SBS is celebrating the Festivals of Lights this year with an expansive line-up of programs that reflect the diversity of Australia and the vibrancy of South Asian culture. From October through November, the network will showcase stories and voices across television, film, radio, and digital platforms to mark Diwali, Deepavali, Bandi Chhor Diwas and Tihar.
The initiative brings together a rich mix of series, documentaries, food shows, podcasts, and community stories in multiple languages, inviting Australians of all backgrounds to connect through shared celebration.
SBS Acting Managing Director Jane Palfreyman said, “SBS is proud to celebrate the Festivals of Lights with all Australians. Whether you mark Diwali, Deepavali, Bandi Chhor Diwas or Tihar—or you’re simply curious—our coverage invites everyone to share, learn and celebrate together. By showcasing stories in English and other languages, we’re helping build understanding, belonging and social cohesion right across the country.”
This year’s offering includes programs in Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi, Malayalam, Nepali, Punjabi, Sinhala, Spice, Tamil and Telugu. Each language team has curated original content that reflects unique traditions and personal experiences.
SBS Gujarati features stories of interfaith couples and their Diwali celebrations, alongside a showcase of Annakut, the Gujarati festival of “mountains of food.” SBS Hindi presents a cultural explainer on what Diwali means across communities and a special collaboration with chef Helly Raichura, who combines Indian sweets with native Australian ingredients.
SBS Punjabi explores cross-cultural celebration through an interview with Laura Jane Singh, a First Nations healing practitioner who shares her story of celebrating Diwali with her Punjabi husband, Inderjit Singh. SBS South Asian adds to the mood with curated music specials in six languages from 18–20 October and a full day of multilingual live broadcasts from Cairns featuring local voices and community leaders.
The network’s youth-focused English-language channel, SBS Spice, is launching Party in the Pod, a limited vodcast series where South Asian creators and artists share stories over food under twinkling studio lights.
On SBS On Demand, viewers can explore the Celebrating Diwali | Deepavali collection, a curated showcase of films and shows that capture the joy and energy of the festivals. Highlights include SBS Originals such as Four Years Later, the animated feature The Glassworker, and Jasmeet Raina’s comedy Late Bloomer. The collection also features documentaries like World’s Largest Cricket Stadium and a selection of Hindi music videos.
SBS channels are also joining the celebration. The main channel will air Luke Nguyen’s India (from 17 October), Bollywed, and Treasures of India with Bettany Hughes. SBS VICELAND adds The Matchmakers and Brand Bollywood Downunder, while SBS Food brings a flavourful double feature of Maneet’s Eats and Secrets of the Curry Kitchen from 15 October. SBS World Movies will host a Diwali movie marathon on 20 October, including Gulmohar, UNindian, Ghoomer and Maja Ma. All titles will also stream free on SBS On Demand.
Beyond the screen, SBS Learn is engaging classrooms across Australia with Diwali resources tailored for both primary and secondary students. Activities include making rangoli designs, crafting diyas, and cooking simple barfi sweets. A multilingual educational video subtitled in six South Asian languages will accompany the materials.
Across the country, SBS is partnering with community councils and organisations in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia to support local celebrations.
As the lights of Diwali, Deepavali, Bandi Chhor Diwas and Tihar shine across homes and public spaces, SBS’s programming reminds Australians that shared stories remain the brightest way to connect.
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