That Luang Stupa hosts festival from 21 to 24 November
Published on 11/07/2026 at 11:35 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSFestival programme and heritage setting
- Tourism Laos lists the festival and trade fair at the stupa from 21 to 24 November 2026.
- The programme includes wax-castle processions, alms-giving, Ti Khee and a candlelit procession.
- King Saysetthathirath built the present stupa in 1566, and its height is 45 metres.
- Vientiane Capital is the setting for Laos's most important national cultural monument.
That Luang Stupa (That Luang) in Vientiane will host the That Luang Festival and Trade Fair from 21 to 24 November 2026. The programme combines religious ceremonies, processions and public activity around Laos's most important national cultural monument.
The festival is a significant annual event in the capital, and its central ceremonies take place around the golden stupa. The dates place the programme within the full moon period of the Buddhist lunar calendar and give visitors from Western Europe a defined four-day window for the celebrations.
That Luang Festival brings processions to Vientiane
The festival begins on 21 November 2026, according to the published event listing from Mekong Tourism. The same listing identifies Vientiane Capital as the venue and gives 24 November 2026 as the final day.
A candlelit wax-castle procession traditionally starts at Vat Simeuang before continuing towards the stupa on the following afternoon. Participants carry flowers, candles, incense and decorated wax structures, while processions also include traditional music, dancing and Lao ethnic costumes.
The programme then turns to the main grounds. At dawn, monks from across Laos receive alms from worshippers gathered around the stupa. On the esplanade, the traditional game of Ti Khee is played with a ball and a long curved stick. The festival closes with another candlelit procession around the monument, while trade fairs, concerts and fun fairs take place around the esplanade.
A 1566 stupa at the centre of the festival
The connection between the festival and the monument is direct: the processions, alms-giving and Ti Khee all use the grounds around the stupa rather than a separate city venue. This places the religious programme alongside the building's three-level architectural form and its surrounding cloister.
The site was in use by 307 BC, according to Tourism Laos history. The present stupa was built in 1566 by King Saysetthathirath and restored in 1953. Tourism Laos records its height as 45 metres and describes it as the country's most important national cultural monument.
The monument's scale helps explain the festival's layout. Its central tower rises above the surrounding grounds, while the wider setting provides space for processions, offerings and the public programme. A UNESCO tentative-list description records a cloister measuring 85 metres on each side and a central structure about 54 metres wide.
Religious ceremonies shape the November programme
The event is not simply a market around a landmark. The wax-castle procession and morning alms-giving connect the movement of visitors through the grounds with Buddhist acts of offering and homage. The final candlelit circuit returns the focus to the stupa itself on the full moon period.
The published festival details describe the event as running from 21 to 24 November 2026. They also identify the trade fair, concerts and fun fairs as activities around the esplanade, separate from the ceremonies held at the monument.
Visiting That Luang Stupa: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The That Luang Festival and Trade Fair runs from 21 to 24 November 2026 at That Luang Stupa in Vientiane Capital.
- The programme includes a wax-castle procession, dawn alms-giving, Ti Khee and a final candlelit procession around the stupa.
- The venue is the grounds and esplanade of the monument in Vientiane, rather than a separate festival hall.
- The site includes a cloister measuring 85 metres on each side, with the 45-metre stupa at its centre.
- 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 Stupa on social platforms
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Frequently asked questions about That Luang Stupa
When does the That Luang Festival take place at That Luang Stupa?
The festival and trade fair run from 21 to 24 November 2026 in Vientiane Capital.
What is That Luang Stupa?
It is a 45-metre Buddhist stupa and Laos's most important national cultural monument. The present structure was built in 1566 and restored in 1953.
Where is That Luang Stupa and how do you get there?
The monument is in Vientiane Capital, Laos. The festival programme takes place around its grounds and esplanade.
