Every November, Chiang Mai’s skyline and rivers fill with light at the same time, and most visitors arrive not quite sure which part of that is Loy Krathong and which part is Yi Peng, or which parts cost money and which don’t. This guide sorts that out: what each tradition actually is, the real 2026 dates, where to watch for free, what the ticketed lantern-release events cost, and the safety and environmental issues worth knowing before you go.
Every date, price, and safety detail below is sourced from festival ticketing sites, Thai news coverage, and holiday-date references, all listed in the Sources section. Prices are in Thai baht (THB) with US dollars in parentheses, converted at ฿33 = US$1 (July 2026).
What’s the difference between Loy Krathong and Yi Peng?
Loy Krathong is the nationwide Thai festival. People float a small decorated basket, a krathong, traditionally made from a slice of banana tree trunk and folded banana leaves, topped with flowers, a candle, and incense, onto a river, canal, or pond. Lighting it and setting it adrift is a way of paying respect to the water spirits and symbolically letting go of anger and bad luck. This happens all over Thailand, not just Chiang Mai.
Yi Peng is a northern Thai (Lanna) tradition, centred on Chiang Mai, where people release paper sky lanterns called khom loi, lit by a small fuel cell that heats the air inside and sends the lantern drifting upward. The name roughly translates to “the full moon day of the second month” in the old Lanna lunar calendar, which runs on a different numbering than the central Thai calendar even though it lands on the same full moon.
In Chiang Mai the two traditions overlap on the same nights, which is why most people describe the whole thing as one event. If you’re picturing the postcard shot of thousands of glowing lanterns rising into a night sky together, that’s Yi Peng, and specifically the choreographed mass releases at ticketed private venues, not something that happens spontaneously around the Old City.
When is Loy Krathong and Yi Peng 2026?
November 24-25, 2026. Both festivals are set by the full moon of the 12th month in the Thai lunar calendar, so the date shifts on the Western calendar each year: it fell on November 5 in 2025 and is scheduled for November 13 in 2027, according to timeanddate.com’s holiday listings. Wikipedia’s Loy Krathong entry and multiple 2026 ticketing pages (for both the CAD Khomloy and Yee Peng Lanna International events) independently confirm the November 24-25, 2026 window, with November 24 typically treated as the main Loy Krathong date and celebrations continuing into the 25th.
Chiang Mai’s public celebrations (parades, riverside floating, temple ceremonies) generally run across both evenings, so plan for either night rather than assuming it’s a single-day event.
Where to experience it for free in Chiang Mai
You don’t need a ticket to take part in the atmosphere, only to see the choreographed mass sky-lantern release.
- Ping River, between the Iron Bridge and Nakorn Ping Bridge. The main spot for floating krathongs on the water, lined with vendors selling ready-made krathongs for roughly ฿20-30.
- Nawarat Bridge. One of the most popular riverside viewpoints and one of the most crowded; expect a crush of people and open flames at close quarters.
- Tha Phae Gate. Hosts a parade and stage performances in the early evening, with food vendors and a festival atmosphere that’s arguably the easiest entry point if you want people-watching over water-watching.
- The Old City moat. A walkable loop around the old city walls, candlelit at night, with krathongs floating in the moat itself. Good for a quieter wander away from the Ping River crowds.
- Temples, such as Wat Phan Tao, hold their own candlelit ceremonies that are calmer and less crowded than the riverside.
All of this is free beyond the cost of a krathong to float, and none of it requires booking ahead. If you want to check what else is happening around town that week, outthailand.com’s Chiang Mai events calendar and this weekend’s events list current listings rather than a static “best of” guide.
The paid, ticketed mass sky-lantern events
The postcard image of thousands of lanterns released together in one coordinated moment comes from private, ticketed venues outside Chiang Mai city, not the free riverside celebrations. This is largely because releasing sky lanterns inside city limits and near flight paths is restricted (more on that below), so the organised mass releases are licensed events held in open fields away from the city and the airport.
| Event | Approx. price (THB / USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival | ฿4,880-฿15,900 ($148-$482) across Standard to Elite tiers | The largest and best-known release, held in Mae On district; tickets include transport, a meal, two lanterns, and a krathong |
| Yee Peng Lanna International | roughly ฿4,800-฿12,500 ($145-$380) | Held near Mae Jo University; smaller and more ceremony-focused than CAD |
| Horizon Village / Moonlight Sky Lanterns and similar regional events | roughly ฿2,500-฿4,900 ($76-$148) | Budget-friendly alternatives with smaller crowds |
Prices are ranges compiled from official ticketing pages for the 2026 festival; exact tier pricing and inclusions vary by seating position (rear/standard vs. front-row/grandstand) and whether you arrange your own transport. See Sources.
