Chiang Mai Lantern Festival 2026
When is Yi Peng 2026 in Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai’s city Yi Peng celebrations are scheduled for 23–25 November 2026. CAD’s ticketed sky-lantern releases run on 24 and 25 November. These are separate programmes, so check which experience you are booking.
You can enjoy the city’s lantern displays and riverside atmosphere without buying a mass-release ticket. This guide helps you choose between the public celebrations and an organised release, plan your evening, and find somewhere to eat along the way.
We are the team at Thaan Aoan, a family-run restaurant in Chiang Mai’s Old City since 2008, near Wat Chedi Luang.
New for 2026: Chiang Mai’s Main Yi Peng Venue Moves to Ton Lamyai Market Public Park
Visiting on 23–25 November 2026? Put Ton Lamyai Market public park on your festival map. In a 24 September government announcement (Thai), Chiang Mai’s deputy mayor said the main city celebration would move from Tha Phae Gate plaza to this riverside park.
What is planned at the park?
- The city’s Yi Peng opening ceremony.
- A Lanna lantern competition featuring large hanging lanterns.
- Children’s and Yi Peng queen and king pageants.
- Arts and cultural performances, plus a Lanna sapao craft competition (traditional boat-shaped offerings).
Tha Phae Gate still features in the festival, including light-and-sound displays and the grand krathong parade route. The whole festival is not moving to one location. Exact activity times were not given in this announcement; check the final city programme before travelling.
Where is Ton Lamyai Market public park?
Find it beside the Ping River in the Ton Lamyai and Warorot Market (Kad Luang) area, east of the Old City.
Google Maps address: 90 Wichayanon Road, Chang Moi, Chiang Mai 50300.
Thai name: สวนสาธารณะตลาดต้นลำใย
Before you go: Google Maps marked the park “temporarily closed” when checked on 25 September 2026. The city has announced its festival use, but check access and the updated programme nearer November. This city celebration is separate from ticketed mass sky-lantern releases.
What happened here in previous years?
We have not verified a park-specific programme for 2025. An earlier event is documented by the Chiang Mai City Heritage Centre: on 18–20 November 2021, the park, also called Suan Nam Ping, hosted community Yi Peng activities with clay-lamp lighting honouring the Ping River, historic neighbourhood photographs and park-design exhibitions. That is earlier history, not last year’s programme or a promise of the 2026 schedule.
Planning an Old City evening? Start with Khao Soi or Pad Thai at Thaan Aoan before your temple walk. See the menu or ask about a table.
Key Facts
Yi Peng 2026 at a Glance
| Plan your visit | What to know |
|---|---|
| City festival | 23–25 November 2026 |
| CAD mass releases | 24 & 25 November; separate ticketed event |
| Main city venue | Ton Lamyai Market public park, 90 Wichayanon Road, beside the Ping River |
| Getting there | About a 15–20 minute walk east from Tha Phae Gate; driving and parking are difficult on festival nights |
| Free experience | Public streets, displays and riverside atmosphere; individual venues may charge |
| CAD listed prices | 4,900–15,900 THB per person; recheck availability |
| Sky lanterns | Do not assume releases are allowed in the Old City |
| Where to base yourself | Old City for temples and restaurants; riverside for river activities |
| Busiest hours | Around 7pm–10pm on the main nights, especially along the river and at Tha Phae Gate |
| Food stop | Thaan Aoan near Wat Chedi Luang; daily 7am–9pm |
The Two Festivals
Yi Peng vs Loy Krathong: What’s the Difference?
Yi Peng is a Lanna (northern Thai) festival where people release sky lanterns, called khom loi, and hang paper lanterns at temples and homes. Loy Krathong is celebrated all over Thailand: people float small decorated rafts, called krathong, on rivers and ponds. In Chiang Mai, the two fall on the same full-moon nights.
The name Yi Peng comes from the northern Thai words for “two” (yi) and “full moon” (peng) — the full moon of the second month in the old Lanna calendar, which lines up with the twelfth month of the central Thai calendar. That’s why the two festivals always arrive together.
Both are about letting go. Releasing a lantern is a way of sending off bad luck and making a wish for the year ahead; floating a krathong gives thanks to the water and asks forgiveness for using it.
