18 Unmissable Festivals & Holidays in Laos

The agricultural seasons in Laos play a critical role  with Lao people totally reliant upon nature and the weather as to whether they receive a good harvest or not.  Boun Khoun Khao (also transliterated Boun Khun Khao) or the Rice Festival, occurs immediately after rice harvesting.  The festival is held in order to show appreciation to the spirit of the land for the new harvest and to ensure future harvests will also be successful.

The celebrations usually involve farmers bringing sheaves of rice to the temple and attending a baci ceremony where village elders give blessings for good health and future plentiful rice harvests.  Following the baci ceremony, there is much eating and drinking in order to give thanks for the plentiful rice harvest.   

• Where: Vientiane Province
• When: late January to early February

Boun Phavet is a religious festival which takes place over three days and three nights.  The faithful head to the local temple to listen to the jataka or story of Lord Buddha as Prince Vestsantara.  Monks read aloud from the Phavet and devotees recite sections of the tale along with the monks.

Boun Phavet is also a particularly auspicious time for men to be ordained as monks into the temple and it’s a popular time to seek the guidance of fortunetellers to receive favourable dates for weddings and major events.

• Where: Nationwide
• When: No fixed date.  Usually held during the 4th month of the Buddhist calendar, but the celebrations are staggered between different villages to avoid overlap.

An annual festival held during the 3rd full moon of the lunar calendar, which usually occurs in late January or early February (in 2020 it will fall on 8 February).  The Wat Phou Festival takes place within the grounds of the UNESCO listed 5th century ruins of Wat Phou in Champasak.

This enchanting festival is part of the Makha Bouxa (Makhaboucha) Buddhist Festival and includes three days and three nights of religious chanting, praying and processions.  Festivities also include traditional dancing and sporting competitions such as volleyball and petanque.

Worshippers light candles around the base of the temple ruins and a highlight of the Wat Phou Festival is worshipers circling the main temple bearing candles.

• Where: Wat Phou, Champasak
• When: Late January/Early February

Here is everything about Wat Phou Festival

The Sayaboury Elephant Festival (also known as the Elephant Festival Laos) celebrates the long history and cultural significance of elephants in Laos.  Held over two days during mid-February in a small town in Sayaboury province in western Laos, the festival aims to heighten awareness of the endangered status of the Asian elephant.

Over fifty elephants gather in the town, along with their mahouts, where they are first blessed by monks before being paraded through town. Whilst celebrating everything elephantine, the Sayaboury Elephant Festival highlights the need to protect these majestic animals, their natural habitat and the continuation of the traditional mahout lifestyle.  Most of the elephants taking part in the festival are either former working elephants or partly domesticated.  No inhumane training or tactics are practised at the festival.

Visitors can watch outdoor screenings of different documentary films on, you guessed it, elephants, or enjoy one of the several live Lao traditional music and dancing shows. The town streets are also lined with the omnipresent Lao handicraft and food stalls.  If you wish to attend the Sayaboury Elephant Festival be sure to book accommodation in advance as the small town quickly fills up.

• Where: Sayaboury Province
• When: Mid February

Here is everything about Sayaboury Elephant Festival

Lao New Year celebration, or Lao Pi Mai, is celebrated in mid-April before the start of rainy season.  One of the biggest and most important celebrations in the Lao calendar, festivities last for three days (and sometimes longer)!

Similar to Songkran in Thailand, Lao Pi Mai seems on the surface to be simply a huge water fight, but it is actually a deeply religious time based on traditional beliefs and religious rituals.  Water is used in cleansing and blessing ceremonies to wash away any past misdeeds or bad luck in order to pave the way for a healthy, prosperous new year.

The Lao New Year festival is made up of three distinct days, with the first day being the last day of the old year.  This is the day when people wash their houses from top to bottom and cleanse Buddha images with sacred water. Families gather together with the younger members pouring perfumed water on the hands and feet of their elders in order to give and receive blessings.

This is the day when water is usually poured or splashed on others in order to cleanse them of any bad luck and to bring good luck for the new year.  Coinciding with the hottest time of the year, it is usual to take to the streets armed with water guns and buckets filled with water to splash on any friends and passers-by. In Vientiane, groups of youths pile into the back of pick-up trucks armed with water guns and small swimming pools so they can quickly refill.

The second day of this Laos festival is the “day of no day” since it is a day that neither belongs to the old year nor the new year.  No-one is allowed to work or even sleep on this day of limbo lest bad luck befall you.  This a day for families to visit the temple in order to cleanse important Buddha images.

