Book a ticket for the lantern show and spend the other nights in the city.
The Thai Lantern Festival, Yi Peng, in Chiang Mai is the northernmost festival celebrating the November full moon. In 2026, the lantern evenings take place on November 24th and 25th, with Loy Krathong being celebrated on Tuesday the 24th and the city festival officially opening on the 23rd. The image that everyone has in mind—thousands of paper lanterns released simultaneously—is a paid event outside the city, as releasing lanterns within Chiang Mai and near the airport is prohibited.
On both evenings, four major film screenings will take place: CAD's Khomloy in Mae On (from 4,880 baht), Sky of Wishes in San Pa Tong (from 3,900 baht), the CNX Festival at Miracle Land in Mae Taeng (from 3,500 baht), and Moonlight Sky Lantern in Lamphun (from 4,500 baht). The rest of the Yi Peng Festival is free and takes place in the city: candles and lanterns decorate the castle moat and the gates of the old city, krathongs are floated on the Ping River at the Nawarat Bridge on the night of the full moon, and the grand krathong procession takes place on November 25.
In Chiang Mai, hotels fill up quickly on these evenings, and evening flights are often canceled. Therefore, it's best to book your room and flight as soon as possible. Below you'll find a detailed schedule for each evening, a comparison of the four ticket releases, the release terms and conditions, the available free seats, and an assessment of whether the ticket is worthwhile.
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Key Facts (2026)
The lantern evenings will take place on November 24th and 25th.
Loy Krathong and the full moon fall on Tuesday, November 24th, and the grand Krathong procession takes place on the 25th. The city festival begins on the 23rd.
Tickets for the mass lantern ascents are available from 3,500 Baht.
Four events take place on both evenings. The CNX Festival starts at 3,500 baht, Sky of Wishes at 3,900 baht, Moonlight at 4,500 baht, and CAD, the largest and most well-known event, at 4,880 baht. Three of the four events include transportation from the city, and all include dinner or a visit to a food market, as well as two to four lanterns.
It is forbidden to release lanterns in the city of Chiang Mai.
The province permits lanterns and fireworks only on November 24th and 25th from 7:00 PM to 1:00 AM, and only in areas where the district has authorized their use via the Bampen app. The airport grounds are a special control zone. In 2025, reported fines reached up to 200,000 baht.
The free festival takes place in the old town and on the Ping.
Candles around the castle moat and city gates, Krathongs at the Nawarat Bridge on the full moon night (arriving around 5:00 PM), ceremonies at the Three Kings Monument and the procession from Tha Phae Gate.
Book your room in Chiang Mai now!
The city's hotels anticipated 100% occupancy on festival evenings in 2025 and price increases of 10–15%. The nights from November 23rd to 26th in the old town or along the riverbank were particularly recommended.
Arrive early; due to the easing of restrictions at night, evening flights will be reduced.
In 2025, around the release dates, over 160 flights at the airport were canceled or rescheduled, with the last departures being brought forward. The flight schedule for 2026 will be published a few days before the festival; therefore, arrival by the afternoon of November 23rd at the latest is recommended.
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Chiang Mai Lantern Festival 2026, night after night
The dates for the city are taken from the municipal planning meeting on September 23, 2026, and the publication dates from the provincial meeting on October 7. Schedule changes are announced last (in 2025, they were published five days before the initial release date), so you should check with your airline shortly before the event. Event dates can be found on the websites of the respective organizers or sales partners.
Ticketed Lantern releases compared
CAD, Sky of Wishes, CNX Festival and Moonlight – and how to avoid reseller markups
The sky lantern festival seen in the photos, where thousands of lanterns are released simultaneously, takes place as part of private events outside the city on festival evenings. Four major lantern festivals are scheduled for November 24th and 25th, 2026. The largest and most famous is the CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival at the CAD Cultural Center Lanna in Mae On, east of Chiang Mai. Each ticket includes a shuttle service from the city, a buffet dinner at Lanna, a cultural program, and two lanterns. Pick-up is between approximately 1:00 and 2:30 PM, dinner is at 6:30 PM, and the lantern release begins around 8:15 PM and ends at 8:45 PM. It's a long afternoon and evening.
According to the official distributor, ticket categories for CAD (California Day) range from 4,880 baht for Standard (songthaew transfer) to 6,480 baht for VIP, 6,980 baht for Premium, 8,880 baht for Gold, 11,880 baht for Platinum, and 15,880 baht for Elite. Higher categories offer better transportation, seating, and a better location. Several websites claim to be official CAD ticket sites and list slightly different prices. Travel booking sites resell the same tickets with a markup. Therefore, compare prices for the same category and evening, check the included services and refund policies, and keep your booking confirmation. Tickets for the full moon night on November 24th are usually the first to sell out.
