The Chiang Mai Flower Festival is held over a Friday-to-Sunday weekend in the first half of February, with the big float parade on the Saturday morning. It is not fixed to the first weekend: the 2026 festival ran from 13 to 15 February, and the 2027 dates had not been announced when we checked on 9 November 2026.
Short answer for 2027. Expect a Friday-to-Sunday in the first half of February 2027, but do not book around a specific weekend yet. The dates are announced each year by Chiang Mai province and appear in TAT's monthly festival calendar.
The festival fills Suan Buak Haad public park in Chiang Mai with flower displays, garden exhibits and plant stalls, and the Saturday parade of decorated floats starts at the foot of Nawarat Bridge. This page answers the date question, explains how to see the parade, and covers the two things that decide how pleasant a February trip is: rooms and smoke.
The dates of recent festivals
The last three festivals show a clear pattern, Friday to Sunday, and an equally clear warning: the weekend moves.
| Year | Dates | Parade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 (47th) | Fri 2 – Sun 4 February | Sat 3 February, Nawarat Bridge | Naewna (press) |
| 2025 | Fri 7 – Sun 9 February | About 25 floats | TAT |
| 2026 (49th) | Fri 13 – Sun 15 February | Sat 14 February, 07:30, Nawarat Bridge | TAT; Thansettakij (press) |
| 2027 | Not announced (9 November 2026) | – | – |
So the common claim that it is "always the first weekend of February" does not hold: in 2026 it was the second full weekend. If the numbering continues, 2027 would be the 50th festival, but no source has announced it yet. The organizer is Chiang Mai province, with the city municipality; when we checked, the municipality's website had no 2027 announcement.
The Saturday parade and where to stand
In 2026 the opening ceremony and the float parade began at 07:30 on Saturday 14 February at the foot of Nawarat Bridge, in front of the Chiang Mai Governor's residence, with more than 23 flower floats. In 2024 the governor also released the parade from Nawarat Bridge.
We could not find an official map of the full route for recent years, so we do not describe it street by street. The safe plan is to be near the bridge before 07:30, when the floats are lined up and the start is easy to see, or to ask your hotel where the crowds gather along the way. February mornings are the coolest part of the day, which is one more reason to come early.
Suan Buak Haad park and the Tha Phae Gate square
The flower displays are in Suan Buak Haad (Nong Buak Haad Public Park), where TAT describes flower displays, rare ornamental plants and landscaped gardens, plus cultural shows, exhibitions and OTOP sales of local products. In 2026 the Tha Phae Gate square was also a festival venue. A float contest is part of the program.
Check the year's program for show times before you go. If you are in town over the festival weekend, the Sunday Walking Street runs from Tha Phae Gate along Ratchadamnoen Road; our guide to Chiang Mai's night markets explains how it works and when it gets crowded.
Rooms on festival weekend
The flower festival weekend falls in Chiang Mai's busy cool season, and the parade draws a crowd into the Old City. Book a room you can cancel as soon as you know your travel dates, and pick a base close to the action if you want to walk to the parade, such as the Old City, where the old city temples fill the rest of the day. Our guide to where to stay in Chiang Mai compares the areas.
In February 2027 there is also a long weekend: Makha Bucha Day falls on Sunday 21 February 2027, with a substitute day off on Monday 22 February, and Chinese New Year is on Saturday 6 February 2027. Whether either overlaps the festival depends on dates that are not yet set; our page on Thai public holidays lists the full 2027 calendar.
The start of the smoke season
February is the driest month at Chiang Mai's weather station, with only 9.6 mm of rain in the 1991-2020 averages, but it is also a hazy month. The Thai Meteorological Department station records haze on 22.1 of February's days on average, rising to 26.8 days in March. That haze is mostly smoke from burning in the region, and it usually gets worse as the season goes on.
So the flower festival sits at the start of the smoky period, not in the middle of it. If you have asthma or a heart or lung condition, check the air quality each day, as our page on PM2.5 and air pollution explains, and plan indoor time; our article on Chiang Mai's smoky season explains the causes, and our Chiang Mai weather by month page has the full station table.
A flower festival or a lantern festival?
Visitors sometimes confuse the two big festivals. The flower festival is a daytime event in February. Chiang Mai's lantern festival, Yi Peng, is in November at the full moon of the twelfth lunar month; in 2026 it runs from 23 to 25 November, and our guide to Yi Peng in Chiang Mai covers the lantern rules. For everything else to see in the city, start with our Chiang Mai city guide.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Chiang Mai Flower Festival 2027?
The 2027 dates had not been announced when we checked on 9 November 2026. Recent festivals ran Friday to Sunday in the first half of February: 2 to 4 February 2024, 7 to 9 February 2025 and 13 to 15 February 2026.
Is the Chiang Mai Flower Festival always the first weekend of February?
No. It was on the first weekend in 2024, but on 7 to 9 February in 2025 and 13 to 15 February in 2026. Wait for the official announcement before you book around a particular weekend.
What time does the flower parade start?
In 2026 the opening ceremony and parade started at 07:30 on the Saturday, at the foot of Nawarat Bridge in front of the Governor's residence. Times can change from year to year, so check the program for 2027.
Where is the Chiang Mai Flower Festival held?
The main site is Suan Buak Haad (Nong Buak Haad Public Park) in the city of Chiang Mai. In 2026 the Tha Phae Gate square was also used, and the parade began at Nawarat Bridge.
Sources
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – February 2026 festivals and events in Thailand (27 January 2026; checked November 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – February 2025 festivals and events in Thailand (4 February 2025; checked November 2026)
- Thansettakij – Chiang Mai Flower Festival 2026 program (in Thai) (3 February 2026; checked November 2026)
- Naewna – 47th Chiang Mai Flower Festival opens (in Thai) (4 February 2024; checked November 2026)
- Chiang Mai City Municipality – Home page (checked 9 November 2026)
- Thai Meteorological Department – Climatological data for the period 1991–2020, Chiang Mai station 48327 (checked November 2026)