The third and last day of Pi Mai marks the beginning of the new year.  It is a day for families to be together and ask for forgiveness.  Lao families will perform takbat (the offering of food to monks) and many will attend Baci ceremonies to receive blessings.

Whilst Pi Mai Lao occurs right throughout Laos, the most elaborate celebrations are held in Luang Prabang, with a colourful procession, a Miss New Year pageant, sand-stupa competitions on the Mekong riverbank and plenty of cultural singing and dancing.  Keep an eye out for a full listing of Pi Mai events by checking the Luang Prabang Tourism Website.

No matter if you’re in Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Pakse or somewhere in between, for three days be prepared to get wet wherever you go.  Make sure you waterproof your phone, camera and valuables, grab yourself a Hawaiian shirt and water-gun and join in!

A word of warning:  avoid riding a motorcycle and traveling on roads during Lao Pi Mai as drunk driving is a huge issue during this time.  Additionally, if you are not a confident driver, having a massive bucket of water hurled at you could easily knock you off your bike.

• Where: Nationwide with Vientiane Capital and Luang Prabang holding the most elaborate celebrations.
• When: 13-15 April 2020

Here is everything about Boun Pimai - Laos New Year

Held in mid-May, just before the start of the rainy season, Boun Bang Fai, or rocket festival, is an ancient fertility and rainmaking festival.  The festival involves villagers launching home-made rockets into the sky in order to ask the spirits to end the dry season and bring on the rain.

The day is one of total anarchy with many taking part in the comic art known as mor lam.  You’ll see men dressed as women, huge wooden penises being paraded around and many showing their team affiliations by painting themselves in bright colours or dressing alike.

A Lao rocket festival is hot, noisy and crowded and involves lots of BeerLao and traditional Lao food.  Boun Bang Fai is a wild and carefree festival that usually begins mid-morning and gets progressively more boisterous as the beer and rockets flow freely.  During a Lao Rocket Festival, be warned that there is absolutely no concern for health and safety – so keep your wits about you.

Traditionally rockets (bang fai) were made by stuffing gunpowder into lengths of bamboo, but these days, it is more common to see pvc piping used as the rocket vessel.  Rockets vary in size from small bang fai carried by children to the extremely large and scary Hang or Meun-saen (the rocket used to carry prayers to the rain god).

Rockets are fired from one of several launch-pads, depending on their size.  There are categories and prizes awarded for different types of rockets including the highest flyer, the most beautifully decorated rocket and the most entertaining team.  Any rocket that fails to launch or misfires, results in its team-members being thrown in the mud.

Rocket Festivals can be found throughout Laos but are usually located in small villages on the outskirts of towns.  In Vientiane Capital, Boun Bang Fai takes place in the villages of Nason, Natham, Thongmang and Pakhanhoung whilst Vang Vieng hosts a large rocket festival on the banks of the Nam Song River.

• Where: Nationwide with Vang Vieng holding the largest Rocket Festival
• When: Mid to late May

Held on the full moon of the 8th lunar month, Boun Khao Phansa marks the beginning of Buddhist Lent and the start of the rainy season in Laos. This festival signals the three-month period of Buddhist Lent where monks remain inside the temple in order to meditate and study. The legend behind Boun Khao Phansa involves curtailing the wanderings of monks during rainy season so that they do not tread on the delicate new rice shoots and spoil the upcoming harvest.

During this period, monks are unable to travel and it is a time when many man are traditionally ordained into the temple. Weddings cannot take place and faithful laypeople donate food and offerings to monks within the temple.

On the morning of Boun Khao Phansa, Buddhists will get up early in order to visit the temple and make offerings to the monks. On the night of Boun Khao Phansa, the faithful will again visit the temple to sit and listen to the monks recite the teachings of Buddha before participating in a candlelight procession (vien thien) around the wat.

Khao Phansa begins on the full moon in July and then ends three months later on the full moon in October, which is known as Awk Phansa.

• Where: At temples throughout the nation
• When: Held on the full moon in July each year (the 2020 date is July 6)

Here is more detail about Boun Khao Phansa

Boun Haw Khao Padap Din, or Day of the Dead, is celebrated on the 15th day of the waning moon in August each year. During this festival, Lao people make special offerings to deceased family members and ancestors. It’s a time to remember the dead, not only one’s own ancestors, but also those spirits who have no family to remember them.

