Lantern Festival in Thailand 2026: Dates & Best Events

Thousands of glowing lanterns lifting off into a dark sky at the same moment, while smaller lights drift quietly across a river below. That's the scene the Lantern Festival in Thailand delivers every November, when Yi Peng and Loy Krathong fall on the same full moon and turn Chiang Mai, Bangkok and a handful of other cities into something out of a dream.

The Lantern Festival in Thailand 2026 lands around 24-25 November, and if you're planning around it, timing matters more than most trips. Chiang Mai draws the biggest crowds for the sky-lantern releases tied to Yi Peng, while places like Sukhothai lean into the older, more ritual side of Loy Krathong. Bangkok gives you a riverside version without leaving the capital.

If you'd rather have the logistics sorted for you, our Events and Festivals tour packages around Lantern Festival already build trips around the dates. This guide walks through where to go, what each city actually offers, ticket prices, and how to fit the festival into a proper Thailand trip.

• Main Dates: 24–25 November 2026
• Top Venue: Chiang Mai (Yi Peng Sky Lantern Festival in Thailand)
• Other Destinations: Bangkok (Chao Phraya River), & Sukhothai (Historical Park)
• Activities: Releasing lanterns, floating krathongs, cultural performances, traditional Lanna buffet dinners, parades, and fireworks

Lantern Festival in Thailand refers to the celebrations around Yi Peng and Loy Krathong, which take place around the full moon of the twelfth lunar month.

Yi Peng is strongly associated with Northern Thailand and the Lanna cultural tradition. Chiang Mai is the best-known destination for experiencing it, with lantern decorations, temple activities, cultural performances, and sky-lantern releases forming part of the celebrations. The Tourism Authority of Thailand describes Yi Peng in Chiang Mai as a major Lanna tradition held during the Loy Krathong period.

Loy Krathong is celebrated across Thailand. Instead of sending lanterns into the sky, people traditionally float decorated krathongs on rivers, lakes and ponds as part of the festival.

So if you picture thousands of glowing lanterns rising into the night sky, you are primarily thinking of Yi Peng. If you picture small decorated floats moving across the water, that is Loy Krathong.

The roots go back to Buddhist tradition, local belief and a sense of gratitude toward nature. Loy Krathong is tied to asking forgiveness from Mae Khongkha, who represents the waterways, while Yi Peng carries its own meaning in Lanna culture, linked to merit-making, devotion and a kind of symbolic renewal.

For many people, the lanterns and krathongs are also a way to release what is weighing them down, make a wish, or ask for blessings in the year ahead. The timing matters too—both celebrations follow the lunar calendar, so the full moon marks the period as a meaningful time for these religious and cultural rituals.

That blend of faith, local tradition & community coming together is what sets this event apart as one of the most distinctivefestivals in Thailand.

The main Yi Peng and Loy Krathong celebrations follow the lunar calendar, so their dates change each year. In 2026, the main festival period falls in late November, with major celebrations expected around 24–25 November 2026.

However, there is no single nationwide event called the Lantern Festival with one fixed ticket or venue. Chiang Mai has several public celebrations and private ticketed events, and individual venues can announce their dates.

For travellers, this means you should check the date of the specific lantern-release event you want to attend before booking your flights or accommodation. Public celebrations may also continue across several days around the main festival dates.

Best known for: Yi Peng, sky lanterns, and Loy Krathong

What to expect: Chiang Mai is the main destination for the classic Yi Peng sky-lantern experience. During the festival period, the Old City and riverside areas come alive with lantern decorations, cultural performances and Loy Krathong celebrations.

• Visit Wat Phan Tao, Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh for the decorated temple atmosphere, Tha Phae Gate for public celebrations and processions, and the Ping River around Nawarat Bridge for the riverside Loy Krathong experience.
• Large organized sky lantern release takes place at designated ticketed venues around Chiang Mai and nearby areas many of which are already included in Thailand tour packages that time the trip around the festival

Best for: Anyone set on seeing Yi Peng and experiencing a proper large-scale Lantern Festival Chiang Mai is known for.

Best known for: Traditional Loy Krathong celebrations

What to expect: Sukhothai Historical Park is the centre of the celebrations, with illuminated ancient monuments, candlelit ceremonies, cultural performances and krathong-floating around the park's ponds and waterways.

• It's one of the settings that shows a different side of Thailand tourism— one built around history and ritual rather than the bigger, more crowd-heavy festival scenes elsewhere.
• The setting gives Loy Krathong a strong historical and cultural focus.

Best for: Anyone who wants the history and ritual side of Loy Krathong more than the spectacle.

