Hoi An Lantern Festival 2026 and 2027: every date and how to see it

The Hoi An Lantern Festival happens once a month, on the 14th night of the lunar calendar, when the old town switches off its electric lights and runs on lanterns and candles from about 6pm to 10pm. The next ones are Sunday 22 November and Tuesday 22 December 2026. Below is every date to the end of 2027, worked out from the Vietnamese lunar calendar, plus what to expect on the night and how to plan a trip around it.

When is the Hoi An Lantern Festival in 2026 and 2027?

The Hoi An Lantern Festival falls on the 14th day of each lunar month. The last two dates of 2026 are Sunday 22 November and Tuesday 22 December, and 2027 has twelve, starting on Thursday 21 January. We worked these out from the Vietnamese lunar calendar, which runs on Hanoi time and now and then lands a day away from the Chinese calendar that many websites copy. That's why you will sometimes see two different dates online for the same month.

The town can move a night for a big event or bad weather, so check with your hotel in the week you arrive. The good news is that the evening before and the evening after look almost as good, because the lanterns stay up and the moon is nearly full. If your dates miss the 14th by a day, you have not missed much.

What actually happens on lantern night?

From about 6pm, the shops, houses and street lamps in the old town centre switch off their electric lights, and the streets are lit only by silk lanterns, candles and the moon until around 10pm. It started in 1998 as a way to bring back the feel of the old trading port, and it has run every month since.

On a good night you'll find:

• Candle lanterns on the river. Children and old ladies sell small paper lanterns with a candle inside. You make a wish and set one on the Hoai River from the bank or from a boat.
• Bài chòi. A central Vietnamese folk game, part bingo and part sung poetry, with a caller in traditional dress. It is on UNESCO's list of intangible heritage, and it's the most local thing you'll see all evening.
• Old games in the street. Blindfolded pot-smashing, chess with people as pieces, and traditional music outside the assembly halls.
• Families at the altars. The 14th and 15th are days for offerings, so many houses burn incense at the family altar by the door. Walk past slowly and don't photograph people praying without asking.

How much does the Hoi An Lantern Festival cost?

Lantern night itself is free. What you pay for is the old town ticket, a boat and a lantern, which together come to well under 15 US dollars.

Prices on lantern night can creep up near the An Hoi bridge, so walk a minute upriver for a calmer boat. Carry small notes; our money guide explains cash and cards.

Where is the best place to watch?

The best views are from a boat on the Hoai River at dusk, or from the An Hoi side of the river looking back at the old town. The riverbank by the Japanese Covered Bridge is the most crowded spot and the most photographed.

• A boat between 5:30 and 6:30pm. You see the moment the lights go off, and the queue is still short.
• The An Hoi bank. Across the An Hoi footbridge, with the night market behind you and the whole old town reflected in the water.
• The quieter streets. Tran Phu and the lanes towards the Chinese assembly halls are calmer and still candlelit.
• A riverside table. Book a balcony restaurant on Bach Dang street for 6pm and watch the boats go by over dinner. Our food guide lists what to order: cao lau, white rose dumplings, com ga.

The things to do in Hoi An guide has the rest of the town, from basket boats to tailors, and our Hoi An or Da Nang post helps if you're deciding where to sleep.

Which lantern nights are the busiest?

Two nights a year are much bigger than the rest: the first full moon after Tet, on 19 and 20 February 2027, and Mid-Autumn, on 14 and 15 September 2027. On both, the old town fills with Vietnamese families as well as visitors, and the boats sell out by early evening.

The February night is a lovely way to see the end of the Tet season, and our Tet 2027 guide explains what is open in the days before it. Mid-Autumn is the children's festival, with star lanterns, lion dances and mooncakes everywhere. If you want either one, book your Hoi An hotel two to three months ahead.

Saturday and Sunday lantern nights, like 22 November 2026, 21 March 2027 and 17 July 2027, are busier than weekday ones because Da Nang locals drive down for the evening.

Is lantern night worth it in the rainy season?

From October to December Hoi An gets most of its year's rain, and November is the peak of the flood season. The festival still goes ahead in light rain, but boats stop when the river runs high, and in a flood the riverside streets are under water.

