Ramadan is well underway for the Muslim community
Muslims will be fasting for the next 30 days (Image: Manchester Evening News)
Greater Manchester mosques have confirmed the start of Ramadan this evening (Wednesday, February 18).
The holy month will see another ‘split start’ as worshippers begin on different days this year after Saudi Arabia announced the sighting of a new crescent moon in the region yesterday (February 17).
However, the announcement came with some scrutiny after the UK Government’s official astronomers released detailed forecasts stating that the crescent would not be visible on February 17 in almost every part of the world, including Saudi Arabia, Morocco, UK, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Thailand, South Africa, Turkey, Egypt and the USA.
While some local mosques followed Saudi Arabia’s guidance and began proceedings, others opted to wait and carried out moon sightings on Wednesday evening.
Following a night of moonsighting by local and national groups as well as residents, multiple centres have announced that the first day of Ramadan will be on Thursday (February 19).
Manchester Central Mosque, in Rusholme said: “The crescent moon for Ramadan has been sighted. We will complete 29 days of Sha’ban.
“Ramadan will bring tomorrow, Thursday February 19, 2026.”
Islamic calendar experts, New Crescent Society said: “Alhamdulillah, we have seen the moon in the British Isles tonight, Wednesday 18th February, despite the cloudy weather.
“Tonight is therefore the first night of Tarawih. Our passionate and dedicated moonsighters turned out in full force across the country, spanning: Orkney Islands, Fife, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Leeds, Sheffield, York, Manchester,
“Bolton, Blackburn, Preston, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leicester, Derby, Nottingham, Cambridge, Oxford, Norwich, Bristol, Exeter, Cardiff, Cornwall, Southampton, London, and many more locations besides.”
The ninth month of the of the Islamic calendar, worshippers will be fasting, praying, and giving to charity to commemorate the occasion which ends with a large prayer and celebration.
However, unlike other religious holidays, Ramadan doesn’t start on the same day each year. The Islamic calendar follows the moon’s cycle, meaning its months start at different points as the years go by.
Ramadan begins when the crescent moon lines up with the astronomical new moon. Last year also saw a ‘split start’ to Ramadan after worshippers began fasting on different days due to the varied moon sightings from Muslim countries and groups across the country and globe.
A majority of communities and sects rely on the moon sighting committee in Saudi Arabia to determine when Ramadan begins. This is because the they use a special equipment to track the moon’s cycle.
However, some people are known to follow moon sightings carried out in Morocco, the closest Islamic nation to the UK, their country of origin or moonsighters within the UK.