That Luang hosts its festival from 21 to 24 November

That Luang, the Buddhist stupa at the centre of Vientiane, is scheduled to host the That Luang Festival and Trade Fair from 21 to 24 November 2026. The programme is linked to the full moon in the Lao Buddhist calendar and will bring processions, religious ceremonies and cultural activities to the monument in Laos.

The festival is also known as Boun That Luang. Its local name is commonly written as That Luang, while the English description Great Stupa refers to the monument’s role as a major Buddhist sanctuary.

That Luang Festival and Trade Fair runs from 21 to 24 November

The published programme begins on 21 November 2026 and ends on 24 November 2026. The festival listing places the event in Vientiane Capital and identifies the stupa as a central venue.

The opening activities include a candlelit wax-castle procession from Wat Simeuang towards the stupa. The following programme includes almsgiving at dawn, when monks gather at the monument, followed by the traditional Ti Khee game on the esplanade. The event also includes trade-fair activity, concerts and fairground entertainment.

The November programme follows the stupa’s religious role

The festival connects directly with the architecture and religious use of the site. A procession carries flowers, candles, incense and decorated wax castles towards the stupa, while the almsgiving ceremony uses the grounds as a place of collective Buddhist observance.

The present structure was commissioned by King Setthathirath in 1566 after Vientiane became the capital of the Lan Xang kingdom. The gold-covered stupa rises about 45 m (148 ft) and stands inside a cloister measuring about 85 m (279 ft) on each side. A recent site description records the monument’s three-level form and its surrounding smaller stupas.

The event dates give the annual religious calendar a practical shape for visitors. Travellers arriving during the four-day programme will encounter a working festival setting rather than only the monument’s permanent architecture, with processions and ceremonies extending beyond the cloister.

Visiting That Luang: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The That Luang Festival and Trade Fair is scheduled at the monument and its surrounding grounds from 21 to 24 November 2026.
• The programme includes the procession, almsgiving, Ti Khee and cultural activities described for the festival period. These activities take place around the stupa and on its esplanade.
• That Luang is about 4 km (2.5 miles) north-east of central Vientiane, on Thanon That Luang. A tuk-tuk from the city centre is the transport option identified in the available site information.
• The central stupa is reached within a high-walled cloister, and the complex includes stairs, gates and narrow openings around the galleries. Visitors should expect a religious site rather than a level modern venue.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

Searching for That Luang on social platforms

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Frequently asked questions about That Luang

When does the That Luang Festival and Trade Fair take place?

The programme is scheduled from 21 to 24 November 2026 in Vientiane.

What is That Luang?

That Luang is a gold-covered Buddhist stupa commissioned in 1566 and surrounded by a cloister about 85 m (279 ft) on each side.

Where is That Luang and how do you get there?

The monument is about 4 km (2.5 miles) north-east of central Vientiane on Thanon That Luang, and tuk-tuks are identified as a transport option from the city centre.