Hoi An Lantern Festival 2026-2027: Full Moon Dates and Tips

Hoi An's lantern festival, officially the Hoi An Old Town Night, is held on the 14th day of every lunar month, the night before the full moon. The next dates are 23 October, 22 November and 22 December 2026, then 21 January and 19 February 2027. On those nights the old town dims its electric lights in favour of lanterns and candles, community groups perform in the streets, and visitors float paper lanterns on the Hoai River. It is the most beautiful evening in Hoi An, and the most crowded.

The event has been held since 1998, and it continued after Quang Nam province merged into Da Nang city in July 2025, when the old town became part of Hoi An ward. On any other night, Hoi An still has lanterns and boats on the river; the 14th adds the dimmed lights, the performances and the biggest crowds.

Lantern night dates, 2026-2027

These are the Gregorian dates of the 14th lunar day, from a Vietnamese lunar calendar. There is no leap month in this period.

Tet 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February, so the February lantern night comes two weeks later, on the eve of the first full moon of the lunar year, traditionally a big night for pagoda visits and family outings. Our Tet 2027 guide covers the holiday, and our festival calendar lists the year's other events.

What happens on the night

According to Hoi An's heritage conservation centre, the town centre switches off its white electric lighting on the night, leaving the streets to lanterns and candles. The centre does not publish the hours; secondary sources put them at roughly 18:00 to 22:00, with motorbikes cleared from the old town from about 17:30.

Community groups perform along the streets and at the riverside: family music bands, traditional instrument ensembles, folk-song classes, poetry groups, Chinese chess, martial arts, tuong theatre and bai choi, a folk game in which the cards are called out in song. The riverbank on Bach Dang street fills with people buying lanterns, and the river with small boats.

The old town is a walking street, closed to motor vehicles from 09:00 to about 21:30 in summer and 21:00 in winter, according to the heritage centre, so arrive on foot or by bicycle and leave your scooter outside the zone.

Boats and floating lanterns

The central ritual is releasing a paper lantern, a hoa dang, on the Hoai River for peace and luck. You can release one from the steps along the bank, or from a small rowing boat.

• Rowing boats are priced per boat: about 150,000 to 220,000 VND for up to five people for a 15 to 20 minute loop in front of the old town, as of 2026, with one to three people paying the lower rate. The boat guild has published regulated prices in the past, but in May 2026 Tuoi Tre found that many operators still did not post their prices.
• Motorboats offer longer loops for about 50,000 VND per person for around 30 minutes.
• Paper lanterns cost about 5,000 to 40,000 VND each, sold by boatwomen and along the bank.

Agree the price before you get in, check that it is per boat, and wear the life jacket; passengers are required to. Our Hoi An nightlife guide has more on the boats and the evening scene.

Tickets under the 2026 rules

The old town's ticket system changed in 2026. Under rules set by Da Nang's People's Council, since 10 August 2026 the old town's heritage sites charge 20,000 VND per person per site, the same for Vietnamese and foreign visitors, as the Da Nang city government announced. Children under 16, students and Vietnamese citizens over 60 are exempt. My Son sanctuary costs 40,000 VND under the same rules.

Most guides, including many dated 2026, still quote the older system: a 120,000 VND ticket for foreigners covering five sites. We have not been able to confirm how the new fee is collected on the ground, or whether simply walking the streets now requires a ticket, so check at the booths when you arrive and carry small notes.

Floods in October and November

The lantern nights in October and November fall in Hoi An's flood season. In late October 2025, the Hoai River rose overnight, and water 1 to 1.5 m deep filled Bach Dang, Nguyen Thai Hoc and Cong Nu Ngoc Hoa streets. The old town suspended its activities from noon on 27 October and reopened to visitors around 7 November, as Tuoi Tre reported, a period that included that month's lantern night on 3 November. Boating on the river is banned during floods.

Most October and November nights go ahead, but if you are travelling for the festival in those months, keep your dates flexible. Our Da Nang and Hoi An weather guide explains the flood season.

Tips for the night

• Arrive before dusk. Find your spot and your boat as the lanterns come on, before the crowds peak.
• Book rooms ahead. Lantern nights, especially at weekends and in February, fill central hotels; our where to stay in Hoi An guide explains the areas.
• Eat away from the river. The An Hoi side and the streets north of Tran Phu are calmer for dinner.
• Carry cash. Boats, lanterns and street food take small notes.
• Think about the river. Choose paper lanterns, and do not throw anything else into the water.

For a full stay, our 3 days in Hoi An itinerary builds a trip around the old town, and Da Nang to Hoi An covers getting there from the airport.

Limitations

The dates come from a Vietnamese lunar calendar and match the official rule of the 14th lunar day; the authorities can move or cancel a night, especially during floods. The lights-off hours are not published officially. Boat prices vary by operator, and the 2026 ticket rules are new, so how they are applied on the ground may differ from the published resolution.

Workaround: confirm the date and programme with your hotel or the Hoi An heritage centre a few days ahead, check the weather in October and November, and agree boat prices before boarding.