Arriving Late to Eid Prayer

Q: What should I do regarding the Eid prayer if I arrive late?

A: If a person arrives while the imam is still praying the Eid prayer, then whatever portion of the prayer he catches with the imam he prays with him, and whatever he missed he completes afterward, due to the Prophet’s ﷺ statement: “Whatever you catch, then pray, and whatever you missed, then make it up.” This applies even if a person only reaches the imam during the tashahhud. The prayer is continued as it is typically made with the extra takbirs etc.

If a person arrives after the prayer has ended while the khutbah is being delivered, he should sit and listen to the khutbah. The jurists mention that this applies even if the Eid prayer is held inside a masjid, although al-Muwaffaq Ibn Qudamah stated that in such a case one should first pray the greeting of the masjid before sitting down. Once the khutbah concludes, he can make up the prayer as it is typically performed along or with a group of any size.

Sources: Sharḥ Muntahā al-Irādāt, Kashshāf al-Qināʿ, Maṭālib Ūlī al-Nuhā.