Lao New Year festival

It’s the most popular cultural festival in Luang Prabang – a time of year when locals let their hair down and the entire town get exciting. Pi Mai, otherwise known as Lao New Year, is a festival celebrated at the hottest time of the year – which is just as well, because most people remain drenched with water for the majority of the event. It’s known as the festival of water fights but there are lots of other cultural activities that run over the week including an elephant procession through the main street, a grand parade that involves thousands of locals wearing traditional and ornate costumes, a beauty pageant to crown ‘Miss Lao New Year’, sand stupa merit making by the Mekong River, as well as the carrying of the Prabang – the town’s most precious Buddha – from it’s home at the National Museum to Wat Mai where it is put on public display as part of a watering ceremony.

Where: Everywhere — watch out, you might get wet!
When: April 10st – 25th, 2021. (The ceremony of watering the Buddha images on blessing at every temple in Luang Prabang 14th, and Parade on 15th-16th)