Chiangmai CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival 2026

This is once in a lifetime experince! The massive release of the lanterns plus the fireworks moved me in tears! The food in the buffet are delicious. We were lucky enough that it didn't rain. Got a beautiful full moon.

such a macgical time. pick up from payap went fastand smooth since I got there at exactly 1pm. Not confusing and although lines are long it was moving fast (line dedicated for transfer to actual grounds) The experience itself was magical and truly one of a kind. Food offered was more than enough and very was also good. i was able to really exp their culture theu their food. overall I am satisfied and will definitely repeat my exp.

Had a wonderful experience. Was lucky to get on the shuttle from the meeting point to the event space quick enough. Very worth it. Tips will be to reach the meeting point early, and leave as early as you can to look for the shuttle back to the city. For us, the standard shuttle are all the way in the parking area. Walk far in enough and there will be drivers/staff standing beside the red songtheaws and shouting the drop off location (Maya mall / Night bazaar in our case).

Shuttles start at 1 PM, but I recommend arriving by 12 PM as it gets very crowded. The shuttle route isn't great and the lines are long. Once you arrive, there are some snacks you can queue for, but don't rush to line up right away. Take a walk around first, because the same snacks will be available later. Dinner will be divided into areas according to ticket price. If you can afford it, I recommend buying the most expensive ticket. Different areas will have different performances to watch. When releasing the sky lanterns, don't rush. Take photos of the fireworks and other people's lanterns first. Once you've taken enough photos, then you can start releasing your own. If you rush to release your own, the fireworks will be gone when you want to take pictures! The return route is also poorly designed, with no clear markings indicating which shuttle and return location is for each ticket price. The drivers only say where the bus is going, so you won't even realize if you get on a bus for a different ticket price. After boarding, we waited an hour before departing, and we didn't get back to the city until after 11 PM. Overall, it's a worthwhile experience, although there are some minor imperfections, I don't regret it!

The festival was super cool, and the food was amazingly delicious! 🌕✨ However, the pickup and drop-off shuttle service needs improvement — you really need a lot of patience for it. I hope that in future events, the organizers will have more time to prepare and address the issues that happened in this year’s festival.

Attending the Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai was magical. As thousands of lanterns floated into the night sky, carrying wishes and hopes, I felt a profound sense of peace and unity. The glowing lights against the stars created an unforgettable spectacle, reminding me of life’s fleeting beauty and shared dreams.

A very unforgettable experience! Had a lot of free snacks and dinner. Lots of enjoyable shows and activities. And of course, the lanters. Truly memorable and a once in a lifetime experience 🫶🏻

The CAD Lantern Festival was absolutely magical — easily one of the most breathtaking experiences in Chiang Mai. The moment we stepped in, the entire place felt surreal: thousands of lanterns glowing against the night sky, warm lights reflecting off the water, and a peaceful atmosphere that felt straight out of a dream. The organization was smooth from start to finish. Staff were helpful, everything was clearly guided, and the entire event felt safe and well-coordinated despite the huge crowd. Releasing the lanterns together was the highlight — such a beautiful, emotional moment. Watching hundreds of lanterns rise all at once was something I’ll never forget. The food stalls, cultural performances, and traditional touches added to the charm, making it more than just a lantern release — it felt like a celebration of Thai culture. Worth every second and every baht.

The shuttle bus 🚌 is extremely crowded, so be prepared. I had the standard plan, but all the chairs have stains, so please be careful. Be sure to check before you sit down! The fireworks display was amazing. It matched the lanterns and was very beautiful and impressive.

It was a very memorable first-time experience. Thousand of sky lanterns in the night sky is so magical. The venue feels like coachella. However, getting into the provided transportation is kinda messy and chaotic. It was hard for the team to control the volume of guests. The queue in taking the provided transportation was just crazy. Furthermore, we booked a VIP ticket and was thinking dinner will be served only to realize that the finger foods there were the food served for VIP tocket holders. Was expecting a buffet dinner. Despite the amazing experience, I would say that the price is super expensive. experience: It was awesome. location: It was 30 minutes away from Payap University which is the pick up point, but we travelled more than an hour because of the traffic. The transportation in general was chaotoc.