Everything you need to know about Northern Thailand's lantern festival — dates, etiquette, and where locals actually go.
What Yi Peng actually is
Yi Peng is the Lanna (Northern Thai) festival of lights, held on the full moon of the second Lanna month. In 2026 the main Yi Peng dates fall on November 24–25, with Loy Krathong on November 25. Releasing a khom loi (sky lantern) symbolizes letting go of misfortune; the photographs of a thousand lanterns rising at once come from this night.
The famous mass releases are mostly ticketed events outside the city. In Chiang Mai itself, the celebration is more scattered and, many would argue, more genuine: lanterns going up from riversides, temple courtyards strung with lights, and krathong floating down the Ping River.
Where locals go
Skip the expensive release events unless the iconic photo is the whole point. Instead, spend the evening around Nawarat Bridge and the Ping riverbank, where families release krathong, or in the old city's temples — Wat Phan Tao's lantern-lit courtyard is the most atmospheric spot in town.
Book accommodation months ahead; the city fills completely during festival week.
