The following lists notable events that took place during the year 2025 in Sri Lanka.
Incumbents National Anura Kumara Dissanayake(Age ) Harini Amarasuriya(Age ) Jagath Wickramaratne(Age ) Padman Surasena Sajith Premadasa(Age ) National People's Power National People's Power National People's Power Independent Samagi Jana Balawegaya
Former Murdu Fernando(Age ) Independent
Provincial
Governors Central Province – Sarath Abeykoon Eastern Province – Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera North Central Province – Wasantha Kumara Wimalasiri Northern Province – N. Vedanayagam North Western Province – Tissa Kumarasiri Sabaragamuwa Province – Champa Janaki Rajaratne Southern Province – Bandula Harischandra (died 16 November 2025) Uva Province – Kapila Jayasekera Western Province – Hanif Yusuf
Events Cyclone Ditwah Operation Yukthiya Red Sea crisis Operation Prosperity Guardian
Events by month January 1 January – The "Clean Sri Lanka" national initiative commences under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. 9 January – General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero is sentenced to nine months' imprisonment over defamatory statements against Islam. 10 January – Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga is arrested by the Mirihana Police for allegedly assaulting his neighbor. 13 January – "Amba Yaalu", the first 100% female-staffed tourist hotel in Sri Lanka is opened in Kandalama, Dambulla. 16 January The government announces an agreement with Chinese state oil company Sinopec valued at $3.7 billion to construct a "state-of-the-art oil refinery" with a capacity of 200,000 barrels in Hambantota. Sri Lankan underworld figure and drug kingpin Janith Madushanka, alias "Podi Lassie", is arrested in Mumbai, India. 19 January – Former Minister Gamini Vijith Vijithamuni Soysa is arrested by the Walana Anti-Vice Unit regarding an illegally-assembled lorry. 20 January – The Gal Oya Dam is breached in the Nena Kaadu area in Ampara, resulting in moderate flooding. 22 January – Former Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa and his wife are arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over allegations of misuse of funds amounting to over Rs. 6.1 million in 2014. 24 January – Four Sri Lankan cricketers are named in the ICC ODI Team of the Year 2024, with Charith Asalanka as captain of the team and Kusal Mendis as the wicketkeeper, as well as Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga. Meanwhile, Kamindu Mendis is included in the ICC Test Team of the Year 2024 and Matheesha Pathirana in the ICC T20I Team of the Year 2024. Sri Lanka women's cricketer Chamari Athapaththu is also included in the ICC Women's T20I Team of the Year 2024 as the captain. Kamindu is later awarded as the ICC Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year. 25 January – Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, is arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for committed offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act No. 5 of 2006. 26 January – The "Eagle's Viewpoint", the highest permanent settlement in Sri Lanka with an altitude of 6,182 feet above sea level in the Nuwara Eliya District, is opened to tourists. 28 January – Johann Peries becomes the first Sri Lankan to reach the summit of Mount Vinson, the highest mountain in Antarctica at 4,892 metres. 29 January – Jaffna District MP Ramanathan Archchuna is arrested over allegedly obstructing the duties of police personnel in Anuradhapura. 31 January – Ishadi Amanda becomes the first runner-up at the 40th Mrs. World pageant held in Las Vegas, United States.
February 4 February – The 77th National Independence Day is celebrated at the Independence Memorial Hall in Colombo with the theme "Let's Join the National Renaissance". 6 February – Sri Lankan scientist Prof. Neelika Malavige is appointed as the president-elect of the International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID), where she will assume the presidency in 2027 and serve until 2029. 8 February – Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Batticaloa District MP M. S. Naleem is assaulted by a supporter of the Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya (SLMP) and is admitted to the Eravur Hospital. 9 February – An issue at an electricity sub-station near Colombo leads to a nationwide power outage. Officials blame the incident on a monkey entering the grid transformer. 10 February The new train service 'Ella Odyssey Nanu Oya' starts operations from Nanu Oya to Badulla. Sigiriya is nominated as the world's most welcoming city for 2025 by Booking.com, in the "10 Most Welcoming Cities on Earth for 2025" based on over 360 million of its verified customer reviews. 11 February – Convenor of the Nawa Sinhale National Movement Dan Priyasad is arrested and remanded by Sri Lanka Police for an investigation over an alleged incident of forcing the Nan Eriya Police OIC not to arrest a drug trafficker in 2024. 13 February – Former Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) MP Kulasingam Thileepan is arrested by the 'Q Branch' of the Tamil Nadu Police for allegedly obtaining an Indian passport using fake address proof documents. 17 February – The 2025 Budget is presented to Parliament by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. 18 February – Former Puttalam District MP Shantha Abeysekara and his son are arrested by the Police Illegal Assets Investigations Division due to an illegally assembled vehicle. 19 February – Notorious drug trafficker and organised criminal "Ganemulla Sanjeewa" is shot dead at the Aluthkade Courts Complex by an assailant disguised as an attorney. 20 February – An express train collides with a herd of elephants near a wildlife reserve in Habarana and derails, killing six of the animals. 26 February – The first Shell branded fuel station in Sri Lanka opens at B.S. Cooray Filling Station, Ambathale.