A few practical notes on the paid events:
- Book early. Several ticket tiers for the 2026 CAD and Yee Peng Lanna International events were already listed as sold out on official ticketing pages well ahead of the festival. If a specific date or seating tier matters, don’t wait until you land.
- Tickets are typically non-refundable. Check the cancellation policy before paying, especially if your travel dates aren’t locked in yet.
- “Free entry” ages and seating vary by tier, and lower tiers often mean songthaew or shared bus transport rather than a private shuttle. Read the inclusions carefully rather than assuming all tiers are equal beyond seat position.
Safety and responsible celebrating
Aviation safety is the real reason lantern releases are restricted in the city. A lit sky lantern drifting into an aircraft’s flight path is a genuine hazard, not a theoretical one. Thai news coverage has reported Chiang Mai International Airport cancelling or rescheduling upward of 150 flights around recent Yi Peng festivals and imposing an evening flight curfew (until roughly 7pm) on the peak nights, alongside increased runway inspections to clear lantern debris. Authorities have also designated no-lantern and no-fireworks zones across multiple Chiang Mai districts, with penalties for illegal releases reported to include fines and potential jail time. If you’re flying in or out of Chiang Mai on November 24-25, 2026, check your flight status directly with your airline in the days before travel.
Fire and crowd safety matter at the free riverside spots too. Nawarat Bridge in particular gets dangerously crowded, with open flames (candles, incense, occasionally stray lanterns) in close quarters. Keep a hand free, watch your footing near the water’s edge, and don’t attempt to light or launch a sky lantern yourself within the city; beyond the legal risk, it’s genuinely unsafe in a dense crowd.
Krathong materials matter environmentally. City authorities elsewhere in Thailand, including Bangkok, have reported needing months to restore park ponds after bread and styrofoam krathongs polluted the water, and Thailand’s Pollution Control Department actively discourages both materials now. A banana-leaf-and-trunk krathong is fully biodegradable and the traditional choice; bread is genuinely edible fish food in a large flowing river but becomes water-fouling waste in a small pond if too many people do it at once. If you’re floating a krathong, buy a banana-leaf one from a street vendor rather than a styrofoam one, and stick to one krathong per group rather than one each.
Practical tips
- Expect serious crowds on both nights, especially around Tha Phae Gate and Nawarat Bridge. If you want a calmer experience, aim for a quieter moat-side stretch or a temple ceremony instead of the single most-photographed spot.
- Book accommodation early and slightly away from the river/gate area if you want to actually sleep; the closest hotels to the festival hubs are also the loudest. Our where to stay in Chiang Mai guide covers neighbourhood tradeoffs if you’re still choosing a base.
- If you’re combining the festival with a longer Chiang Mai stay, our cost of living guide and getting around Chiang Mai guide cover everyday budgeting and transport outside festival week.
- Traffic gets worse than usual around the Old City and river on the festival nights; walking or a scooter you already know how to park will usually beat a Grab stuck in festival traffic.
- Check outthailand.com’s community events and arts events listings for festival-week meetups, temple fairs, and cultural performances that pop up around Yi Peng and Loy Krathong beyond the two headline nights.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Loy Krathong: festival history, meaning, Loy Krathong vs. Yi Peng distinction, 2025-2027 dates
- Thai Holiday Guide: Yi Peng Lantern Festival 2026: 2026 dates, ticketed event pricing overview, free viewing spots, sky lantern ban details
- The Midnight Blue Elephant: Chiang Mai Lantern Festival 2026 Guide: 2026 dates, free viewing spots, CAD ticket pricing
- Chiang Mai à La Carte: The Loy Krathong Festival in Chiang Mai: free viewing locations, krathong details, safety notes on Nawarat Bridge crowding
- FaceTicket: CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival, 24-25 Nov 2026: official CAD ticket tiers and pricing
- Yipeng Lantern Festival: CAD Yi Peng Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival 2026: official ticket tiers, pricing, inclusions, sold-out tier status
- KKday: Yee Peng Lanna International 2026 Ticket: Yee Peng Lanna International venue and pricing
- Nation Thailand: Chiang Mai airport adjusts flight schedules for Yi Peng lantern festival: 2025 flight cancellation/rescheduling figures, evening flight curfew, passenger volume
- Bangkok Post: Safety restrictions on lantern flying during Yi Peng festival: no-lantern zones, penalties for illegal releases
- Nation Thailand: Bangkokians urged not to float bread or foam krathongs: environmental impact of bread/styrofoam krathongs, official recommendations
- timeanddate.com: Loi Krathong dates: 2025-2027 date listings confirming the lunar-calendar pattern