Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival 2027

The festival is tied to two Buddhist holy days, Asalha Bucha, the full moon of the eighth lunar month, and Khao Phansa, the next day, when monks begin their three-month rainy-season retreat. In 2027 those fall on Sunday 18 and Monday 19 July, about ten days earlier than 2026, when they fell on 29 and 30 July.

The 2026 festival ran for a week, from 25 to 31 July, with the main program from 28 to 30 July. Expect the same shape in 2027, with the candles gathering on Thung Si Mueang a day or two before Asalha Bucha, processions on both holy days and the main parade on the Khao Phansa morning. The Tourism Authority of Thailand published the 2026 program only in late July, so plan around the holy days and check the details nearer the time.

Weeks before the festival, the candles are carved and moulded at temples around the city, and in 2026 visitors could watch the work at nine temples from mid-July. Then the finished candles, mounted on floats, gather at Thung Si Mueang, 47 of them in 2026, one showcase candle and 46 entries competing in traditional, moulded-wax and carved-wax classes. Gathering day is the best time to see the detail up close, before the crowds and the parade.

On Asalha Bucha morning, the royal Lent candle and bathing cloth are carried in procession, followed by a candle parade with dance troupes and folk performances, and in the evening there's a light-and-sound show at Wat Si Ubon Rattanaram and Lan Khwan Mueang. The Khao Phansa morning brings the main parade, with the candles moving slowly through the city center along Uparat and Chayangkun roads, more than 37 dance troupes from temples and schools between them. The competition awards follow in the late afternoon, and a night procession and light show close the day. The candles are never lit. Afterward, the winners stay on display for a few days, and in 2026 candles stayed on view at Wat Phra That Nong Bua until mid-August.

In 2026 more than 5,000 free seats were set out at five viewing points on the route, at Wat Si Ubon Rattanaram, Lan Khwan Mueang, the U Hotel, the Siam Commercial Bank branch and the Bangchak service station. They go early, especially on the Khao Phansa morning, so be in place well before 08:29. If you'd rather avoid the crush, walk around Thung Si Mueang on gathering day, when the candles stand still and you can get close, and come back for the night procession, when the floats are lit up.

Flights from Bangkok take about an hour, with several airlines a day, and they fill for festival week, so book early. The overnight sleeper train from Krung Thep Aphiwat takes 8–10 hours and ends at Ubon's station in Warin Chamrap, across the Mun River, about ten minutes from the center. Buses from Mo Chit take 8–9 hours.

Stay in the city center near Thung Si Mueang, so you can walk to the gathering, the parade and the night shows without dealing with road closures. Festival week is the one week of the year Ubon's hotels genuinely fill, so book as soon as you know your dates. Add a day for the Mekong at Khong Chiam, about 75 km east, if you can.