Chiang Mai lantern festival

The dates for 2026

Yi Peng Chiang Mai 2026 runs from 23 to 25 November, the Chiang Mai Office of Tourism and Sports says, and Chiang Mai Municipality runs it with its partners.

Sky lanterns go up only on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 November, from 7pm to 1am, in permitted areas and with a permit, Chiang Mai Province says. The big ticketed releases are on those two nights, outside the city.

It falls on the full moon of the twelfth Lanna month, the same night as Loy Krathong, which is Tuesday 24 November 2026.

Pick one release evening, spend the others in town, and ask Tanner to hold your night.

What to book first

Seats at the ticketed lantern releases go first, then hotels in Chiang Mai. Here is the order to book.

Goes first: CAD release tickets. Seats are limited, CAD's own site says, so book these first.

Goes next: places to stay in Chiang Mai for 23 to 25 November. The festival is only weeks away, so book the room the day the tickets are held.

Then: flights to Chiang Mai. Airlines have cancelled 108 flights and moved 80 between 21 and 28 November, Chiang Mai Airport says, so pick your times with care.

Then: the better seat tiers at each event, closer to the ceremony.

Easy on the day: the free celebrations at Tha Phae Gate and the temples.

Lock in tickets and a villa this week; both go early.

What the tickets cost

These are CAD's own prices for its official release, from Standard to Elite.

Every tier includes two sky lanterns, a krathong, a Thai buffet dinner and the return shuttle, CAD's ticket page says. Only the Standard shuttle has no air-con.

Tickets are non-refundable, even if the event is called off, so buy only from official sellers.

Ask Tanner which tier fits your group.

Can you release lanterns for free?

No. Sky lanterns and fireworks may be released only on 24 and 25 November, from 7pm to 1am, in permitted areas outside the city, and every release needs a district permit through the Bampen app, Chiang Mai Province says (checked 4 November 2026).

All of Mueang Chiang Mai and Hang Dong districts is a no-release red zone, so nothing goes up in the Old City, at Tha Phae Gate or in the city centre.

The legal mass releases happen only at licensed events outside town.

Airlines are asked not to fly from 7pm to 1am on 24 and 25 November, or from 10am to noon on the 24th, Chiang Mai Airport says. It asks domestic flyers to arrive 2 hours early and international flyers 3 hours early.

Check your flight times before you book, or ask Tanner to fit them around those hours.

The free side of the festival

You can see a lot of the Chiang Mai lantern festival for free: hanging lanterns around Tha Phae Gate, temple ceremonies, the parades and floating a krathong on the river.

Ton Lamyai Market park: the main stage this year. The opening, the lantern contests and the shows move here from Tha Phae Gate, Chiang Mai Municipality says.

Tha Phae Gate: a light-and-sound show on all three evenings, and the start of the parade.

Wat Phan Tao: candlelit ceremonies at the old teak temple.

The Ping River: float a krathong from the banks, or from Nawarat Bridge or the Iron Bridge, two of the best free spots.

The parade: the big krathong parade runs from Tha Phae Gate to the municipality offices by the river.

Pair a free evening in town with one ticketed release night, and ask Tanner to set up both.

Is it worth it?

Yes, once. Thousands of lanterns rising together is one of the great sights in Thailand, and the ticketed events make it calm and well run.

It's a spectacle, not a party. Plan the release night as the ceremony, then the Chiang Mai bars after.

It's less fun if you hate crowds or long shuttle queues. The Elite and Platinum tiers make that easier.

Evenings drop to about 15 to 20°C in late November, so bring a light jacket.

Yi Peng was named a World Night View Heritage site in 2024, TAT says.

Still not sure? Ask Tanner if it suits your group.

Yi Peng or Loy Krathong in Bangkok?

Pick Yi Peng in Chiang Mai for the sky full of lanterns. Pick Loy Krathong in Bangkok for your own boat on the Chao Phraya and a big club after.

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Photo: AI-generated image

Yi Peng: the sky lanterns, ticketed, outside the city, calm and spiritual.

Bangkok: krathongs on the river, your own boat, then rooftops and clubs until late.

Both fall on Tuesday 24 November 2026, so the group picks one city for the night.

Plenty of groups do both: Chiang Mai for the 24th and 25th, then fly to Bangkok for the weekend.

See the Loy Krathong guide and the Bangkok dinner cruise, and decide which city gets your 24th.

Your own villa in Chiang Mai

The best base for Yi Peng is a private pool villa in Chiang Mai, with the whole group in one place and a car to the pick-up point.

A villa starts from ฿18,500 a day, and the chef and bar keep the evening going after the release.

The Old City and Nimman put you close to Tha Phae Gate and the bars.

See the Chiang Mai nightlife guide, then hold your villa before the release dates fill.

After the lanterns

After the lanterns, the group heads back into Chiang Mai for the bars and clubs. Licensed entertainment venues in Chiang Mai's tourist areas, and licensed venues inside hotels, may open until 4am, TAT says; ordinary bars close earlier, usually by 2am.

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Photo: AI-generated image

Nimman is the night-out area, with bars and live music.

Book a section at a club for the release night, because the town is full that week.

See Thailand in November and the Thailand party calendar, then plan it with Tanner.

Getting to Chiang Mai for Yi Peng

Most groups fly up from Bangkok. See Bangkok to Chiang Mai for the flight, the train and the bus.

Land on the 23rd, a day before the first release, because airlines have cut flights on the release evenings, Chiang Mai Airport says.

Our car meets you at arrivals. See the Chiang Mai airport transfer.

Here's the tip: CAD's activities start at 2:30pm, so eat an early lunch in Nimman first.

Tanner's pick: for a group, take Platinum or Elite. The pick-up is at MAYA, and the crowds are easier.

Ask Tanner to book the flights around the release evenings.

Yi Peng at a glance

Dates: 23 to 25 November 2026; ticketed releases on 24 and 25 November.

Same night as: Loy Krathong, Tuesday 24 November.

Tickets: six CAD tiers, non-refundable.

Rules: lanterns only on 24 and 25 November, 7pm to 1am, in permitted areas, with a permit; none in the city.

Flights: airlines avoid 7pm to 1am on 24 and 25 November.

Free: Ton Lamyai Market park, Tha Phae Gate, Wat Phan Tao, the river and the parade.

Stay: your own Chiang Mai pool villa.

Checked 4 November 2026.

Plan it with Tanner.