In late October and early November 2025, floods put the old town under water for days, and it only reopened to visitors once the water went down. That doesn't happen every year, but it happens often enough that you should keep your plans loose. If you're coming for 22 November 2026, book a hotel away from the river, check the forecast a few days before, and have a second evening in hand. Our guides to Vietnam in November and December cover the weather in detail.

From January to August, the weather is on your side. January is cool and quiet, February has the year's biggest lantern night, and March and April are warm and dry. See the best time to visit Vietnam for the whole year.

How do you plan a trip around the lantern festival?

Pick your lantern night from the table above, put two or three Hoi An nights around it, and fly into Da Nang, which is 40 minutes by car from the old town. Hoi An has no airport of its own; see Da Nang airport to Hoi An for the transfer.

A day that works well on the 14th:

• 6am: pickleball before the heat. See where to play in Hoi An and, 30 minutes up the road, in Da Nang.
• 9am: breakfast and a swim at An Bang beach.
• Midday: a long lunch and a rest in the hottest hours.
• 4pm: the old town by daylight, heritage houses on your ticket, a coffee.
• 5:30pm: a boat on the river as the lights go off, then dinner by the water.

If you'd like to make your own lantern, several workshops in town run one-hour classes, and you get to carry it on the night. For a longer stay on the central coast, our one week in Da Nang itinerary leaves room for a lantern night in Hoi An.

Tips for lantern night

• Eat early or book. Riverside restaurants fill by 6pm on the 14th.
• Watch your bag in the crowd at the An Hoi bridge, as you would in any busy place. Our safety guide has more.
• Bring a light layer from December to February. Evenings by the river can drop to 18 to 20°C.
• Turn your flash off. Lanterns photograph better without it, and the boat crews will thank you.
• Be kind with the candles. Set your lantern down gently and leave the retrieving to the boat crews, who collect them at the end of the night.

Lantern night is also a stop on our twelve-day Top to Bottom trip if you'd rather see the whole country.

Hoi An Lantern Festival: FAQ

When is the next Hoi An Lantern Festival?

The next lantern nights are Sunday 22 November 2026 and Tuesday 22 December 2026. In 2027 they fall on 21 January, 19 February, 21 March, 20 April, 19 May, 18 June, 17 July, 15 August, 14 September, 13 October, 11 November and 11 December.

Is the Hoi An Lantern Festival every night?

No. Lanterns hang in the old town every night of the year, but the festival itself happens once a month, on the 14th day of the lunar month, the night before the full moon. That is the night the electric lights go off and the folk games and music come out.

What time does the Hoi An Lantern Festival start?

The electric lights in the old town centre go off at around 6pm and stay off until about 10pm. Arrive by 5:30pm if you want a spot by the river or a boat before the queues build.

How much does the Hoi An Lantern Festival cost?

The night itself is free. Foreign visitors buy the old town ticket, 120,000 dong in 2026, which covers several heritage houses. A boat on the Hoai River costs about 150,000 to 200,000 dong per boat, and a floating candle lantern 20,000 to 40,000 dong.

Which lantern night is the biggest of the year?

The first full moon of the lunar year, around 19 and 20 February 2027, and Mid-Autumn, around 14 and 15 September 2027. Both draw much bigger crowds than an ordinary month, so book Hoi An hotels well ahead for those dates.

Is the lantern festival worth it in November or December?

It can be beautiful, but November is the peak of the flood season in Hoi An and December is still rainy. Boats stop running when the river is high. Go if your dates fit, but don't build the whole trip around one night in those months. Our November and December guides have the detail.

The bottom line

The Hoi An Lantern Festival is on the 14th night of every lunar month, and the next dates are 22 November and 22 December 2026, then 21 January and 19 February 2027. Pick a night between January and August for dry weather, book ahead for the first full moon in February and for Mid-Autumn in September, and keep a spare evening in the rainy months. Play in the morning, rest at midday, and be on the river by 5:30pm. For the rest of your time in town, read things to do in Hoi An and where to play in Hoi An.