The other three are cheaper and newer. “Sky of Wishes” in San Pa Tong, southwest of the city, costs from 3,900 baht and includes three lanterns and a food market. For the two cheaper packages, you have to arrange your own travel, and transfers are only included in the premium package for 7,900 baht. The CNX Festival at Miracle Land on the Mae Taeng River north of the city costs from 3,500 baht and includes a shuttle bus, a Khantoke dinner, and three lanterns. “Moonlight Sky Lantern” at I Love Ban Thi in Lamphun, about 30 km from the city, costs from 4,500 baht and includes a transfer in a red truck, a buffet, and three lanterns. All three events are non-refundable. Smaller events take place around Doi Saket, and the former free event at Mae Jo University was discontinued years ago.
Since 2026, the province has been approving every venue through the Bampen app. Because none of these venues publish their approval, I cannot tell you which events have such a permit. Each promoter lists the venue and date, and any prices listed here are those of the respective promoter or distributor. If a price seems too good to be true, or a website doesn't list the venue, be cautious.
Tickets for the Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai 2026 compared
Prices per person for November 24th and 25th, 2026 can be found on the respective websites of the organizers or CAD's distribution partner. The highest ticket categories cost 15,880 ฿ for CAD, 14,900 ฿ for Sky of Wishes, and 8,500 ฿ for Moonlight; the CNX Festival has a single starting price.
Khomloy Lantern Festival in Canada 2026, Ticket Categories
Prices per person are from CAD's authorized distributor for November 24th and 25th, 2026. Tickets for the lower categories will be collected at the Chiang Mai Convention Center, and tickets for the higher categories at the MAYA Shopping Center. Other vendors quote prices between 4,900 and 15,900 baht for the same categories; resellers charge more.
Is the Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai worth visiting?
The ticket, to be honest, was worth a free night's accommodation by the river.
The city festival is definitely worth a visit. Chiang Mai is at its most beautiful this week, the weather is perfect, and the krathongs on the Ping River and the procession are free. Tickets, however, are a different story. For 3,500 to 4,880 baht and more, you can spend the afternoon and evening with a shuttle bus, buffet, and a cultural show in a field with thousands of other visitors, followed by a roughly half-hour lantern parade to conclude the festivities. If this experience is the reason for your trip to Thailand, it's worth it, and the higher ticket categories make organization easier. If you're on a budget or want to avoid the crowds, spend November 24th at the Nawarat Bridge and November 25th on Tha Phae Road – you'll still experience the festival in all its glory there.
The free festival in the old town
The moat, the Tha Phae gate, the Nawarat bridge and the procession
Most of Yi Peng is free. The moat and Old City gates are decorated with candles and clay lamps, lanterns hang over the alleyways and temple courtyards, and the main stages and processions take place at Tha Phae Gate. The opening and lantern ceremonies are held at the Three Kings Monument. On the full moon night of November 24, the Ping River near the Nawarat Bridge and the Iron Bridge is the ideal place to float a krathong. Arrive around 5:00 PM to secure a spot on the bank, buy a krathong from the nearby stalls (choose banana leaves or bread instead of foam), and watch your step as the steps can be slippery and crowded.
The grand Krathong procession on November 25th is the highlight of the city's festivities. Illuminated floats and dancers from Chiang Mai's districts compete for the royal trophy. In 2025, the procession started at 6:00 PM at Tha Phae Gate along Tha Phae Road; the route and time for 2026 will be announced in the city government's program. Arrange a meeting point in advance, as cell phone reception is poor in the crowds.
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The lantern rules and why there is no publication in the city
Red zones, airport restrictions and fines
The release of Khom Loi lanterns within Chiang Mai is prohibited, and the city has again called for a ban on lanterns within its boundaries for 2026. Street vendors continue to sell them, so you should avoid lighting lanterns in the Old City or near the river. The province maintained its existing ordinance for 2026. Lanterns and fireworks may only be released on November 24th and 25th between 7:00 PM and 1:00 AM, and smoke lanterns only on the morning of the 24th between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM. Anyone releasing lanterns must register with the district head via the Bampen app and sign an agreement regarding safety conditions. The lanterns must meet local product standards and may not remain in the air for more than seven minutes. Fireworks attached to lanterns are completely prohibited. The area around the airport is a special control zone with no-fireworks areas. In 2025, the province declared the Hang Dong district and parts of four other districts red zones. Violations are punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of 200,000 baht. The lanterns fall to the ground while burning and can hit aircraft. For this reason, flights at the airport are diverted on nights when the lanterns are released.
To see the lanterns in the photos, it's best to book a ticket for the performance outside the city. For everything else, you should spend the full moon night at the Nawarat Bridge and the following evening on Tha Phae Road to see the procession.
