10 Best Festivals in Laos (2027): Dates & Where to Go

The most famous festivals in Laos are Pi Mai, the Lao New Year (14 to 16 April 2027), the That Luang Festival in Vientiane (13 November 2027), and the end of Buddhist Lent in October, when Luang Prabang floats fire boats on the Mekong and Vientiane races long boats (15 and 16 October 2027). Most other festivals in Laos follow the lunar calendar, so their dates move each year. Built around temples, village life and the rice harvest, Lao festivals are the best way to see the culture from the inside. This guide covers the 10 best festivals, a month-by-month calendar and how to join in respectfully.

Here are all 10 at a glance:

Lunar festival dates are confirmed by the Lao government each year, so check them again before booking flights.

Which Lao Festival Suits You? A Quick Comparison

The biggest festivals feel very different from one another. Use this table to match a festival to your travel style:

Top 10 Best Festivals in Laos

Each festival below starts with what it is, then lists the dates, the best place to go, what you will see and the tips that make the day easier.

1. Pi Mai (Lao New Year) – Water Fights and Sacred Ceremonies

The biggest festival in Laos, Boun Pi Mai

Pi Mai is the biggest festival of the year and a 3-day public holiday. Lao people use water to wash away the bad luck of the old year and welcome the new one with prayers and family blessings. Luang Prabang is the most traditional place to celebrate; our Luang Prabang travel guide helps you choose where to stay.

• When: 14 to 16 April 2027. Pi Mai keeps the same dates every year.
• Where: Luang Prabang for ceremonies; Vientiane for the biggest street parties.
• What happens: day 1 ends the old year, day 2 is a day “in between”, and day 3 welcomes the new year. People gently pour scented water over Buddha images and the hands of elders, and families tie white strings around each other’s wrists in baci ceremonies.
• Don’t miss: the sacred Pha Bang Buddha image carried through Luang Prabang’s old town, the Miss New Year parade, and families building small sand stupas at temples.
• On the streets: a friendly nationwide water fight, with buckets, water guns and pick-up trucks full of soaked teenagers.
• Tip: put your phone and passport in a waterproof bag, and never splash monks or older people who are not joining in.
• Book ahead: hotels in Luang Prabang fill up months before.

>>> Make a trip of it: our Charm of Laos tour spends 4 days in and around Luang Prabang, including Kuang Si Falls and the Pak Ou Caves.

2. That Luang Festival (Vientiane) – The Country’s Holiest Celebration

That Luang Festival

The That Luang Festival is the most important religious festival in Laos. It takes place at Pha That Luang, the golden stupa that is the national symbol and appears on the country’s seal, and mixes deep devotion with a lively fair. Read why That Luang is unmissable.

• When: the full moon of the 12th lunar month: 24 November 2026 and 13 November 2027.
• Where: Pha That Luang, Vientiane.
• How long: the fair runs for about a week around the full moon.
• What happens: in the evenings before the full moon, candlelit processions circle the stupa. On the main morning, thousands of monks gather at dawn to receive alms of sticky rice, and wax-castle offerings decorated with flowers are paraded around the temple.
• Don’t miss: the fair, with food stalls, handicrafts and performances.
• Tip: arrive before 06:00 on the main day for the alms ceremony, and cover your shoulders and knees.
• Getting there: traffic around the stupa is heavy all week, so walk or take a tuk-tuk for the last stretch.

>>> Make a trip of it: our Vientiane tour covers Pha That Luang, Patuxay and Buddha Park in 4 days, an easy fit around the festival.

3. Lai Heua Fai (Luang Prabang) – Fire Boats on the Mekong

Lai Heua Fai, the festival of fire boats, when elaborately lit vessels shaped as naga serpents are floated down the Mekong to carry away misfortune.

Lai Heua Fai, the Fire Boat Festival, marks Boun Ok Phansa, the end of the 3-month Buddhist Lent. On this night, Luang Prabang glows with lanterns and floating candles, one of the most beautiful sights in South-East Asia. Discover more about Lai Heua Fai.

