# Chiang Mai Events & Festivals | The Chiang Mai Brief > Chiang Mai URL: https://chiangmaibrief.com/events/ ![Paper lanterns rising over a Chiang Mai temple during Yi Peng](/images/misc/crowd-watching-paper-lanterns-float-upward-over-a-.webp) Events # Chiang Mai Events & Festivals Yi Peng, Loy Krathong, Songkran and the rest of the year — what happens when, and how to be in the right place for it. Browse this section [#categories →](#categories) All guides [/guide/ →](/guide/) Chiang Mai has a strong annual rhythm, and knowing it changes how you plan almost everything — when to visit, when to book months ahead, and when you can walk into anywhere you like. Our festivals and events calendar [/festivals-and-events-calendar/ →](/festivals-and-events-calendar/) hub covers the two festivals that define the year: the Yi Peng and Loy Krathong lantern festivals in November, and Songkran in April, which Chiang Mai does more intensely than anywhere else in Thailand. It also sets out the seasonal cycle — cool, hot, green and smoke seasons — so you can pick your window with your eyes open. Dated coverage of specific events lives in our News & Updates [/blog/ →](/blog/) feed rather than here, so this section stays useful year after year. If you want event dates as they're confirmed, the newsletter is the easiest way to get them. ![A krathong float held at the edge of the Ping River at night](/images/misc/krathong-float-of-banana-leaves-and-marigolds-with.webp) In this section ## Events: the categories Each of these is a hub page collecting our guides, background and recommendations on that topic. ![Paper lanterns rising into the night sky over Chiang Mai during Yi Peng](/images/misc/paper-lanterns-rising-into-the-night-sky-above-chi.webp) Popular ### Festivals & Events Calendar Festivals, seasonal highlights and the annual events cycle. [Festivals & Events Calendar →](/festivals-and-events-calendar/) Guides ## Start with these Festival guides and the seasonal framing that tells you when to come. All guides [/guide/ →](/guide/) How often ### Chiang Mai Seasons: When to Visit When to visit Chiang Mai — the cool, hot and green seasons, the burning-season caveat, and how festivals shape the best time to come. 6 min read [Chiang Mai Seasons: When to Visit →](/guide/chiang-mai-seasons-when-to-visit/) What to expect ### Songkran in Chiang Mai Guide A guide to Songkran in Chiang Mai — dates, the main water-fight zones around the moat, what to expect, safety and how to stay dry. 6 min read [Songkran in Chiang Mai Guide →](/guide/songkran-chiang-mai-guide/) What to expect ### Yi Peng & Loy Krathong Lantern Festival Guide A guide to Chiang Mai's Yi Peng and Loy Krathong lantern festivals — dates, where to watch, ticketed vs free events, etiquette and photography. 6 min read [Yi Peng & Loy Krathong Lantern Festival Guide →](/guide/yi-peng-loy-krathong-guide/) News & updates ## Recently in this section All news [/blog/ →](/blog/) ![Paper lanterns drifting up over Chiang Mai at night during Yi Peng](/images/featured/paper-lanterns-drifting-upward-over-chiang-mai-at-.webp) News ### Yi Peng & Loy Krathong 2026: Dates, Events and What to Know Chiang Mai's lantern festivals are approaching. Here are the 2026 dates, the main ticketed and free events, and practical tips for seeing them well. 7 Sept 2026 [Yi Peng & Loy Krathong 2026: Dates, Events and What to Know →](/blog/yi-peng-loy-krathong-2026-what-to-know/) Newsletter ## Get the Brief in your inbox Twice a month: new openings, events, changes worth knowing about, and our latest guides. No filler. You're on the list Check your inbox: the next Brief goes out within a fortnight. ![Evening view across Chiang Mai rooftops toward Doi Suthep](/images/misc/evening-view-over-chiang-mai-rooftops-with-doi-sut.webp) The Chiang Mai Brief ## Keep up with Chiang Mai Twice a month we send the openings, changes and guides worth knowing about. It takes two minutes to read. Subscribe to the Brief [/newsletter/ →](/newsletter/) Explore the Guides [/guide/ →](/guide/)