Yi Peng Lantern Festival Chiang Mai 2026: Rules and Tickets

Yi Peng runs 23 to 25 November 2026, and lanterns may be released only on 24 and 25 November, from 19:00 to 01:00. Release is banned inside the airport safety zone and across all of Mueang Chiang Mai in the last area list, so book a ticketed mass release or watch the city events instead.

Can you release a lantern yourself? Not in central Chiang Mai, and not on just any night: lanterns may go up only on 24 and 25 November, between 19:00 and 01:00, and the latest ban list covers every sub-district of Mueang Chiang Mai. For a release, book an organised event such as the CAD festival; for the rest of Yi Peng, follow the lamps, krathong floating and parade through the Old City.

When are Yi Peng and Loy Krathong in 2026, and what costs money?

Yi Peng runs from 23 to 25 November 2026, and lanterns may rise on two nights only: 24 November, small krathong day, and 25 November, big krathong day. Loy Krathong follows the full moon of the 12th lunar month, so the date moves every year.

The CAD festival is the paid one: it needs an entrance ticket, with more than 25,000 seats a day and prices from USD 179 on one seller. We recommend deciding early whether you want that ticketed release or just the city events, because the two compete for the same two evenings.

Checked November 2026.

What to see in the city

The main venue moves in 2026: Ton Lamyai Market public park replaces Tha Phae Gate. It hosts the opening ceremony and the Lanna lantern contest, with its large hanging lanterns. Other events stay spread around the Old City, so pick two or three instead of chasing them all.

Hanging lanterns and the big krathong parade

The big krathong procession contest runs between Tha Phae Gate and the municipality office. The gate is one end of that route.

Lamps on the gates and bastions

Lamps (phang pratheep) are lit at the square in front of the Lanna Folklife Museum, at the city gates and at the four corner bastions. That fits the festival’s picture of a city lit by lanterns and phang prathip candles.

Floating a krathong

Krathong floating takes place on the Ping River bank in front of the municipality office. To float your own krathong, join the river-bank event rather than hunting for a quiet corner. The wider Yi Peng programme also includes a ceremony of floating lanterns downstream to symbolise release from misfortune.

The sermon at the Three Kings Monument

The Tang Tham Luang sermon, a Lanna Maha Chat recital, takes place at the Three Kings Monument.

Can you release a lantern yourself, and where?

No, not in central Chiang Mai: release is banned inside the aviation safety zone around the airport, and the area list announced for 2024 covers every sub-district of Mueang Chiang Mai and Hang Dong. Elsewhere in the province a release needs the district chief’s permission, applied for at least 30 days beforehand. That is a job for an organiser, so we recommend booking a ticketed release rather than lighting one at your guesthouse.

Every lantern has to meet the community product standard, stay in the air no more than 7 minutes and carry no firecrackers. Smoke lanterns are allowed only on 24 November, from 10:00 to 12:00. The penalty announced in 2024 for releasing without permission is up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to THB 200,000, or both.

Pilots have a formal warning for both nights across Chiang Mai and Lamphun, because lanterns affect airspace near an aerodrome and may distract pilots.

Which ticket sites can you trust?

Check who the seller is before you pay: several sites present themselves as the official ticket page for the CAD festival, and one of them describes itself as an authorised ticket agent. Refund terms also differ, since one seller offers free cancellation up to 60 days before the event and another says all purchases are final and non-refundable.

Read those terms first, and remember that a cancellation window counted back from the event start has already closed if you book late. For everyday traps around town, see Chiang Mai safety and scams.

Who Yi Peng suits (and who should skip it)

• You want lamps, parades and krathong floating in the Old City: the events sit at named spots between Ton Lamyai Market park and the river.
• You want to launch a lantern: choose a ticketed release, because the CAD festival needs a paid ticket.
• Skip evening flights on 24 and 25 November if you can: lanterns go up from 19:00, and flights were cancelled or retimed on those nights in 2024.
• Skip the idea of lighting a lantern in the Old City: the ban list covers all of Mueang Chiang Mai.

How to get to the Yi Peng events

Most city events sit inside the Old City, with the main venue at Ton Lamyai Market park and the procession route starting at Tha Phae Gate. The river bank in front of the municipality office hosts the krathong floating. For Grab, songthaew and tuk-tuk fares, see getting around Chiang Mai.

If you fly in on 24 or 25 November, ask your airline whether the evening flights have moved, because 170 flights were cancelled or retimed on the two lantern nights in 2024. The airport-to-city guide covers the ride into town.

When to go and how long

Lanterns go up from 19:00 on both nights, so reach the river or the CAD venue in the early evening instead of arriving at the last minute. Plan one evening for the city events and one for the ticketed release, since both fall on the same two nights. Smoke lanterns are a daytime sight on 24 November only.

Nearby and how to combine it

For weather and haze around late November, see the best time to visit Chiang Mai guide. Pair an afternoon in the Old City temples (Old City temples) with the lamps and the river in the evening.

Lanterns go up on only two nights, so book your room early. Our where to stay in Chiang Mai guide compares the Old City, Nimman and Santitham.

Before you go

• Pick your night: lanterns rise on 24 and 25 November from 19:00.
• Use only a lantern that meets the community product standard, with no firecrackers tied on.
• Book a ticketed release instead of lighting one yourself.
• Read the refund terms of any ticket seller.
• Check your flight if you leave on 24 or 25 November.

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Not confirmed: Whether any city event charges entry, and which roads close on 25 November, is not in the 2026 notices. Check with the Chiang Mai municipality or the TAT office in the city a few days before.

General information checked against the sources listed above. Prices, opening hours and other details change; confirm them with the provider before you act. See how guides are checked.

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