Imagine standing beneath a dark November sky in northern Thailand. Around you, candles flicker. Traditional Lanna music fills the air. Somewhere nearby, monks are chanting. Then, almost as if the entire crowd has taken the same breath, hundreds of flames appear above you.

One lantern rises. Then another. Then thousands.

Within minutes, the Chiang Mai sky is glowing with floating points of light, each one carrying a wish, a prayer or simply the hope of leaving something behind.

This is Yi Peng, Thailand’s famous lantern festival, and in 2026, one of Chiang Mai’s biggest ticketed celebrations, the Chiang Mai CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival, takes place on November 24 and 25 at the CAD Cultural Center Lanna in Mae On.

If you’ve ever seen those photographs of hundreds of glowing lanterns filling the sky above Thailand, this is the experience behind many of them.

And seeing it in person is something else entirely.

When Is Thailand’s Lantern Festival in 2026?

The 2026 Chiang Mai lantern celebrations take place around November 24 and 25, with the CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival running on both nights.

The CAD event is scheduled from approximately 1:30 PM to 9:30 PM on both days and is held at the CAD Cultural Center Lanna in Mae On District, east of Chiang Mai.

Both evenings follow essentially the same festival programme, so you don’t necessarily need to build your entire Thailand itinerary around one particular night

First, What Exactly Is Yi Peng?

The glowing lanterns are beautiful. But Yi Peng is much more than a spectacular photograph.

The festival comes from the Lanna cultural traditions of northern Thailand. During Yi Peng, lanterns are traditionally associated with devotion, wishes, letting go of negativity and welcoming good fortune.

The lanterns floating into the sky are known as khom loi, or sky lanterns.

And there is something wonderfully symbolic about watching one disappear into the darkness.

You light it. You let it go.

And then you watch it become one tiny light among thousands.

That feeling is part of what makes Yi Peng so memorable.

Yi Peng and Loy Krathong Are Not Quite the Same Thing

This is one of the easiest things to get confused about when planning a trip to Chiang Mai.

Yi Peng is the northern Thai lantern festival associated with the release of sky lanterns.

Loy Krathong is the festival of floating decorated baskets, or krathongs, onto waterways.

Because their dates coincide around the full moon, Chiang Mai often celebrates both at the same time.

So during your visit, you can experience two very different kinds of light.

One travels upwards.

The other floats away across the water.

What Happens at the CAD Khomloy Lantern Festival?

The CAD celebration is designed as a full cultural experience rather than simply a few minutes of lantern releasing.

Arrive in the afternoon and you’ll have time to explore the festival grounds, including cultural and craft areas, before the evening ceremony begins. Traditional performances, food and Lanna cultural experiences form part of the programme.

As evening arrives, the atmosphere changes.

The lights become softer.

The crowd gathers around the ceremony area.

Traditional performances and Buddhist rituals lead into the main event, with monks’ chanting and a candle ceremony before the lantern release.

Then comes the moment everyone has been waiting for.

The lantern release.

Thousands of lanterns are released together, creating that almost surreal image of a sky filled with warm, floating lights. The CAD programme also includes fireworks after the release.

For a few minutes, Chiang Mai doesn’t feel like a city at all.

It feels like you’re standing underneath a constellation that has somehow moved closer to earth.

Where Is the Chiang Mai Lantern Festival?

The CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival is held at the CAD Cultural Center Lanna, located in On Klang, Mae On District, Chiang Mai.

It’s outside central Chiang Mai, which means you’ll need to plan transportation rather than simply walking out of your hotel and joining the celebration.

Many ticket packages include round-trip transportation from designated meeting points in Chiang Mai.

This is one reason it’s worth organising your festival evening in advance.

Should You Choose November 24 or 25?

If you’re choosing between the two CAD nights, there isn’t really a wrong answer. The two nights offer the same core festival experience. But you can plan around your wider Chiang Mai itinerary.

November 24: A good option if you want to experience the opening night of the CAD celebration.