• When: expected on 15 October 2027.
• Where: Luang Prabang’s old town and the Mekong riverbank.
• Before dark: temples are hung with paper lanterns, and each village and temple shows off a large illuminated boat made of bamboo and paper, often in the shape of a naga, the river serpent of Lao legend.
• After dark: the boats are paraded through the old town to the sound of drums, then launched on the Mekong, followed by thousands of small banana-leaf boats carrying candles, incense and flowers for the river spirits.
• Where to watch: Sisavangvong Road early in the evening for the parade, then the riverbank for the launch.
• Join in: buy a small banana-leaf boat from a street vendor and release it at the river.
• Book ahead: rooms in Luang Prabang sell out around Boun Ok Phansa.

>>> Make a trip of it: our Laos highlights tour links Luang Prabang and Vientiane in 5 days, so you can catch Lai Heua Fai and the next day’s boat races. From $583 per person.

4. Boat Racing Festival (Vientiane) – Long Boats on the Mekong

The day after Boun Ok Phansa, Vientiane holds its famous boat races on the Mekong. It is the most sporty and social of the Lao festivals, and the whole city comes out for the day.

• When: expected on 16 October 2027.
• Where: the Mekong riverfront in central Vientiane.
• What happens: village teams paddle long, narrow wooden boats, some with dozens of rowers, to the steady beat of drums, while crowds cheer from the bank.
• Don’t miss: the food stalls, music and games along the riverside.
• Tip: the riverside promenade offers free views; go early for a spot in the shade.

>>> Make a trip of it: our Vientiane to Pakse tour starts in the capital and continues to the quiet south and the Mekong islands in 6 days.

5. Boun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival) – Asking the Sky for Rain

A rocket launch during Boun Bang Fai

Boun Bang Fai is the loudest and rowdiest of the traditional festivals in Laos. Before the rice-planting season, villages launch homemade bamboo rockets into the sky to ask the heavens for rain. See our Rocket Festival guide for where to watch.

• When: usually May or June; each village picks its own date.
• Where: villages in central and southern Laos.
• What happens: teams pack bamboo rockets with gunpowder and compete for the highest and longest flight. The losing teams are traditionally thrown into the mud.
• Atmosphere: music, dancing, colourful parades and plenty of rice whisky.
• Tip: ask locally for the date, and stand well back from the launch towers, as some rockets misfire.

6. Visakha Bousa – Buddha’s Birth, Enlightenment and Death

Visakha Bousa in Laos, when temples fill with candles, incense, and flower offerings to mark the birth, enlightenment, and passing of the Buddha.

Visakha Bousa honours the birth, enlightenment and passing of the Buddha, which tradition says all fell on the same day. It is one of the calmest and most moving festivals for visitors to join.

• When: the full moon of the 6th lunar month, expected on 20 May 2027.
• Where: temples nationwide; Luang Prabang’s temples are especially beautiful by candlelight.
• Morning: families bring offerings to the temples and listen to sermons.
• Evening: people walk 3 times around their temple holding candles, flowers and incense.
• Join in: visitors can quietly join the evening walk; dress modestly and follow the locals.

7. Boun Khao Phansa – The Start of Buddhist Lent

Monks begin their retreat on Khao Phansa Day

Boun Khao Phansa begins the 3-month rains retreat, when monks stay in their temples to study and meditate. It is a quiet, devotional day rather than a party, and a good chance to see everyday Lao Buddhist life up close.

• When: expected on 18 July 2027.
• Where: temples nationwide.
• What happens: families bring candles, robes and food to the temples, and many young men enter the monkhood for the season, a rite of passage in Lao families.
• Best time to go: early morning, when families bring their offerings.

8. Boun Khao Padap Din and Boun Khao Salak – Honouring the Dead

People making merit and offering food during Boun Khao Padap Din, the festival of the dead in Laos.

These 2 linked festivals honour the dead, especially spirits who have no one to care for them. Both are quiet, early-morning occasions, and the candlelit offerings in Luang Prabang are especially atmospheric.