Plan your trip to Yi Peng
Rooms, flights, weather and what you should bring
It's best to book your room now. Hotels in Chiang Mai are expected to be fully booked during the 2025 festival nights, with prices rising by 10–15%. The Old City and the area around the Nawarat Bridge are particularly prone to booking up quickly. Staying near the Tha Phae Gate or the Ping Gate will help you avoid the traffic congestion on festival nights. Flights are also often fully booked. In 2025, over 160 flights around the festival nights were canceled or rescheduled at the airport, with the last evening flights being moved forward. Therefore, it's best to fly in by the afternoon of November 23rd and depart after November 26th. The night train from Bangkok is a good alternative if flights are fully booked.
The weather is the best of the year. In November, Chiang Mai averages 31°C during the day and 20°C at night, with only about three rainy days. Therefore, bring a light layer of clothing for the evenings. The temples are the focal point of the festival, so cover your shoulders and knees. Keep candles and lanterns away from clothing and hair, and arrange a meeting point with your group. If you have seen reports about the 2025 festival: please note that the celebrations were intentionally low-key this year due to the national mourning period.
Loy Krathong elsewhere in Thailand
The ruins of Sukhothai and the river of Bangkok under the same full moon
Yi Peng is Chiang Mai's version of a festival celebrated throughout the country. On the night of Loy Krathong, November 24, Bangkok releases krathongs on the Chao Phraya River and in its parks, while in Sukhothai, where the festival is believed to have originated, candle ceremonies take place amidst the ruins of its historic park from November 15 to 24. No lanterns are released in either city. The Loy Krathong Guide explains the meaning of the festival, how to release a krathong, and other places to celebrate.
Yi Peng in the city and at the CAD release
Two festival videos from other travelers in 2025: the free city festival and the lantern parade in Cadbury City. YouTube will only load when you click "Play".
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Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about the Chiang Mai Lantern Festival 2026 (Yi Peng).
The Lantern Festivals will take place on November 24th and 25th, 2026, with Loy Krathong on Tuesday the 24th. Ticket sales will be open on both evenings, the city festival will begin on the 23rd, and the grand Krathong procession will take place on the 25th.
The Lantern Festival Yi Peng in Chiang Mai takes place on November 24th (full moon) and November 25th, 2026. The city festival begins on November 23rd. Some descriptions list November 25th as the full moon; however, it is actually November 24th.
Not in the city. Starting in 2026, the province will only permit lantern releases on November 24th and 25th from 7:00 PM to 1:00 AM, exclusively at locations approved by the district via the Bampen app, and never within the airport's controlled airspace. From 2025, offenders face up to five years in prison and a 200,000 baht fine. To release a lantern, book a paid event outside the city.
Starting at 3,500 Baht per person in 2026. The CNX Festival starts at 3,500 Baht, Sky of Wishes at 3,900 Baht, Moonlight at 4,500 Baht, and Khomloy (CAD) at 4,880 Baht. The Elite category (CAD) costs 15,880 Baht. Resellers charge more for the same tickets, so it's worth comparing prices for the same evening and category.
The Khomloy Festival in Mae On is the largest and most well-known festival of the Canadian Automobile Association (CAD) and is available from 4,880 baht including transfers in every category. The CNX Festival at Miracle Land is the most affordable at 3,500 baht including transfers. Sky of Wishes starts at 3,900 baht, but transfers are only included from 7,900 baht. Moonlight in Lamphun is available from 4,500 baht. Tickets for the three newer events are non-refundable, so please check your travel dates carefully.
Several websites claim to be the official CAD ticket site and list slightly different prices; none are definitively from the CAD itself. Compare prices for the same ticket category and evening, check that the website specifies the venue (CAD Cultural Center Lanna, Mae On) and what's included, read the refund policy, and keep your confirmation. Resellers offering English-language support charge extra for this service.
The city festival is free. The candlelit procession, the Krathong float at the Nawarat Bridge, the ceremonies at the Three Kings Monument, and the grand Krathong procession on November 25th are all free of charge. The mass lantern ascents are private, ticketed events held outside the city.
The city festival is definitely worth a visit. This paid event lasts a full afternoon and evening and features a 30-minute lantern show, with prices ranging from 3,500 to 4,880 baht and up. So, if you're coming specifically for this event, it's certainly worth it. However, if you'd rather spend the night by the river, you can safely skip the festival.
Loy Krathong is the nationwide festival of floating krathongs, small, candlelit rafts. Yi Peng is the northern Lanna festival, celebrated on the same full moon and known for its sky lanterns (khom loi) and hanging lanterns. In Chiang Mai, both festivals are celebrated together.
Now. In 2025, the city's hotels anticipated 100% occupancy on festival evenings, with the Old Town and riverfront being the first to sell out. Plan your arrival for November 23rd and departure for November 26th to experience the full moon and the procession.
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