Families prepare haw or small wrapped packets that include gifts for the deceased such as sticky rice, fruit, salt, chillies, cigarettes and money – all the little treats a spirit may have been longing for. With padap meaning to decorate and din meaning dirt, Boun Haw Khao Padab Din literally means to decorate the earth with small packets.

Early in the morning of Haw Khao Padap Din, the little packets are placed around houses, entranceways and temples. At around 4am, under the cover of darkness, monks invoke the spirits of the deceased to return to the human realm where they are able to retrieve the offerings put out by family members.

Later in the morning, at around 7am, the faithful visit the temple to perform takbat and give offerings to the monks. On the evening of Boun Haw Khao Padap Din, Buddhists attend a candelight procession around their local neighbourhood temple.

• Where: Temples throughout the nation
• When: held on the waning moon in August each year (the 2020 date is August 18)

Boun Suang Heau, or Boat Racing Festival occurs at slightly different times of the year, depending on the region. The first boat racing festival of the year is held in Luang Prabang during the new moon of the ninth Buddhist lunar month, which usually falls in late August or early September each year.

Boun Souang Heua pays homage to the naga, a mythical water serpent. By participating in boat races, Lao people believe they are tempting the naga out of the flooded rice paddies and back into the Mekong River before harvest time.

Each village in the region will practice for weeks before putting forward a team to compete in Boun Souang Heua. Each boat is kept in honour at the local wat and is only brought out once a year in order to participate in this ancient ritual. There is much excitement and huge crowds gather to cheer on this beloved sporting event.

In Luang Prabang, the festival is held on Boun Khao Padapdin, whilst in Vientiane Capital and Pakse, boat racing is held the day following the End of Buddhist Lent.

• Where: Nam Khan River, Luang Prabang
• When: September each year

Here is everything about Boat Racing Festival in Luang Prabang

Held on the full moon in September each year, Boun Haw Khao Salak, or Ancestor Festival, is a day to remember the deceased and takes place exactly 15 days after Boun Haw Khao Padap Din (Day of the Dead). During this celebration, Lao people head to their local wat to give offerings to the monks on behalf of their deceased ancestors.

A gift basket is prepared, full of food and any useful items that the deceased may need in the afterlife. The items can include anything from soap and toothpaste through to cigarettes and a favourite drink. The family write the name of the deceased person they wish to honour on a piece of paper called a salak. The gift basket and salak is then taken to the local wat and passed on to a monk who reads aloud the person’s name, thereby transferring the gifts into the afterlife.  

Lao also bring gifts such as food and money for the deceased who have no living relatives to remember them. By doing this, all spirits are able to rest peacefully and not bother those still on earth.

Later in the evening of Boun Haw Khao Salak, devotees attend the wat to listen to monks read from Buddhist texts before participating in a vien thien (candlelight procession). Lay people follow the monks in a procession three times clockwise around the sim before placing their candles and flowers in the grounds of the wat. In Vientiane, try visiting Wat Ong Teu to witness Boun Haw Khao Salak.

• Where: At temples throughout the nation
• When: On the full moon in September each year

Boun Awk Phansa (also transliterated as Boun Ock Phansa and Boun Ok Phansa) is held on the full moon in October each year. This festival signals the end of Buddhist Lent and the three months rainy season which began on Boun Khao Phansa. It also coincides with Boun Suang Heua (dragon boat racing in Vientiane) and Boun Lai Heau Fai (Festival of the Boats of Light) in Luang Prabang. Boun Awk Phansa is often referred to as the “Festival of Lights” as the highlight is floating decorated boats of light on rivers throughout Laos.

The Boun Awk Phansa festival typically begins with locals heading to the wat to participate in an early morning alms giving ceremony where offerings of food and rice are presented to the monks. In the evening, families and young couples gather together to light candles which they place around the temple.

In riverside cities such as Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, Pakse and Champasak, small decorated “boats” are set afloat on waterways. The little boats, or krathong, are made from rounds of a banana tree covered with flowers, incense and candles.

The beautiful ceremony of setting these little banana-leaf boats free on the river is known as Lai Heua Fai (literally “boats of light”). The act of sending one’s krathong down the river is to honour of the naga spirit and to send away any illness or bad luck.

The end of Buddhist Lent signals that monks may once again begin to roam freely outside their respective temples. It also signals the final boat racing festival held in Vientiane Capital. 

