Do you want to learn more about the upcoming cultural festivals of Northern Thailand in 2025 and perhaps experience them for yourself? We’ll focus on the festivals that are unique to Northern Thailand and Chiang Mai.
Our list will include details of the festivals within a two-hour drive from Chiang Mai, so you can fly in to Chiang Mai Airport, have an easy drive to the festival, and spend a few days enjoying the colorful atmosphere. The festivals of the region will start in February with one of the most colorful and picturesque festivals happening in Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai is known as the “Rose of the North” by many Thais, and the city earns its nickname once a year when it hosts the spectacular Chiang Mai Flower Festival. The festival pulls out all the stops with parades through the streets, colorful street markets featuring the best Northern Thai cuisine, traditional and modern music and dance concerts, and an array of floral displays practically everywhere you look. It’s a stunning and family-friendly display of the culture of Northern Thailand. The festival first started in the 70s and has grown to attract people from all over the world who love the pageantry and beauty of the celebration. The festival is centered around Buak Hat Park in the Old Town area of the city, and once the festival starts, the road is closed to traffic for three days and becomes a walking street market. The festival kicks off on Friday, January 31, 2025, and lasts until midnight on February 2.
Mae Hong Son is the provincial capital of Mae Hong Son province, which borders Myanmar. Rugged mountains ring the picturesque town of 7,000 residents, and it's mainly occupied by members of the Shan tribe, or Tai Yi, as they are known locally. The Shan are mainly Buddhists and hold a spectacular three-day festival once a year to celebrate their “precious gems”, or Poy Sang Long, becoming novice monks.
The boys have their heads shaved, are adorned with makeup and colorful clothes, and carried wherever they go. They are paraded through town while the townspeople celebrate at the temples with music and dancing that lasts long into the night. This exotic Thailand festival in 2025 is expected to take place around the first weekend of April.
This unusual festival is a re-enactment of an ancient Buddhist story that tells of the wakening of ghosts by the cheering and celebrating of townspeople upon the return of Prince Vessandorn, an incarnation of the Lord Buddha.
Dan Sai, a small town in Loei province, is the site of the strange festival as Jao Paw Guan, a local headman and shaman, directs the townspeople to don brightly colored costumes and homemade masks to represent the ghosts wakened from their eternal sleep. The exact dates of the festival are also decided by the headman and aren't announced until shortly before the festival. It’s generally around the fourth lunar month, which occurs in June. For those able to experience the celebration of parades of strangely-dressed people, rockets and fireworks, it's something you’ll always remember.
The small town of Pai, northwest of Chiang Mai and popular with young people and backpackers, is set to become the site of the Pai Jazz and Blues Festival once again. This year, the event will take place from July 4 to 6. Jazz fans can expect to be entertained for free in the town's coffeehouses, bars, and restaurants during the festival.
This festival is well on its way to becoming a tradition in Northern Thailand as more bands and acts want to participate. As we get closer to July, watch for announcements of booked bands and acts.
The origins of this festival date back to the Lanna era of Northern Thailand and symbolize moving into a brighter future. Yi Peng marks the end of the rainy season and the brighter days of the cool season. Colorful lanterns are made and hung outside homes and temples. Sky lanterns are also released around the city.
The colorful festival is practiced all over Northern Thailand. However, the biggest celebration takes place in Chiang Mai, the historical seat of Lanna culture. The festival will be held on November 5-6, 20225
When you book a room at our resort near Tweechol Botanic Garden, you’ll get to enjoy the festivals of Chiang Mai and experience a part of Thailand that many people haven’t seen. Book a room at Horizon Village & Resort and explore the enchanting festivals of Northern Thailand.
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