TL;DR: The Full Moon Party happens monthly on Haad Rin Nok (Sunrise Beach), Koh Phangan, with confirmed 2026 dates of 31 July, 28 August, 26 September, 27 October, 24 November, 24 December and a New Year’s countdown party on 31 December, per the official fullmoonpartythailand.com calendar and cross-checked against fullmoonparty-thailand.com and thaiest.com. Entry is ฿200 (~US$6) cash at the gate for a wristband, with no online presale. Crowds typically run 5,000-30,000 people depending on the month, rising toward 30,000+ for the New Year’s edition, and rooms in Haad Rin routinely sell out or surge in price in the week around each party. Real risks include theft, drink tampering in shared bucket cocktails, fire-skipping-rope burns, rip currents when swimming drunk and drunk motorbike accidents on the roads into Haad Rin. All prices ฿33 = US$1 (July 2026).
If you’ve searched “Full Moon Party dates 2026,” you want one thing above everything else: the actual, verified calendar, not a guess calculated off a lunar chart. This guide gives you the confirmed remaining 2026 dates for Haad Rin, Koh Phangan, straight from the official party calendar and cross-checked against two independent sources, plus the entry fee, the venue, how to actually get there, and an honest rundown of the safety risks that come with a beach party that pulls in tens of thousands of people. Every date and figure below is checked against sources fetched in July 2026, listed at the end, and flagged where a date has already been shifted by organisers.
The confirmed 2026 Full Moon Party dates
The remaining 2026 dates are 31 July, 28 August, 26 September, 27 October, 24 November, 24 December and 31 December. These come from the official fullmoonpartythailand.com calendar and match the schedule published separately by fullmoonparty-thailand.com and thaiest.com, giving three-source agreement on every date below.
| Month | 2026 Date | Day | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| July | 31 July | Friday | Moved from the actual full moon (29 July), which fell on Asalha Bucha, a Buddhist holy day; 30 July is Buddhist Lent |
| August | 28 August | Friday | Falls on the actual full moon |
| September | 26 September | Saturday | Falls on the actual full moon |
| October | 27 October | Tuesday | Moved from 26 October, which coincides with the end of Buddhist Lent |
| November | 24 November | Tuesday | Falls on the actual full moon |
| December | 24 December | Thursday | Falls on the actual full moon; also close to Christmas Eve |
| December (NYE) | 31 December | Thursday | New Year’s countdown party; not tied to an astronomical full moon, always held on 31 December |
These are confirmed as of the sources fetched for this guide. Party dates can still shift by a day if the Haad Rin Business Association announces a further change closer to the date, particularly around Buddhist holy days, so check the official calendar or Out Thailand’s events page again shortly before you travel.
Where does the Full Moon Party actually happen?
The party takes place on Haad Rin Nok, also known as Sunrise Beach, on the eastern side of the Haad Rin peninsula at the southern tip of Koh Phangan. This is a separate stretch of sand from Haad Rin Nai (Sunset Beach) on the western side of the same small peninsula, which stays largely quiet even on party nights. Bars, sound stages and fire shows line the length of Haad Rin Nok and spill into the streets directly behind it, so almost everywhere within a few minutes’ walk of the beach is within the party footprint on the night.
How much does it cost to get in?
Entry is ฿200 (~US$6), paid in cash at the gate for a neon wristband, with no legitimate online presale. This isn’t a club cover charge in the usual sense; it’s a single entry collection managed through the Haad Rin Business Association that goes toward cleanup and infrastructure for the beach. Drinks, food and anything else you buy on the night are separate. Be wary of any site or agent offering to sell you a prepaid “Full Moon Party ticket” online, since the official mechanism is cash at the gate only.
How many people go?
Expect anywhere from around 5,000 to 30,000 people on a typical month, with the New Year’s edition pulling the biggest crowd of the year. Wikipedia and multiple 2026 operator guides put the range at roughly 5,000-30,000 depending on season and month, climbing higher during peak travel periods (December-April) and at the 31 December countdown party. That scale is the whole appeal for some travellers and the whole problem for others: expect a genuinely packed beach, long queues at the busier bars, and stretched local toilets and medical services at peak hours.
How do you get to Haad Rin for the party?
From Koh Samui, the direct Haad Rin Queen ferry lands right at the party beach; every other ferry lands across the island at Thong Sala and needs a taxi on top. The Haad Rin Queen runs straight from Koh Samui’s Bang Rak pier to Haad Rin, so there’s no onward transport needed. Seatran and Lomprayah both run faster, more frequent services from Koh Samui, but they dock at Thong Sala on the other side of Koh Phangan, meaning a shared songthaew (roughly ฿150-200 per person) or a private taxi (roughly ฿500-800) for the roughly 30-minute run over to Haad Rin. If you’re already based on Koh Phangan, songthaews run from Thong Sala and other beaches into Haad Rin all evening on party nights, though they thin out and prices tend to rise as the night goes on. For the ferry options in more depth, see getting from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan.
