Hoi An Festivals: the Monthly Secret
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Most towns save their signature festival for once a year. Hoi An does its version every single month, which means you can time a trip around it far more easily than most travel advice suggests. Here’s the real festival calendar, not the recycled “full moon festival, spring to autumn” version that turns up in a lot of guides.
The Full Moon Lantern Festival happens every month, not seasonally
On the 14th day of every lunar month, roughly 12 nights a year, street electricity across the Old Town gets cut, traffic is barred, and floating candle-lanterns go out onto the Thu Bon river, busiest between about 8 and 9pm. You don’t need to plan around a single date; you just need to land on, or near, any 14th-lunar-day. For the second half of 2026, the 14th lunar day falls on 28 June, 27 July, 26 August, 24 September, 23 October, 22 November, and 22 December (verify exact dates closer to travel).
Does Hoi An shut down for Tet?
Less than most of Vietnam, but not not at all. Tet, the Lunar New Year, falls around 17 February 2026. Hoi An stays notably more open through the holiday than other Vietnamese cities, but tailors typically close for around 2 weeks and some restaurants for around 10 days, so a trip planned right on top of Tet should have a backup plan for meals and fittings. The lantern night that follows the first full moon after Tet, around 2 March 2026, tends to be one of the biggest of the year.
The Mid-Autumn Festival
Roughly September to October (exact date shifts year to year, verify), the Mid-Autumn Festival brings extra lanterns, mooncakes, and family gatherings, and it typically coincides with one of the year’s larger lantern nights on the Thu Bon.
Cham festivals at My Son
My Son Sanctuary, the Cham Hindu ruins about an hour from Hoi An, hosts its own Cham cultural festivals and dance performances tied to the site’s heritage, separate from the Old Town’s lantern calendar.
Which lantern night should you actually plan around?
Any 14th-lunar-day works for the full experience, so don’t wait for a “special” one. If you want the biggest crowds and the most atmosphere, aim for the post-Tet lantern night or the one nearest the Mid-Autumn Festival; if you’d rather avoid the crowds, any other month’s 14th delivers the same festival with fewer people.
For how this fits a full trip, see the main Hoi An guide and things to do in Hoi An . If you’re building a schedule around a specific lantern date, the 3-day itinerary has a lantern-night evening built in.
Book a lantern boat ride on the Thu Bon ahead of a festival night, since demand spikes on the 14th lunar day. For Tet and lunar calendar dates, checking against the Vietnam e-visa portal processing times is also worth doing before you book, since Tet closures can affect visa turnaround.
Pick any 14th-lunar-day and build around it. The “monthly” part is the detail most trip planning misses, and it’s the easiest festival timing you’ll find anywhere in Vietnam.