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Mehndi and henna

2 places, swipe →

Garba weekends book out first. Ask for a date early in the nine nights rather than the Friday everyone wants.

Hair, makeup and threading

6 places, swipe →

Good to know

When was Navratri in 2026?

Sharad Navratri fell on 11 to 19 October 2026, with Dussehra on 20 October. Most Charlotte garba events were held on the Friday and Saturday nights inside that window, and the larger touring shows booked the weekends on either side of it.

When is Navratri in 2027?

Sharad Navratri 2027 begins on Thursday 30 September 2027 (Ghatasthapana) and runs nine nights to Maha Navami on Friday 8 October, with Dussehra on Saturday 9 October 2027. Our panchangam, computed for Charlotte, lands on the same dates as Drik Panchang. The Friday and Saturday nights inside that window are 1 to 2 October and 8 to 9 October 2027. In 2026 the touring-artist shows booked the weekends before Navratri and the Park Expo festival nights took the weekend inside it, so expect the same shape. Exact tithi times are on our Charlotte panchangam.

Where garba happens in Charlotte

The Park Expo and Conference Center on Briar Creek Road hosts the biggest ticketed nights. Cabarrus Arena in Concord takes the larger touring artists. Temple halls, school gyms and community centers across University City, Ballantyne and Matthews run the community nights, which are usually cheaper and better for families.

Where the big nights are held

Two venues carry nearly every ticketed garba in the metro. The Park Expo and Conference Center, 800 Briar Creek Road, Charlotte 28205, took the Kirtidan Gadhvi show and all three Hindu Center nights in 2026. Cabarrus Arena and Events Center, 4751 Highway 49 North, Concord 28025, takes the larger arena shows, like the 3 October 2026 night, and charges for parking. Both are big halls with their own lots, and the nights run to midnight or 1am, so plan the drive home before you go.

Tickets and what to wear

The ticketed nights sell through Sulekha Events; the Gadhvi, Cabarrus Arena and Hindu Center listings all sat there in 2026, and each event on our board links straight to its ticket page. Touring-artist shows sell out: the 3 October 2026 Cabarrus Arena night was marked sold out ahead of the date, so buy when a listing opens rather than at the door. The Park Expo festival nights started at $20 and the Cabarrus Arena night at $35 in 2026. On dress, chaniya choli, kediyu or a kurta are the norm and nobody is turned away in jeans. Flat shoes you can spin in for three hours matter more than the outfit.

First garba? What to know

Wear a chaniya choli or kurta if you have one, but nobody is turned away in normal clothes. Steps are simple and repeat, so watching one round is enough to join. Most events run late, often starting at nine and going past midnight, and many are all ages. Bring cash for food stalls; not every venue takes cards.

Getting ready

Outfits, jewellery, mehndi and hair are all listed further down this page, grouped by what you need. A lot of the ethnic-wear businesses here are studio or appointment based rather than shops you can walk into, so message before you drive. Mehndi artists fill the garba weekends first, so if you want a specific Friday, ask early in the nine nights rather than the week of.

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Questions people ask

When was Navratri 2026 in Charlotte?

Navratri 2026 ran 11 to 19 October, with Dussehra on 20 October. Charlotte garba events clustered on the Friday and Saturday nights during and around that window. Navratri 2027 starts on 30 September 2027.

When is Navratri 2027?

Sharad Navratri 2027 starts on Thursday 30 September 2027 and runs to Maha Navami on Friday 8 October; Dussehra is Saturday 9 October 2027. Exact tithi times for Charlotte are on our panchangam.

Which garba nights are in Charlotte this year?

When 2027 garba nights are announced they appear at the top of this page with ticket links, pulled from our events board. In 2026 the circuit was Kirtidan Gadhvi at the Park Expo on 18 September, the Cabarrus Arena night in Concord on 3 October, the Hindu Center nights at the Park Expo on 9, 16 and 17 October, and Trimurti Temple’s nine-day Navaratri from 11 October.

Where are the big garba nights held?

The Park Expo and Conference Center at 800 Briar Creek Road, Charlotte 28205, and Cabarrus Arena and Events Center at 4751 Highway 49 North, Concord 28025. Temple and community nights are at the Hindu Center of Charlotte on City View Drive, Trimurti Temple, and school and community halls around the metro.

Where can I do garba in Charlotte?

The main ticketed venues are the Park Expo and Conference Center in Charlotte and Cabarrus Arena in Concord. Temples and community halls across University City, Ballantyne, Matthews and Concord run smaller community nights. Every event we can find is listed on this page as it is announced.

How much do garba tickets cost in Charlotte?

Community and temple nights are often free or under twenty dollars. Ticketed nights with a touring artist from India generally run higher and sell out earlier, so check the ticket link on each listing. In 2026 the Park Expo festival nights started at $20 and the Cabarrus Arena night was $35.

Can I go to garba if I am not Gujarati or not Indian?

Yes. Garba nights in Charlotte are open events and newcomers are normal. The steps repeat, so watching one round from the edge is all it takes to join in.

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