March 3 March – Sri Lankan massage therapist Praneeth Lasantha wins the silver medal at the 2025 Universal Massage Championship in Thailand from 80 competitors from 21 countries, becoming the first Sri Lankan to win the title. 5 March – Daisy Forest, the mother-in-law of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa is arrested in connection with investigations into a money laundering case. In the evening, Former Minister Mervyn Silva is arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and remanded until March 17. 9 March – Sri Lankan cricketer Ashen Bandara is arrested by the Piliyandala Police for allegedly assaulting a person after entering their house. 14 March Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) MP M. S. Naleem resigns from his parliamentary seat to contest in the upcoming local elections for the Eravur Urban Council. He is the first resignation of the 17th Parliament of Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan rapper and singer ‘Shan Putha’ is arrested by the Homagama Police for possession of a 9mm firearm. 16 March – Kandy Sports Club wins the 2024–25 Mastercard Inter-Club 'A' Division Rugby League, securing the domestic inter-club rugby title. 17 March – The 2024 (2025) G.C.E. Ordinary Level (O/L) examination commences at 3,663 centres across the island, with 398,182 school candidates and 75,965 private candidates. 21 March – A K-8 trainer aircraft of the Sri Lanka Air Force crashes near Minuwangete in the Wariyapola area. Both pilots eject safely and are uninjured. 22 March – Two individuals: Yomesh Nadishan and Pasidu Tharuka, are killed in a shooting incident on Sinhasana Road, in front of the southern entrance of the Devundara Sri Vishnu Devalaya. 25 March – Former State Minister Sathasivam Viyalendran is arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) after allegedly aiding and abetting the soliciting of a bribe. 27 March – New Democratic Front (NDF) Badulla District parliamentarian Chamara Sampath Dassanayake is arrested by the Bribery Commission in relation to an irregularity that occurred during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Uva Province. 29 March "Wild Cookbook", a YouTube channel run by Sri Lankan chef and YouTuber Charith N. Silva, becomes the first Sri Lankan channel to surpass 10 million subscribers. Sri Lankan powerlifter Ransilu Jayathilake wins the gold medal in the 120 kg weight class at the 2025 Asia Pacific Powerlifting Championships.
April 1 April – Underworld figure K. M. Sarath Bandara is sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court after being found guilty of shooting and killing a man in the Borella area in 2014. 2 April Former Chief Minister of the North Central Province S. M. Ranjith and his private secretary Shanthi Chandrasena are sent to prison for 16 years of rigorous imprisonment over corruption charges. Ven. Rajangane Saddharathana Thero is expelled from the Sangha community by the Working Committee of Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya following his continuous controversial statements on social media. 4 April – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Sri Lanka for a three-day state visit. 5 April – Sri Lankan tri-forces personnel, including medical staff, depart for Myanmar on a special flight to provide relief assistance to victims of the country's recent earthquake. 6 April – Kandy Sports Club wins the 2025 Clifford Cup inter-club knockout rugby tournament, defeating Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club (CR & FC) 41–33 in the final held at Nittawela Rugby Stadium, Kandy, to complete the domestic double for the 2024–25 season. 8 April The ‘Calypso tourist train’ designed by Sri Lanka Railways makes its inaugural journey from the Nanu Oya railway station to the Demodara railway station. Former State Minister and leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias ‘Pillayan’ is arrested by CID. 10 April – The Vasavilan–Palaly road is officially reopened to the public, after being closed for 34 years due to the Sri Lankan civil war. 18 April – A special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic, titled “Siri Dalada Wandanawa”, begins at the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. The exposition would go on for 10 days. 19 April – Tharushi Abisheka wins the gold medal in the women's 800m at the 2025 Asian U18 Athletics Championships in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Shavindu Awishka and Pawan Nethya Sampath wins bronze medals in the men's 800m and high jump, respectively. 21 April – The Vatican recognises 167 Catholics who died in the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings as "witnesses of faith". 22 April – Dan Priyasad, a Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) candidate for the Kolonnawa Urban Council, is shot and killed by two individuals. 24 April – American rock band Boyce Avenue arrives in Sri Lanka, ahead of their first concert in Sri Lanka. 27 April–11 May – The 2025 Sri Lanka Women's Tri-Nation Series is held. It is the first to be hosted by Sri Lanka. In the final, India defeats Sri Lanka by 97 runs to win the series. 29 April Dilshi Amshika, a 15 or 16-year old Tamil schoolgirl, commits suicide following alleged sexual and psychological abuse by a teacher at her former school. The incident sparks public outrage and renews discussion over child protection in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Cricket terminates the Lanka Premier League (LPL) franchise partnerships of the Colombo Strikers and Jaffna Kings due to the failure to fulfill their contractual obligations.
May 3 May – President Anura Kumara Dissanayake departs for Vietnam on the invitation of Vietnamese President Lương Cường. 4 May Notorious underworld criminal Sujeewa Ruwankumara De Silva alias ‘Loku Pattie’ is brought back to Sri Lanka from Belarus. Squadron Leader Nishadi Pieris is awarded the United Nations Peacekeepers’ Medal as a Military Observer, becoming the first female officer of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) to achieve the feat. 5 May – Sri Lankan musical group ‘Knights’ become the runners-up of the “Battle of the Bands – International” competition held in India.