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 Hoài River in front of the Old Town fills with candle-lit lanterns. Here is exactly when the next one happens, and how to get to it from our side, on the Thu Bồn.
Until the next Lantern Festival
Next full-moon night
Friday, October 23, 2026
Astronomical full moon: October 26
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 |
From Nghê Prana: what you will and won't see
The lanterns are 10 minutes away — not outside your window
Nghê Prana is on the Thu Bồn River, on the south shore of Cẩm Nam island. The Old Town, its lantern boats and the candle release are on a different river: the Hoài River (sông Hoài), which runs in front of the Old Town between the An Hội and Cẩm Nam bridges, on the other side of the island. You cannot see the Hoài or its lanterns from any of our rooms, balconies, the terrace or the pool. To be there, cycle over: about 3.2 km, 10 minutes on the bicycles included with your room, or 40 minutes on foot.
What you get back is the other half of the night: a dark, quiet river on our side when you return, and a room that is not above the crowd. (Correction, 24 September 2026: earlier versions of this page said the lanterns float past our terrace and balconies. They do not. We apologise to anyone who booked on that basis.)
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 a few thousand to a few tens of thousands of đồng — published prices range from about 5,000 to 40,000 VND, so ask before you take one. 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, and there is no separate lantern-festival ticket. The Ancient Town sightseeing ticket (120,000 VND for international visitors, 80,000 VND for Vietnamese visitors, per the Quảng Nam Tourism price list updated 20 January 2026) covers entry to the heritage houses, assembly halls and museums. Floating a candle-lantern costs a few thousand to a few tens of thousands of đồng (published prices range from about 5,000 to 40,000 VND), and a 45-minute river boat for photography runs roughly 120,000–200,000 VND.
Is the Hoi An International Lantern Festival 2026 the same event?
No. The monthly lantern festival (Đêm Rằm Phố Cổ) is the 14th-night lights-off evening and runs all year. The Hội An International Lantern Festival 2026 is a separate, first-time event planned by the Đà Nẵng City People's Committee for 3–6 December 2026 in the same Old Town spaces — about 15 large lantern installations, workshops and performances, with the installations kept up until Tết Nguyên Tiêu 2027 (20 February 2027). Its dates are not full-moon nights; the nearest monthly lantern nights are 22 November and 22 December 2026. Reported by Thanh Niên and Tuổi Trẻ on 31 July 2026.
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.
Can you see the Hoi An lantern festival from Nghê Prana?
No. They are two different rivers. Nghê Prana is on the Thu Bồn River, on the south shore of Cẩm Nam island (15.8704° N, 108.3454° E). The lantern boats and the candle release are on the Hoài River (sông Hoài), which runs in front of the Old Town between the An Hội and Cẩm Nam bridges, on the other side of the island — about 2.2 km away in a straight line, and not visible from any of our rooms, balconies, the terrace or the pool. Guests go to the festival: 3.2 km, about 10 minutes on the bicycles included with every room, 40 minutes on foot, or a short taxi ride — then come back to a quiet room on a dark stretch of river.
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 on the quiet side of the river keeps you close but calm. Be clear about one thing when you book anywhere: the candle-lanterns and lantern boats are only on the Hoài River (sông Hoài) in front of the Old Town, between the An Hội and Cẩm Nam bridges, so only rooms facing the Hoài can see them. Nghê Prana does not face it — we are on the Thu Bồn River, a different river, on the south shore of Cẩm Nam island, and you cannot see the lantern release from our rooms, balconies, terrace or pool. It is 3.2 km away: 10 minutes on the bicycles included with your room, or 40 minutes on foot. (Correction, 24 September 2026: an earlier version of this answer said you could watch from a Nghê Prana balcony. That was wrong.)
Do Hoi An hotels book up for the lantern festival?
Rooms that actually overlook the Hoài River (sông Hoài) — the Old Town's river, between the An Hội and Cẩm Nam bridges — 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. "River view" alone is not enough: Hội An has two rivers. The lanterns are on the Hoài; most river-view rooms in Hội An, including ours, face the Thu Bồn, where no lanterns are released. If seeing the lanterns from your room matters, ask the hotel which river the room faces before you book.
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
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