Chiang Mai Lantern Festival 2026 (Yi Peng)

The release in the photos, thousands of lanterns lifting at once, happens at private events outside the city on the festival nights. The biggest is CAD's Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival at the CAD Cultural Center Lanna in Mae On, east of Chiang Mai, on 24 and 25 November 2026. Every ticket includes a shuttle from the city, a Lanna buffet dinner, a cultural program and two lanterns. Pickups run from about 13:00 to 14:30, dinner is at 18:30, and the release is at about 20:15, finished by 20:45, so it's a long afternoon and evening.

CAD's tiers, as listed by its authorized distributor, run from ฿4,880 for Standard (a songthaew transfer) through ฿6,480 VIP, ฿6,980 Premium and ฿8,880 Gold to ฿11,880 Platinum and ฿15,880 Elite; the higher tiers buy better transport, seating and position. Several websites call themselves the official CAD ticket site and quote slightly different prices, and travel booking sites resell the same tickets at a markup, so compare the price for the same tier and night, check what's included and the refund terms, and keep the confirmation. The full-moon night, 24 November, sells out first.

Other ticketed releases exist. A newer Loy Krathong and sky lantern festival is planned at Miracle Land on the Mae Taeng river on 24 and 25 November, and smaller events run around Doi Saket. The old free release at Mae Jo University stopped years ago, and whether its paid successor runs in 2026 hadn't been confirmed. If a price looks too good, or a site won't say which venue the ticket is for, walk away.

The city festival is worth planning a trip around. Chiang Mai is at its most beautiful that week, the weather is the best of the year, and the krathongs on the Ping and the procession cost nothing. The ticketed release is a different question. For ฿4,880 or more you spend the afternoon and evening on a shuttle, a buffet and a cultural show in a field with thousands of other visitors, for about half an hour of lanterns at the end. If that moment is why you're coming to Thailand, it's worth it, and the higher tiers soften the logistics. If you're on a budget or wary of crowds, spend 24 November at Nawarat Bridge and 25 November on Tha Phae Road and you'll still see the festival at its best.

Most of Yi Peng costs nothing. The Old City's moat and gates are lined with candles and clay lamps, lanterns hang over the lanes and temple courtyards, and the main stages and pageants are at Tha Phae Gate. The Three Kings Monument hosts the opening and lantern-lighting ceremonies. On the full-moon night, 24 November, the place to float a krathong is the Ping river around Nawarat Bridge and the Iron Bridge; get there by about 17:00 for a spot on the bank, buy a krathong from the stalls nearby (choose banana leaf or bread over foam), and watch your footing, because the steps get slippery and crowded.

The Grand Krathong procession on 25 November is the city's big parade, illuminated floats and dancers from Chiang Mai's districts competing for the royal trophy. In 2025 it set off from Tha Phae Gate along Tha Phae Road at 18:00; the 2026 route and time will be in the municipality's program. Pick a meeting point before you go, because phone signal struggles in the crowds.

Releasing khom loi inside Chiang Mai is banned, and the city asked again in 2026 for no lanterns within its limits. Street vendors still sell them, so don't light one in the Old City or near the river. In 2025 the province declared the city district, Hang Dong and parts of four other districts red zones, kept the airport's surroundings off-limits entirely, and allowed releases only in approved zones on the festival nights from 19:00 to 01:00, with reported penalties of up to five years in prison and a ฿200,000 fine. Lanterns fall back to earth burning and can hit aircraft, which is why the airport reschedules flights on release nights. Expect the same pattern in 2026, and check the provincial order when it's published.

Book the room first. In 2025 Chiang Mai's hotels expected to be full on the festival nights with rates 10–15% higher, and the Old City and the riverside around Nawarat Bridge go first. Staying within walking distance of Tha Phae Gate or the Ping saves fighting traffic on the big nights. Flights fill too, and in 2025 the airport cancelled or rescheduled more than 160 flights around the release nights, with the last evening flights moved earlier, so fly in by the afternoon of 23 November and out after the 26th if you can. The overnight train from Bangkok is a good alternative when flights are full.

The weather is the best of the year. November in Chiang Mai averages about 31°C by day and 20°C at night, with only around three rainy days, so bring a light layer for the evenings. Temples are at the center of the festival, so cover shoulders and knees. Keep candles and lanterns away from clothes and hair, and agree a meeting point with your group. If you saw coverage of 2025, note that year was deliberately low-key during national mourning.

Yi Peng is Chiang Mai's version of a festival the whole country celebrates. On Loy Krathong night, 24 November, Bangkok floats krathongs on the Chao Phraya and in its parks, and Sukhothai, where the festival is said to have begun, holds candlelit celebrations among the ruins of its historical park from 15 to 24 November. There are no lantern releases in either. The Loy Krathong guide covers what the festival means, how to float a krathong and where else to celebrate.