Do you need to book accommodation early?
Yes. Rooms in Haad Rin routinely sell out or jump in price in the days around each party date, so most 2026 guides recommend booking one to two weeks ahead, more for New Year’s. Staying inside Haad Rin itself, rather than commuting in from elsewhere on the island, means you can walk home when the party winds down around sunrise instead of hunting for a taxi at 6am, which matters given the drunk-driving risk on the roads out of town covered below. If Haad Rin is fully booked, nearby areas further up the east coast are a workable fallback with a short songthaew ride in; see where to stay on Koh Phangan for a wider rundown of the island’s areas.
Safety
The Full Moon Party’s real risks are theft, drink tampering, fire-rope burns, rip currents and drunk motorbike accidents, and the official safety guidance addresses all five directly. Thefts and pickpocketing are common in the crowds and during break-ins at accommodation while guests are out at the party, so leave your passport locked up and carry only what cash you need for the night. Bucket cocktails are the party’s signature drink, but buy only sealed bottles where you can, watch your drink being poured, and never leave one unattended, since drink tampering and counterfeit alcohol are recurring warnings from the official party site. The fire-skipping-rope games staged on the sand look like a rite of passage but cause burn injuries every year; watching from a safe distance is the sensible call. Swimming while drunk is specifically flagged as dangerous given rip currents in the bay, and the roads in and out of Haad Rin are described by organisers themselves as “notoriously dangerous especially around the Full Moon Party,” making a taxi a much safer choice than a motorbike after drinking. None of this makes the party unique among big beach events, but the combination of scale, alcohol and an all-night format raises the odds compared with an ordinary night out, and it’s worth reading properly rather than skimming.
Honest downsides
The Full Moon Party earns both its fame and its reputation for chaos, so go in with clear eyes.
- It’s genuinely crowded and can feel overwhelming. With 5,000-30,000 people funnelled onto one beach, expect queues, packed sand and limited personal space at peak hours.
- Theft is a real, common risk, not a scare story. Pickpocketing in the crowd and break-ins at accommodation while you’re out are both flagged directly by the party’s own safety page.
- The road risk is serious. Organisers themselves warn the roads around Haad Rin are especially dangerous on party nights; skip the motorbike if you’ve been drinking.
- Drink safety needs real attention. Bucket cocktails vary wildly in quality, and tampered or counterfeit alcohol is a documented concern, so sealed drinks and watching the pour matter more than they would at a normal bar.
- Dates can still move. Two of the 2026 dates already shifted around Buddhist holy days; treat the table above as the current confirmed schedule and re-check close to travel.
- It’s not a quiet island experience. If you want the calmer side of Koh Phangan, plan your trip around the party dates rather than into them; see things to do on Koh Phangan for options beyond Haad Rin.
Bottom line
The 2026 Full Moon Party calendar is confirmed through 24 December plus the 31 December New Year’s edition, with two dates already nudged by a day for Buddhist holy days, so check the official calendar again close to your trip rather than trusting a date memorised months out. Budget ฿200 cash for entry, book your Haad Rin room at least a week or two ahead, and take the safety warnings on drinks, theft, fire ropes, swimming and motorbikes seriously rather than as boilerplate. For the rest of the island beyond party night, see Koh Phangan’s beaches and check Out Thailand’s events page for the current live schedule, since organisers can and do adjust dates.
Sources
- Official Full Moon Party: Upcoming Event Dates: confirmed 2026 date list, day-of-week, entry fee (฿200 cash, gate only, no online presale)
- Fullmoon Party Thailand: Full Moon Party Schedule 2026: cross-check of all 2026 dates, notes on Asalha Bucha and Buddhist Lent date shifts
- Thaiest: Full Moon Party Thailand 2026 Dates: third independent cross-check of the full 2026 date list
- Fullmoon Party Thailand: Travel Info: Haad Rin Queen direct ferry, Seatran/Lomprayah to Thong Sala, songthaew and taxi fares to Haad Rin
- Official Full Moon Party: Safety: theft/pickpocketing, drink safety, swimming while drunk, dangerous roads warning, emergency contacts
- Wikipedia: Full Moon Party: venue naming (Haad Rin Nok/Sunrise Beach), attendance range (5,000-30,000), fire-skipping-rope and assault/robbery risks