From golden horizons to evenings beneath the Maldivian sky, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands will celebrate Chinese Golden Week with its Moonlight and Golden Days Festival, unfolding from 25 September to 10 October 2026.
Across two weeks, the island will move through a curated collection of culinary encounters, wellness rituals, marine adventures, creative workshops and family experiences. Inspired by the echoes of autumn and a season of togetherness, the programme brings its own rhythm to each day, with moments designed for all ages.
The celebrations begin on a particularly vibrant note. For three evenings from 25–27 September, SUSHISAMBA Dubai will take over EAU Bar, bringing its distinctive fusion of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian influences from Dubai’s skyline to the shores of the Maldives.
SUSHISAMBA Comes to EAU Bar
For the opening weekend, EAU Bar will take on the energy and culinary character of SUSHISAMBA Dubai through three immersive dining evenings.
SUSHISAMBA chefs will present dynamic tasting menus shaped by the restaurant’s Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian influences, while salsa performances bring music and movement into the experience. With the Indian Ocean as its setting, the takeover brings together bold flavours and a celebratory energy to open the festival.
It sets the tone for a fortnight in which dining becomes one of the many ways the season is celebrated.
A Season Around the Table
Beyond SUSHISAMBA, the culinary programme moves between Cantonese traditions, beachfront gatherings and evenings beneath the stars.
Summer Pavilion will celebrate the Moon Festival through refined Cantonese cuisine in a lantern-inspired setting, while the Mid-Autumn Festival Feast and Golden Horizons Dinner bring further moments of gathering and togetherness to the programme.
As the festival continues, dining travels across the resort, from Italian flavours at La Locanda and Levantine and North Indian cuisine at Arabesque to an Ocean Grill Dinner by the beach. The final evening returns to EAU Bar for a Starlight Concert Dinner, bringing live music and cuisine together beneath the night sky.
Wellbeing in the Island Rhythm
The Ritz-Carlton Spa brings a quieter dimension to the celebrations through rituals designed around restoration, balance and mindful connection.
Face yoga, self-massage, tapping therapy and Spa Alchemist workshops sit alongside Harmony Touch massage lessons, while movement begins outdoors through sunrise yoga, dynamic flow sessions and restorative practices.
Across the programme, wellness moves beyond the treatment room, following the natural transition from early island mornings to moments of calm later in the day.
Beyond the Shore
The surrounding ocean becomes another part of the festival through experiences that reveal the Maldives above and beneath the surface.
Turtle snorkelling, Shark Quest and guided reef discoveries invite guests into the marine world surrounding the island, while sunset dolphin cruises, private excursions and luxury sunset cruises take the journey further across the water.
Twilight snorkelling shifts the perspective again as daylight disappears, while marine and lunar talks explore the relationship between the ocean, its ecosystems and the changing moon above.
Golden Days for Every Generation
For younger guests, Ritz Kids brings the themes of moonlight, nature and creativity into its own programme of discovery.
Lantern making, mooncake-inspired activities, marine art, stargazing, treasure quests and ocean-themed workshops create opportunities to explore the festival through play and imagination. Older children and teenagers can move into creative ateliers, challenges and activities designed around art, culture and the island environment.
Together, the experiences give families different ways to celebrate while allowing each generation to discover the season in its own way.
Until the Moon Returns Again
Across 16 days, Moonlight and Golden Days moves between celebration and stillness, from the energy of SUSHISAMBA at EAU Bar to Cantonese dinners, ocean journeys, wellness rituals and evenings beneath the stars.
The festival concludes on 10 October with the Starlight Concert Dinner at EAU Bar, closing the season through live music, exceptional cuisine and one final evening beneath the Maldivian sky.
