Đêm Rằm Phố Cổ · Old Quarter Full-Moon Night
The Hội An Lantern Festival
On the 14th night of every lunar month — the eve of each full moon — Hội An switches off its electric lights and the Thu Bồn River fills with candle-lit lanterns. We sit on that river. Here is exactly when the next one happens.
Until the next Lantern Festival
Next full-moon night
Monday, July 27, 2026
Astronomical full moon: July 29
Every 2026 Lantern Festival night
Each evening runs ~17:30–22:00, with the lantern release between 19:00 and 21:00. Dates are the 14th of each lunar month, calculated for Hội An.
| Night | Note |
|---|---|
| Fri, Jan 2, 2026 | Cool, dry — a quiet first night of the year |
| Sun, Feb 1, 2026 | Pre-Tết; the town is busy with New Year preparation |
| Mon, Mar 2, 2026 | Nguyên Tiêu — first full moon of the lunar year, the biggest night |
| Wed, Apr 1, 2026 | Spring; comfortable and usually dry |
| Thu, Apr 30, 2026 | Falls in the 30 Apr–1 May holiday — expect domestic crowds |
| Sat, May 30, 2026 | Warm and dry; a Saturday, so busier |
| Sun, Jun 28, 2026 | Peak dry season; hot evenings |
| Mon, Jul 27, 2026 | Domestic summer high season |
| Wed, Aug 26, 2026 | Around Lễ Vu Lan — locally significant |
| Thu, Sep 24, 2026 | Eve of Mid-Autumn (Tết Trung Thu) — the most festive night of the year |
| Fri, Oct 23, 2026 | Early wet season; check the flood forecast |
| Sun, Nov 22, 2026 | Cooler evenings, often the most photogenic light of the year |
| Tue, Dec 22, 2026 | Cool and dry — a quiet, late-year night |
Watching it from Nghê Prana
The lanterns float past our doorstep
Nghê Prana sits on the Thu Bồn at Cẩm Nam, just across the water from the Old Town. On festival nights the candle-lanterns released upriver drift down past the quiet side of the river — you can watch the whole release from the terrace, away from the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds on the An Hội bridge, then walk into the Ancient Town in ten minutes.
It is the difference between seeing the festival and being inside it.
Lantern Festival — common questions
When is the Hoi An Lantern Festival in 2026?
The Hội An Lantern Festival (Đêm Rằm Phố Cổ) is held on the 14th day of every lunar month, the evening before each full moon. In 2026 the dates are 2 January, 1 February, 2 March, 1 April, 30 April, 30 May, 28 June, 27 July, 26 August, 24 September, 23 October, 22 November and 22 December 2026, then 21 January 2027. The biggest night is Nguyên Tiêu on 2 March 2026.
What time does the Hoi An Lantern Festival start?
Each festival evening runs from about 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm, with the peak lantern release between 7:00 and 9:00 pm. Electric street lighting in the Ancient Town is switched off from roughly 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm so the town is lit only by lanterns and moonlight.
How much does a lantern cost at the festival?
Paper and silk candle-lanterns to float on the river are sold at stalls on Bạch Đằng and the An Hội bridge for about 20,000–40,000 VND. Bring small bills, as most vendors do not accept cards on festival nights.
Is the Hoi An Lantern Festival free?
Yes — walking the Ancient Town during the festival is free, though the standard Old Town entrance ticket may apply at the gates. Floating a candle-lantern costs about 20,000–40,000 VND, and a 45-minute river boat for photography runs roughly 120,000–200,000 VND.
Where is the best place to watch the lantern release?
The Thu Bồn / Sông Hoài riverfront between the An Hội bridge and the Cẩm Nam bridge is the heart of the release. For fewer crowds in 2026, shoot from the Cẩm Nam south bank, take a small river boat to mid-river, or visit the quieter Cẩm Kim island release.
What's the best place to stay for the Hoi An Lantern Festival?
Staying in the Old Town core puts you in the crowd; staying just across the water keeps you close but calm. A river-view room on the quiet Cẩm Nam south bank of the Thu Bồn looks onto the stretch of water the candle-lanterns drift down, and it is about a 10-minute bicycle ride from the heart of the Ancient Town. To watch a lantern night from your own balcony, book a river-facing room over the 14th of the lunar month — Nghê Prana sits directly on that south bank.
Do Hoi An hotels book up for the lantern festival?
River-view rooms fill first for the 14th-of-the-lunar-month dates, and the biggest night — Nguyên Tiêu on 2 March 2026 — is the earliest to sell out. If you want a river-facing room for a specific lantern night, book several weeks ahead and confirm the room faces the water, not a street.
Hội An keeps lunar time
Explore the sky over the Thu Bồn
Full-Moon Calendar
Tonight's phase and every upcoming full moon over Hội An — astronomically calculated.
OpenSunset & Golden Hour
Today's sunset, golden hour and blue hour times along the Thu Bồn River.
OpenStay & unwind by the river
Your Stay Awaits
Begin Your Stay at Our Hoi An Riverside Hotel
Riverside hotel rooms on the Thu Bồn, ten minutes by bicycle from the Ancient Town. Whether it's one night between Hue and Da Nang or a full week of doing nothing — we kept your room quiet.
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