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Festivals & Events Calendar
Festivals, seasonal highlights and the annual events cycle.
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.
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 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 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.
In this section
Events: the categories
Each of these is a hub page collecting our guides, background and recommendations on that topic.
Guides
Start with these
Festival guides and the seasonal framing that tells you when to come.
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
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
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
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