• When: late August or early September for Boun Khao Padap Din; about 2 weeks later for Boun Khao Salak.
• Boun Khao Padap Din: before dawn, families wrap rice, fruit, sweets and betel in banana leaves and leave the small parcels in temple grounds.
• Boun Khao Salak: people bring offerings to the monks, which are shared out by drawing lots, so the merit is spread fairly.
• Tip: these are family rituals, so watch quietly from the side and keep your camera low.

9. Boun Pha Wet – Village Merit-Making

Monks gathered at a temple in Laos for Boun Pha Wet ceremonies.

Boun Pha Wet retells the story of Prince Vessantara, one of the Buddha’s past lives, who gave away everything he owned. It is a rural festival, best seen if you happen to pass through a village while it is on.

• When: usually February or March; dates vary by village.
• Where: village temples.
• What happens: monks chant the long story through the night, temple halls are decorated with banana leaves and paper flags, and families bring food and flowers.
• Atmosphere: sociable, with music, food and visiting relatives. Travellers who pass by are often welcomed.

10. Hmong New Year – Costumes, Ball Games and Top Spinning

Women dressed in traditional Hmong attire for New Year celebrations in Laos.

Hmong New Year is the most colourful festival in northern Laos. After the rice harvest, Hmong communities celebrate with several days of feasting, games and their finest embroidered costumes.

• When: usually December to January; dates vary by village.
• Where: Hmong villages around Luang Prabang and Phonsavan.
• Don’t miss: pov pob, a ball-tossing courtship game in which young people in embroidered costumes and silver jewellery throw a cloth ball back and forth.
• Also on: top-spinning contests, music and food stalls in the village grounds.
• Tip: ask locally a few weeks ahead to find out which villages celebrate and when.

>>> Make a trip of it: our Plain of Jars tour travels from Luang Prabang to Phonsavan in 3 days, through the Hmong heartland of Xieng Khouang.

Laos Festival Calendar by Month

Use this Laos festival calendar to see what is on during your travel month:

For the weather in each month, see our guide to the best time to visit Laos.

How to Enjoy Festivals in Laos Respectfully

Lao festivals are welcoming, but most are religious occasions first. These habits help you join in without causing offence:

• Book early for Pi Mai, That Luang and Ok Phansa: rooms in Luang Prabang and Vientiane sell out, and prices rise.
• Expect closures: banks, offices and some shops close on public holidays, so carry enough cash in kip.
• Dress for temples: most festivals centre on temples, so cover your shoulders and knees.
• Photograph with care: no flash during ceremonies, and ask before photographing monks or people praying.
• Follow the locals: watch how people give alms or circle the temple, and copy them quietly if you want to take part.
• Stay safe on the road: drink-driving rises during festivals, especially Pi Mai, so avoid riding a motorbike at night.

If you would like to plan around a festival, ask our team for confirmed dates and good-value rooms.

IDC Travel Laos Tours to Pair with a Festival

We can time these tours to match the festival you want to see:

• Classic Laos in 7 days: best for That Luang or Pi Mai. It travels from Vientiane via Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang, the 2 cities where the biggest festivals happen.
• Ethnic groups of northern Laos in 8 days: best for Hmong New Year. It visits Luang Prabang, Oudomxay and Luang Namtha, home to many of the north’s ethnic communities.
• Laos in 11 days: best for a longer trip. It runs from Luang Prabang to Champasak in the south, with time to catch a festival on the way.
• Northern Laos adventure in 14 days: best for rural festivals. It reaches the hill villages of Phongsaly, Muang Khua and Nong Khiaw.

Celebrate a Lao Festival with IDC Travel

Festivals in Laos are gentle, spiritual and welcoming, from candlelit walks around That Luang to fire boats drifting down the Mekong. Pick your festival, book early, and leave space in your plans for the unexpected invitations that come with them.

Ready to plan? Build your Laos festival trip with our local team, and we will handle the dates, rooms and guides.

Read more:

• Things to Know Before Visiting Laos
• Best Museums in Laos
• Useful Travel Apps in Laos