At The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, the year’s end becomes something altogether more transcendent. This festive season, from 22 December 2025 to 9 January 2026, the resort invites guests to step into Celestial Festive, a constellation of experiences inspired by the harmony, mystery, and quiet order of the universe itself.

Perfectly poised on the equator, where the Northern and Southern Hemispheres gently meet, the Maldives offers a rare, unobstructed theatre for the night sky. Sunrises rise in a perfect arc; dusk melts into a mirror-like sea; and each night reveals a canopy of stars so luminous it seems to breathe. Against this cosmic backdrop, the resort transforms into a sanctuary where starlight, serenity, and ritual come together in a celebration of renewal.

Rituals of Restoration and Discovery

Celestial Festive unfolds as a curated journey through movement, creativity, and contemplation. Mornings begin with Cosmic Flow Yoga in the Mystique Garden and Galaxy Glow Gua Sha Workshops at The Ritz-Carlton Spa, each ritual designed to align body and spirit beneath the rising sun.

Days continue with Planet Pulse Cardio, snorkelling in the island’s coral gardens, and Build Your Own Reef Star, an immersive sustainability programme where guests plant coral fragments that will grow into an underwater “constellation” of life. The spirit of discovery extends to younger travellers too, with Astronaut Helmet Workshops, Galactic Treasure Hunts, and hands-on DIY Star Projectors. Teens and adults can explore cosmic-inspired fitness programmes and creative workshops that echo the season’s celestial theme.

A Cosmic Twist on Christmas Traditions

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the island takes on an added layer of enchantment. Sunrise rituals and contemplative workshops ease guests into the day before festive, family-focused experiences unfold across the resort. As evening settles, a Christmas Eve Cocktail in Mystique Garden and a Celestial Christmas Dinner beneath the stars at EAU Bar create moments of connection bathed in moonlight. A live Christmas Concert fills the island with music and starlit warmth.

MINIMAL Gelato: A Michelin-Starred Masterpiece Arrives

A highlight of the season is the arrival of MINIMAL Gelato, the world’s first Michelin-starred ice cream shop, making its Maldives debut from 18–25 December. Known for elevating purity into an art form, MINIMAL will transform the Island Creamery into a gallery of flavour, presenting six signature creations:

  • Olive Oil, Oolong Tea, Magnolia Leaf
  • Pine Needle, Camellia Oil, Oriental Herbs
  • Yakult, Shiso, Apple
  • Biluochun Tea, Sugarcane, Mountain Angelica Root
  • Summer Pavilion Pear Soup
  • EAU Bar Chocolate Finger

At La Locanda’s Tasting Room, guests may savour the MINIMAL Tasting Menu, including the remarkable “Ice Trio”—a three-course exploration of temperature, texture, and time that borders on the meditative.

Starlit Evenings and Immersive Dining

As night deepens, the island becomes a living constellation of culinary theatre and sensory experiences. Highlights include:

  • Starlight Dinner at EAU Bar – 27 December
  • Penfolds Wine Dinner at Beach Shack – 30 December
  • Ocean Aroma Dinner – 2 January
  • Ruinart Art Dinner at Summer Pavilion – 5 January

Each evening marries gastronomy with performance, art, or fine wine, an interplay of earthbound flavours and celestial inspiration.

A Galactic New Year’s Eve

The celebrations culminate on 31 December with the Galactic New Year Countdown, a celestial soirée marked by exceptional dining, live music, and avant-garde performances beneath skies illuminated by constellations and fireworks. Returning visionary artists—renowned for their theatrical, boundary-pushing works—will once again transform the island into a cosmic stage of movement, light, and sound.

New Beginnings Beneath the First Sunrise

The first dawn of 2026 invites quiet renewal through Cosmic Sound Baths, Zodiac Crystal Alignment, and the Ocean Pearl Raw Bar, a serene, Mediterranean-inspired ritual by the sea.

Where Heaven Meets Earth

Every experience within Celestial Festive honours the delicate balance between heaven and earth, inviting guests to slow down, look up, and reconnect with the infinite beauty surrounding them.

The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands continues to offer an unparalleled island escape shaped by culinary mastery, imaginative family experiences, and deeply restorative wellness.

For reservations and further details, visit ritzcarlton.com/Maldives.