Best known for: Urban and riverside Loy Krathong celebrations

What to Expect: Bangkok's celebrations focus mainly on Loy Krathong, with activities along the Chao Phraya River and at riverside venues.

• Depending on the year's programme, celebrations can include krathong-floating, cultural performances, illuminated areas and riverside events.
• Public festival locations have included areas around Wat Arun, Wat Pho, Asiatique and other Chao Phraya piers.

Best for: Travellers who'd rather stay in a big city and still catch the festival properly.

Places such as Lamphun and Tak also hold Loy Krathong and Northern Thai cultural celebrations. Tak is particularly known for Loy Krathong Sai, where people float illuminated krathongs made from coconut shells along the Ping River.

If you want to compare the main 2026 organised events, their dates, locations and ticket prices, the table below gives you the practical details for 2026.

*Prices, dates, and venues are subject to change by private organizers, and tickets may sell out quickly; please verify live availability and final package inclusions

WanderOn’s 7 Days Lantern Festival Thailand Community Trip covers 6 nights and 7 days across Pai, Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, with the Yi Peng Lantern Festival as the main highlight.

Day 1: Chiang Mai to Pai (Pai Walking Street)

Overnight: Pai

Day 2: Pai (Pai Canyon, Santichon Village, Pai Hot Springs)

Overnight: Pai

Day 3: Pai to Chiang Rai (Lalitta Café, Chiang Rai Night Market)

Overnight: Chiang Rai

Day 4: Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai (Blue Temple, White Temple, Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall)

Overnight: Chiang Mai

Day 5: Doi Inthanon National Park (Twin Pagodas, Wachirathan & Sirithan Waterfalls, Karen Hill-Tribe Villages)

Overnight: Chiang Mai

Day 6: Yi Peng Lantern Festival (Chiang Mai)

A slow start to the morning, then the group heads to the festival venue by afternoon. This is the day the whole trip builds toward — thousands of lanterns going up together as the sky darkens over Chiang Mai. Everyone heads back to the hotel once the release winds down.

Overnight: Chiang Mai

Day 7: Departure (Chiang Mai International Airport)

After breakfast, checkout and transfer to the airport close out the trip.

For the main Yi Peng celebrations, fly into Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX). There are currently no nonstop flights from India to Chiang Mai, so Indian travellers need at least one connection.

• From Delhi: The fastest one-stop flights take around 6 hours 20 minutes, although total journey time depends on the layover.
• From Hyderabad: The fastest one-stop options take around 5 hours 45 minutes.
• From Chennai: The fastest one-stop flights take around 6 hours 5 minutes.
• Via Bangkok: If your itinerary connects through Bangkok, direct flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai take around 1 hour 15–20 minutes. Both Suvarnabhumi (BKK) & Don Mueang (DMK) have direct services to CNX.

Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) is the city's main airport and is close to central Chiang Mai. From the airport, you can take a taxi, airport transfer or ride-hailing service to your hotel.

If you are attending a ticketed Yi Peng event outside central Chiang Mai, check the venue location and whether your ticket includes a shuttle before booking your accommodation.

Pro Tip: Book your India–Chiang Mai flights early for the November festival period. Flight availability can be limited and fares may rise around the main celebration dates.

1. Book accommodation early: Rooms near Chiang Mai's Old City go fast once the Lantern Festival in Thailand 2026 gets closer. Don't wait till the last minute on this one.
2. Book ticketed events in advance: Chiang Mai lantern festival tickets for the bigger venues run out. Check the date, what's included, and how you're getting there before you pay.
3. Arrive early: Traffic, parking, security checks, entry lines—all of it takes longer than you'd think, especially on the main night.
4. Plan your transport: Figure out your way back before you head out. Once the events wrap up, roads near the main spots turn into a jam pretty fast.
5. Carry essentials: Charged phone, some water, a bit of cash, a power bank, and whatever medicines you take regularly.
6. Dress comfortably and respectfully: Light clothes and shoes you can actually walk in. If you're stopping at a temple or joining a religious ceremony, shoulders and knees need to be covered.
7. Follow lantern safety rules: Stick to official floating lantern festival Thailand events for releasing sky lanterns, and follow the organisers’ instructions. Stay well away from buildings, trees, and power lines.
8. Respect local customs: Lower the noise during ceremonies. Ask before you photograph someone. Don't talk through prayers or performances.
9. Be prepared for crowds: Watch your valuables. If you've got a group, pick a meeting spot ahead of time in case people get split up.
10. Check the weather: Most of this is outdoors, so check the forecast beforehand and carry a light rain layer in your bag just in case.
11. Check the exact event programme: Not every event includes a sky-lantern release. Public celebrations, temple events, and private ticketed ceremonies don't all run the same way.