Yi Peng and Loy Krathong 2026 in Chiang Mai with Kids

Every November, Chiang Mai celebrates two festivals at once. Loy Krathong, celebrated all over Thailand, is the night families float a krathong, a small raft of banana leaves, flowers, a candle and incense, on the river. Yi Peng is the Lanna version, celebrated in the north: temples and lanes fill with hanging lanterns and rows of small candles, and sky lanterns rise over the city.

In 2026 the city festival runs from Monday 23 to Wednesday 25 November. The full moon, and the main night for both festivals, is Tuesday 24 November. This guide covers what happens on each night, where to go with children, the 2026 rules on sky lanterns, and what the festival means if you are flying in from Bangkok.

What is new in 2026

The biggest change this year is the main venue. Chiang Mai Municipality has moved the centre of the festival from the square at Tha Phae Gate to the riverside park at Ton Lamyai Market, next to Warorot Market. Tha Phae Gate still has a light, sound and multimedia show on all three nights, and the big krathong procession still starts there.

At Ton Lamyai park, the three days include the opening ceremony, the Lanna lantern contest, cultural shows, and the Nu Noi Yi Peng contest for young children in traditional dress. The city had not published times for these events when we checked on 4 November, so check the Chiang Mai Municipality Facebook page closer to the date.

Night by night

20 to 23 November, Wat Chedi Luang. The temple in the middle of the old city holds its candle festival, with candle making, sword dancing and candle dances around the great chedi. On Monday 23 November a procession gathers on Ratchadamnoen Road behind Tha Phae Gate at 5pm, dancers perform at 5.30pm, and the procession reaches Wat Chedi Luang for the ceremony at 6pm. Candles are also lit at the four corners of the old city walls. It is usually the calmest of the three nights and the easiest one for small children.

Tuesday 24 November, the full moon. This is the night for floating your krathong, and the busiest night of the year in the old city and along the Ping River. Sky lanterns and fireworks are allowed from 7pm to 1am, so expect a lot of both.

Wednesday 25 November, the grand procession. Fifteen giant illuminated krathong floats compete for the Royal Cup on a route from Tha Phae Gate along Tha Phae Road to the Chiang Mai Municipality office by the river. The 2026 start time had not been announced when we checked. In 2025 it started at 6.30pm, so plan to be on Tha Phae Road with a spot on the pavement well before then.

All month, Wat Lok Molee. This old city temple hangs lanterns and lights candles through November, which makes it a good quiet alternative on an early evening before the crowds build.

Where to float a krathong with kids

The official place to float a krathong is the bank of the Ping River in front of the Chiang Mai Municipality office, where the city organises the main release. Families also float krathongs at temples and from riverside piers along the Ping. Vendors sell ready-made krathongs all over the old city in the days before the full moon, or you can make one together at home, which children usually enjoy more than buying one.

Choose a krathong made of banana trunk, banana leaves and flowers. Avoid foam, and skip the bread krathongs that are sold as eco-friendly: dumped in large numbers they rot in the water and have killed fish. Help small children down to the water's edge, because riverbanks and piers get slippery and very crowded on the full moon.

Sky lanterns: the 2026 rules

Sky lanterns are tightly controlled in Chiang Mai because the airport sits right next to the city. In 2026 the province allows sky lanterns and fireworks only on 24 and 25 November, from 7pm to 1am the following morning, and smoke lanterns only on the morning of 24 November, from 10am to noon. Anyone releasing lanterns needs a permit through the province's Bampen app, lanterns must meet the official standard and come down within seven minutes, and attaching firecrackers is banned. Releasing lanterns in the no-release zones around the airport is an offence.

For families, the simple answer is: do not release your own lantern in the city or near the airport. Watch the sky from the old city or the riverside, or book one of the ticketed lantern events held outside the city, where organisers have the permits.

Ticketed lantern releases outside the city

Seven ticketed mass lantern releases are listed for 24 and 25 November, in Mae On, Doi Saket, San Pa Tong, Mae Taeng, San Kamphaeng and Lamphun. The best known, the CAD Khomloy Sky Lanterns Festival at the CAD Cultural Center in Mae On, is about 30 km from the old city, with tickets from 4,900 to 15,900 baht per person in 2026. These are the events in the famous photos of thousands of lanterns rising at once.

They are spectacular, but think about your children before you book. They are long evenings with a drive at each end, tickets are expensive and sell out, and you are standing among thousands of lit lanterns. Check each event's age policy and child prices before paying, and buy only from the organiser's own website or a reseller it names. School-age children who can stay up late tend to love them. With toddlers, the free city celebrations are usually the better night out.

Flying in from Bangkok

If you are coming up from Bangkok, book flights early and check the times. To keep aircraft away from lanterns, Chiang Mai Airport cuts its operating day from 20 hours to 12 on the festival days, and airlines have been asked not to fly on 24 November from 10am to noon or on 24 and 25 November from 7pm to 1am. Between 21 and 28 November, 108 flights have been cancelled, 80 moved to new times and 105 extra flights added. The airport expects more than 200,000 lanterns. Hotels in the old city fill up early too.

Tips for going with children

On the full moon night, arrive in the old city or by the river before 6pm, because crowds build quickly after dark. Agree a meeting point, put your phone number on a wristband or in a pocket for younger children, and use a carrier rather than a stroller in the busiest streets.

Bring ear defenders for babies and toddlers, because fireworks and firecrackers go off all evening. Dress children in natural fabrics rather than synthetics, keep them away from lanterns being lit, and watch for lanterns coming down still burning. A small torch, wet wipes, water and mosquito repellent all help.

For a calmer evening, go on Monday 23 November for the candle procession at Wat Chedi Luang, or on the evening of the 25th for the grand procession, and float your krathong early on the 24th before the river gets crowded. On quieter days in between, our guide to things to do with kids in Chiang Mai has plenty of daytime ideas.