• Where: At temples nationwide
• When: On the full moon in October each year (the 2020 date will be October 1)

Here is everything about Boun Awk Phansa

Boun Lai Heua Fai, or the Festival of Floating Boats of Light, is held on the evening of Boun Awk Phansa (End of Buddhist Lent). Each family and couple will make a small “boat” made from the round of a banana tree trunk and decorated with flowers, incense and candles. The small boats or Lai Heau Fai (literally “floating boat of light”) are set afloat on waterways in riverside cities and towns. In Vientiane, Boun Lai Heau Fai is celebrated on the eve of Boun Awk Phansa, whilst in Luang Prabang, Boun Lai Heau Fai is celebrated on the evening following Boun Awk Phansa.

Lai Heua Fai in Luang Prabang is particularly spectacular with huge paper lanterns adorning wats (temples), houses and shops throughout the city. On the evening following Boun Awk Phansa, Luang Prabang holds a stunning parade of enormous paper boats aglow with shimmering candles.

The boats are carried through the town centre to the historic Wat Xiengthong where the most beautiful are awarded prestigious prizes. From here the boats are taken down to the river and launched one by one onto the Mekong River. With the huge floating boats and the small candle-lit krathong, the river shimmers like a sea of lights.

• Where: Riverside towns such as Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Pakse and Savannahket
• When: On the full moon in October each year (the 2020 date will be October 2)

Here is the detail about Boun Lai Heua Fai - Luang Prabang Festival of Light

In Vientiane, the end of Buddhist Lent signals the start of the hugely popular Boun Souang Heua or Vientiane Boat Racing Festival. On the day following Boun Awk Phansa and Boun Lai Heua Fai, Vientiane Capital virtually shuts down as the whole town heads to the river to watch the exciting boat races on the Mekong River.

Villagers travel from all over Vientiane Province to witness the boat races which are the largest and most spectacular in Laos with teams participating from throughout Laos and neighbouring Thailand. The boat races take place on the Mekong River, usually along Fa Ngum Road, which runs parallel to the river.

Races begin in the morning with the smaller boats and women’s teams before building up to the massive crews of the larger dragon boats of the finale. Two boats compete at a time with the loser being eliminated. The races are televised with the winner receiving huge accolades as well as a large silver trophy.

A public holiday in Vientiane, the event has a carnival-like feel with riverside streets being closed off as food stalls and pop-up vendors sell all manner of goods. With an old-fashioned fun-fair complete with ferris-wheel, balloon-pop and bumper-car rides, the fun continues late into the night.

• Where: Fa Ngum Road, Vientiane
• When: The day following Boun Awk Phansa

Here is everything about Boat Racing Festival in Vientiane

The people of Laos hold an ancient belief in the elusive Naga Fireball. It has been said that once a year, on the eve of Boun Awk Phansa, huge fireballs erupt out of the Mekong River, lighting up the sky. The strange phenomenon of bright glowing orbs shooting up from the river before quickly disappearing has been attributed to the mythical phaya naga, or giant water serpent that dwells within the Mekong River.

According to legend, the fireballs are the fiery breath of the Naga serpent, the guardian of the Mekong River and protector of the capital city of Vientiane. Once a year, at the end of Buddhist Lent, the powerful serpent awakens and for a fleeting few moments, breathes huge round orbs into the night sky.

The phenomenon of the Naga Fireball is hugely popular in Laos and considered a time of celebration with crowds gathering at certain spots along the Mekong River to witness the event. Locals celebrate with much eating, drinking and merriment and, if a fireball is seen, is welcomed with a massive roar.

The best place to witness the Naga Fireball Festival is where the Nam Ngum River meets the Mekong in Ban Hai, Bolikhamxay Province. It is also possible to look for fireballs along the Mekong River in Vientiane Capital and the border town of Nong Khai, Thailand.

• Where: Ban Hai, Bolixamxay Province
• When: The eve of Boun Awk Phansa

Located in Vientiane, the Pha That Luang, or “Great Stupa”, is one of the most important cultural and religious monuments in the country. Built in the 16th century, this massive golden stupa is believed to contain the breastbone of Buddha and is therefore sacred to all Buddhists in the country. It is so sacred, that it even has its own festival devoted solely to it!

Boun That Luang, or the That Luang Festival, occurs over three days during the December full moon. Thousands of monks travel from all over Laos to gather at the That Luang stupa where lay-people give alms and participate in a massive blessing ceremony. Visitors are welcome to attend the ceremony and join in on the many activities that take place.