November 25: Useful if you want to spend November 24 exploring Chiang Mai’s traditional Loy Krathong celebrations before attending the CAD lantern release the following evening.

If you’re staying in Chiang Mai for several days, I’d actually recommend giving yourself enough time to experience both sides of the festival rather than treating the lantern release as a single evening event.

What Else Should You Do in Chiang Mai?

The lantern festival is the headline, but Chiang Mai deserves more than a flying visit.

• Spend some time wandering through the Old City, where temples, cafés and quiet lanes make it easy to slow down.
• Visit Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang.
• Spend an evening around the Ping River.
• Try northern Thai dishes such as khao soi, a rich curry noodle dish that is practically synonymous with Chiang Mai.
• And leave some room for simply getting lost in the city.

Because during Yi Peng, Chiang Mai itself becomes part of the experience.

Lanterns and decorations appear throughout the city, while candlelight and festival activity create a completely different atmosphere after dark.

A Few Things to Know Before You Go

Book your accommodation early

Chiang Mai becomes particularly popular around the festival period. If you know you’re going, don’t wait until November to start looking for a room.

Book your festival ticket separately

The mass lantern releases you see in photographs are generally associated with organised, ticketed events outside the city centre. The CAD Khomloy Festival is one of the major options.

Don’t assume the whole city works like the ticketed event

You can experience the wider Yi Peng and Loy Krathong atmosphere around Chiang Mai without attending a private lantern-release event. The two experiences are different.

Check transport arrangements carefully

The CAD venue is outside central Chiang Mai. If your ticket includes a shuttle, confirm the meeting point and departure time before festival day.

Bring your camera, but don’t spend the whole night behind it

This sounds obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to experience a bucket-list moment through a phone screen.

At least once, put the camera down.

Look up.

The Best Time to Visit Thailand for the Lantern Festival

If you’re travelling specifically for Yi Peng, November is the obvious choice.

You get the festival itself, cooler conditions compared with Thailand’s hotter months, and the chance to explore Chiang Mai during one of the most atmospheric periods of the year.

For travellers coming from India, this can also work beautifully as a longer Thailand trip rather than a festival-only holiday.

Spend a few days in Chiang Mai before heading south for beaches, islands or Bangkok. The festival becomes the highlight of the trip rather than the entire trip.

So, Is the Yi Peng Lantern Festival Worth It

If you’re wondering whether the photographs really capture Yi Peng, here’s the honest answer: they show you what it looks like, but they can’t quite show you what it feels like. Watching thousands of lanterns rise into the same night sky, while the noise around you seems to fade for a moment, is something else entirely. Everyone looks up, phones come down, and for a few minutes, the whole crowd is simply watching.

Each lantern carries its own wish, hope or meaning into the night. That’s what makes Yi Peng more than a beautiful stop on a Thailand itinerary. It’s the kind of travel experience you find yourself thinking about long after you’ve left Chiang Mai.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. When is the Thailand Lantern Festival in 2026?

The Chiang Mai CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival will take place on November 24 and 25, 2026, at the CAD Cultural Center Lanna.

2. Where is the Chiang Mai Lantern Festival held?

The CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival is held at the CAD Cultural Center Lanna in Mae On, outside central Chiang Mai.

3. What is the difference between Yi Peng and Loy Krathong?

Yi Peng is known for releasing sky lanterns into the air, while Loy Krathong involves floating decorated baskets on water. Both are celebrated around the same period in Chiang Mai.

4. Do I need a ticket to see the lantern release?

If you want to attend a large, organised lantern release such as the CAD Khomloy Festival, you generally need a ticket. Chiang Mai also has wider Yi Peng and Loy Krathong celebrations that can be experienced around the city.

5. How many days should I spend in Chiang Mai for the festival?

Plan for at least 3 to 4 days. This gives you time to explore Chiang Mai’s temples, markets, food and surrounding areas while keeping one evening free for the lantern festival.