Beyond the famous sky lanterns, look out for khom khwaen — hanging lanterns strung across temple courtyards and streets — and phang prathip, small clay oil lamps lit along walls, doorways and shrines. For many local families, lighting these at home and making merit at the temple matters far more than any mass release.
| Yi Peng | Loy Krathong | |
|---|---|---|
| Tradition | Lanna (northern Thailand) | Nationwide Thai |
| What you release | Sky lanterns (khom loi), up into the sky | Krathong rafts, onto the water |
| Also features | Hanging lanterns, clay oil lamps, temple merit-making | Parades, performances, fireworks |
| Where in Chiang Mai | Temples, Tha Phae Gate, ticketed release sites | Ping River, city moat, ponds |
| Only in the north? | Yes — mainly northern Thailand | No — celebrated across Thailand |
Festival Program
Yi Peng 2026 Dates and City Programme
The city dates and main venue have been announced. Detailed ceremony times and traffic arrangements still need checking before your visit. Source: Chiang Mai government radio announcement (Thai).
| Dates | Programme | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| 23–25 November | City Yi Peng celebrations | Main venue: Ton Lamyai Market public park |
| 24 & 25 November | CAD ticketed mass releases | Use the meeting point and timings on your booking |
| Before you travel | Check the detailed city timetable | Do not rely on last year’s opening times or parade schedule |
Our planning suggestion: arrive before your chosen festival evening and allow time for traffic, dinner and walking. A ticketed release can occupy most of the afternoon and evening; plan an Old City stroll on a different night.
The New Main Venue
How to Get to Ton Lamyai Market Public Park
The park sits on the west bank of the Ping River, right beside Ton Lamyai flower market and Warorot Market (Kad Luang). If you know the riverside flower stalls, you already know the area. It is east of the Old City, and on foot it is closer than most visitors expect.
Walking (our recommendation): from Tha Phae Gate, walk east along Tha Phae Road and you reach the river in roughly 15 to 20 minutes. From the Wat Chedi Luang area, allow around 25 to 30 minutes at a relaxed pace. On the main festival nights, walking is usually faster than any vehicle.
Grab, Bolt and red songthaew: fine for the journey out, harder for the journey back. Expect longer waits and higher fares between about 9pm and 11pm as crowds leave together. If you book a car, set your pickup point a few streets back from the river rather than at the park entrance.
Driving and parking: this area is busy even on ordinary days, and Warorot Market parking fills quickly. On festival nights we would not plan to drive. If you must, park nearer the Old City and walk the last stretch.
While you are there: the surrounding lanes are one of the best street-food areas in Chiang Mai, with Warorot Market food stalls and the riverside walkway close by. Bring cash — many stalls do not take cards or transfers.
Nawarat Bridge is a short walk downstream and gives the classic view along the river, which is why it gets crowded on Loy Krathong night.
Access arrangements and road closures for 2026 had not been published when we checked, so confirm the final city programme before you set out.
No Ticket Needed
Where to Enjoy Yi Peng Without a Mass-Release Ticket
Hanging lanterns, candle displays, parades and the riverside atmosphere cost nothing to enjoy. What free sightseeing does not include is a sky-lantern release — that is a separate, organised experience. These are the five places we point our guests towards, in the order we would visit them this year.
1. Ton Lamyai Market Public Park & the Riverside
This is the centre of the 2026 city celebration: the opening ceremony, the Lanna lantern competition with its large hanging lanterns, the pageants and the cultural performances are all planned here, beside the Ping River.
It is also the natural place to float a krathong, since the river is right there and stalls in the Ton Lamyai and Warorot Market area sell them through the evening.
🕐 Best time: arrive before 7pm if you want space near the stage or the water
👥 Crowds: heaviest between about 7pm and 10pm on the main nights
💡 Tip: bring cash for krathong and street food, and keep children within arm’s reach near the riverbank
2. Tha Phae Gate
The gate is no longer the main opening venue, but it remains one of the busiest and most atmospheric spots of the week. The city has said Tha Phae Gate still features in the programme, including light-and-sound displays and the grand krathong parade route.
Its other advantage is position: the gate sits between the Old City temples and the river, so it works well as the midpoint of an evening walk.
🕐 Best time: early evening, or later once the parade has passed
👥 Crowds: very heavy, especially when a parade is moving through
💡 Tip: agree on a meeting point before you enter the crowd — mobile data slows down noticeably when thousands of people are in one place
3. Wat Phan Tao & Wat Chedi Luang
Our own neighbourhood, and the quietest of the five. Wat Phan Tao is a teak temple that has been among the most photographed places of the festival in recent years, with lanterns around its courtyard and pond. Next door, the great ruined chedi of Wat Chedi Luang is lit at night and makes a dramatic backdrop even outside festival week.
Each temple arranges its own decorations and ceremonies, so displays differ from year to year. Both are a few minutes’ walk from our restaurant on Prapokklao Road.