The festival begins with a colourful, noisy parade from Wat Simueang all the way down Lane Xang Avenue to That Luang. People wear traditional Lao clothing and carry Phasat Phueng, or colourful wax castles, which are carried three times around the stupa before being left at the shrine.

The second day sees an even bigger procession with elaborate Phasat Pheung being commissioned by families, businesses and entire villages. The phasat are again carried three times around the sim before being offered to the temple.

On the third and final day of the festival, thousands gather at the That Luang cloister for an enormous group takbat or almsgiving ceremony. Lay people sit outside the stupa and listen to the prayers which are broadcast via loudspeaker before enjoying a family picnic in the nearby gardens.

Here is everything about Boun That Luang

Lao National Day celebrates the establishment in 1975 of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Although this holiday is celebrated nationwide, the biggest festivities can be seen in Luang Prabang and Vientiane with speeches, parades and national flags being flown everywhere you go.

• Where: Nationwide
• When: 2 December each year

The H'mong New Year celebration is a colourful festival that lasts for three days. The festival demonstrates the fascinating customs and culture of the H'mong people, the third largest ethnic group in Laos.

H'mong New Year occurs in mid-late December each year with each village and region being allocated a different date so as not to overlap with a neighbouring celebration. H'mong New Year usually takes place in Ban Km52 in Vientiane Province, Luang Prabang, Xieng Khouang and Oudomxay.

During this festival, locals dress in colourful H'mong clothing and enjoy traditional foods, music and games. The most famous of which is the Hmong traditional pov pob or ball-tossing courtship game. This is where young people are able to find a potential marriage partner by tossing a small cloth ball back and forth in order to get to know one another.

H'mong New Year is historically celebrated as an acknowledgement of a successful end to the rice growing season – and therefore a beginning of the next season. It is also a way of giving thanks to family ancestors and spirits and many rituals during this time are devoted to the family.

The festivities showcase lots of dancing and traditional music including the teun-flute, the khaen and leaf-blowing, it is however mainly a time for spending with family. Rituals are performed, such as the calling back of all wandering kwan, or souls of family members. House spirits are also honoured during this time as well as the spirits of wealth and health. There is of course, much eating with ten dishes of food being prepared each day for three days – hence the H'mong saying “eat 30”.

• Where: Vientiane Province, Luang Prabang, Xieng Khouang and Udomxay
• When: mid-late December each year

Here is everything about H'Mong New Year

The That Inhang Festival occurs during mid-December each year at the That Inhang Stupa just outside of Savannakhet in southern Laos. Usually held over two days, the first day of the festival involves thousands of devotees taking part in a wax castle procession around the stupa. This is followed on the second day by an early morning alms giving ceremony where lay people give offerings to the monks.

Built over 450 years ago, the stupa is said to contain a relic of Buddha. People travel from all over Laos and Thailand to attend this popular festival. Women are required to wear a traditional sinh (Lao skirt) to enter That Inhang.

• Where: That Inhang, Savannakhet
• When: mid December each year

One important thing to realize about festivals in Laos is that many official dates and locations are not confirmed until one or two weeks beforehand. This is due to most of the festivals being based on the Buddhist lunar calendar and the different phases of the moon, the exact dates of which are usually not known until a few days in advance. Keep your eye on local tourism Facebook pages for announcements of any upcoming festivals.

For larger festivals such as Lao Pi Mai or Boun Lai Heua Fai it is advisable to book your accommodation in advance, particularly in Luang Prabang, which sees many visitors travel to the region for these special events. Also be aware that during Lao Pi Mai many services and facilities completely shut down as local Lao travel back to their home towns to participate in this nationwide celebration. In Vientiane, local bus and taxi services are non-existent and most restaurants and mini-marts will also be closed. However a little forward planning and preparation will easily get you over these hurdles.

Ensure that you waterproof all valuables such as cameras and phones during Lao Pi and restrict yourself to carrying only the absolute essentials whilst out and about during this period, as you will get wet! During Pi Mai Lao it is also advisable that you avoid taking any public transportation or ride a motorbike as drunk driving is a serious issue at this time of year. Additionally, if riding a bicycle beware that an enthusiastically thrown bucket of water may cause you to lose control and fall.

Finally, respect local Lao customs by dressing appropriately with shoulders and knees covered and remove any footwear before entering a temple or other religious site. Women will usually be required to wear a Lao sinh (Lao skirt) to enter any religious site such as a wat (temple) or the grounds of a that (stupa).