🕐 Best time: around sunset, before the evening crowds build
👥 Crowds: busy but manageable before 7pm
💡 Tip: cover shoulders and knees, keep your voice low, and check admission at the entrance
4. Three Kings Monument
The square in the middle of the Old City, and the traditional setting for Lanna ceremonies and clay-lamp lighting during the festival. It is a good place to see phang prathip — the small clay oil lamps that locals light in rows — without a wall of people in front of you.
Check the detailed programme for what is scheduled here this year rather than assuming last year’s ceremony repeats.
🕐 Best time: just after dark
👥 Crowds: moderate, lighter than the river and the gate
💡 Tip: walk on afterwards along the nearby lanes, where smaller temples and shops put out their own lanterns
5. Wat Lok Molee
Just outside the northern moat, Wat Lok Molee is one of the city’s oldest temples and one of the calmest places to end an evening. Its tall brick chedi and teak viharn are floodlit after dark, and the temple usually joins in with lantern decorations during the festival.
Come here if the crowds elsewhere have worn you out, or if you want photographs without a queue behind you.
🕐 Best time: early evening
👥 Crowds: light compared with everywhere else on this list
💡 Tip: the moat roads are busy and poorly lit in places — cross at the corner rather than mid-block
Mass Lantern Releases
Yi Peng Tickets 2026: Ticketed Lantern Releases Compared
The famous image of thousands of lanterns rising at once comes from organised, ticketed events held outside the city. They’re spectacular — and expensive, long and sometimes confusing to book. Here’s how the main options compare for 2026.
Yi Peng Ticket Options: What Is Confirmed
| Option | 2026 information | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| CAD | 24 & 25 November; listed 4,900–15,900 THB; recheck stock | Synchronised mass release |
| Mae Jo / similar event names | Current organiser details not independently confirmed | Book only after verifying the venue and programme |
| Smaller venues | Dates, prices and permissions require direct confirmation | A verified package that suits your group |
| Public city celebrations | No mass-release ticket needed; incidental costs vary | Flexible Old City and riverside evening |
Before paying: verify the organiser, date, venue, transfer arrangements and refund terms. Use the organiser or a seller it identifies as authorised.
Our Straight Answer
Is a Paid Lantern Event Worth It?
We don’t sell tickets and we don’t earn a commission from any event in this guide, so here’s the honest answer we give guests who ask us every November.
Our view: if you only have a couple of festival nights, don’t feel you’re missing out by skipping a paid release. Walking the moat as the candles are lit, watching krathong drift along the Ping, and standing in a lantern-filled temple courtyard is what Yi Peng has always been about. The ticketed events are a spectacular extra — not the festival itself.
Know Before You Go
Sky Lantern Rules in Chiang Mai: What Visitors Need to Know
Do not plan to release a sky lantern in the Old City or at Tha Phae Gate. Permission depends on location and current provincial restrictions, not on whether someone is selling lanterns.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand’s 2026 notice warns aviation operators about lantern activity on 24–25 November. It is not permission for visitors to release lanterns anywhere.
✔ Use only a venue that confirms approval for its specific release
✔ Follow officials’ instructions and the event safety briefing
✔ Check your flight status directly with your airline
✔ Enjoy hanging lantern displays if you do not attend an approved release
Check current provincial guidance before travelling; this guide does not confirm final 2026 release zones or times.
Celebrate Respectfully
Festival Etiquette & Eco-Friendly Krathong
Yi Peng and Loy Krathong are religious festivals as well as celebrations. A little respect goes a long way:
🌿 Choose a natural krathong made from banana trunk, banana leaves and flowers — avoid foam or plastic
👕 Cover your shoulders and knees when entering temples
🙏 Don’t climb on chedis, statues or temple walls for photos
🔥 If a lantern lands near you, make sure the flame is out
🧘 Women should avoid touching monks or handing items to them directly
🗑️ Take your rubbish with you — the morning after, the city is busy cleaning up
Chiang Mai Lantern Festival 2026
About This Guide
Written by the Thaan Aoan team, a family-run Old City restaurant established in 2008. We share local meal and walking suggestions alongside festival information. We do not sell festival tickets or receive ticket commissions.
Last checked: 25 September 2026. City information: Chiang Mai government announcement. Ticket details: CAD’s 2026 event page. Aviation information: CAAT notice. Check these sources again before travelling; schedules and availability can change.
Other event listings are marked unverified where we could not confirm a current organiser programme. Historical photographs and videos illustrate past festivals.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yi Peng 2026: FAQ
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