Chiang Mai CAD New Year Countdown 2026: Lantern Tickets & Prices
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The CAD New Year Countdown takes over the CAD Cultural Center Lanna in Mae On, east of Chiang Mai, on Thursday 31 December 2026. Thousands of sky lanterns go up shortly before midnight, then a fireworks show runs for about 25 minutes into the new year.
The short version, checked 31 October: tickets are on sale, unlike Yi Peng at CAD, which has sold out for 2026. The cheapest with dinner and a shuttle is Standard on Viator at 6,373 THB (about US$189), but it can’t be refunded. If your dates might move, pay more for a GetYourGuide ticket with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
- Date: Thursday 31 December 2026
- Venue: CAD Cultural Center Lanna, Mae On District
- Lanterns: released from about 11:30pm to midnight, two per ticket
- Fireworks: midnight to about 12:30am
- Included: Thai buffet with soft drinks, shows, two lanterns, shuttle from a meeting point
- Not included: getting from your hotel to the meeting point
- Time needed: about eight hours door to door
Ticket Prices
Checked 31 October 2026 for one adult on 31 December. Viator quotes baht and GetYourGuide quotes US dollars. The same event is sold by several resellers, so prices for the same seat differ. Pick your date and party size for the final total.
| Ticket | Cheapest | Top tier | Cancellation | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard, Platinum, Elite on Viator | 6,373 THB | 21,885 THB | All sales final | Shuttle from the meeting point on your voucher. Gold not available on this listing |
| Standard to Platinum on Viator | 6,710 THB | 15,141 THB | All sales final | Shuttle from Central Chiang Mai Airport |
| Standard to Elite on Viator | 7,385 THB | 21,885 THB | All sales final | Shuttle from Central Chiang Mai Airport |
| Standard to Gold on Viator | 8,850 THB | 15,052 THB | All sales final | Shuttle to CAD and back, also sells 30 December |
| Three tiers on GetYourGuide | About US$262 | Pick a tier | Full refund to 24 hours before | Pickup from one of three locations |
| CAD Sky Lanterns on GetYourGuide | About US$273 | Adult ticket | Full refund to 24 hours before | Shuttle from Central Chiang Mai Airport |
Klook doesn’t sell this event. The cheapest route is Viator’s Standard ticket if you’re certain of your dates. A GetYourGuide ticket costs about US$70 more and buys you the right to change your mind, which is worth having when an international flight is part of the plan.
Which Seat to Buy
Every tier gets two lanterns and the same fireworks. The money buys height, a closer view of the stage and a better food zone.
- Standard: ground-level seats on mats and cushions at the back. It’s the widest view of the sky and the furthest from the stage.
- Premium: ground-level seats closer to the pagoda.
- Gold: seats raised about 1.2 metres, with a table in the food zone.
- Platinum: seats raised about 2.5 metres, with a table.
- Elite: the highest seats, raised about 4 metres, with fast-track check-in.
Standard is fine if you came for the lanterns, because they rise overhead whatever you paid. Gold is the step up worth considering for older travellers, since sitting on a mat from 9:30pm to 12:30am is a long stretch. Platinum and Elite suit a once-only trip, and at those prices compare the seller’s total for your whole party.
The Schedule
Sellers publish a slightly different running order, and these timings come from their programmes for 31 December.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 5:30-6:30pm | Meet at your shuttle point and leave for Mae On |
| 6:30-7:30pm | Arrive, show your e-ticket and collect your hanging badge |
| 6:30-9:30pm | CAD Village, the Lanna Ancient Market and the Thai buffet |
| 9:30-10pm | Move to the Pagoda Zone |
| 10-11:30pm | Lanna cultural performances and an orchestra |
| 11:30pm-midnight | Countdown, light and sound show, sky lantern release |
| Midnight-12:30am | Fireworks |
Don’t plan anything early on 1 January. The shuttles leave after the fireworks and drop you at Maya or the Night Bazaar in the small hours.
Insider Tip: Take a warm layer. December is Chiang Mai’s coolest month, and you’ll be sitting outdoors in the countryside at midnight.
How the Shuttle Works
Almost every ticket includes a free shuttle, and almost none includes your hotel. The usual meeting point is Central Chiang Mai Airport, the mall near the airport, in front of the Go Wholesale car park, from 5:30pm. Some Viator tiers leave from Maya or the Chiang Mai International Exhibition and Convention Centre, so read your voucher before booking a taxi.
Book a Grab or a songthaew (shared red truck taxi) to that point well ahead of 5:30pm. For the way back, sellers use Maya and the Night Bazaar as drop-offs, which is a reason to stay near one of them.
How to Book
- Choose your risk. Viator is cheaper and final. GetYourGuide costs more and can be refunded up to 24 hours before.
- Check the voucher. On the cheapest Viator listing, the voucher is not your entrance ticket. Send the seller your email address after booking and they issue an e-ticket with a QR code.
- Save the QR code offline. You show it at the shuttle and again at CAD, where it’s exchanged for a hanging badge.
- Book the bed next. New Year is peak season in Chiang Mai, so reserve your room the day you buy the ticket.
Under-sevens go free on most listings, sitting with a parent, but they don’t get a lantern. One seller sets the limit at under eight.
30 December: The Night Before
CAD also runs a show on 30 December with fireworks and no lantern release. Viator sells it with Gold seats from 8,850 THB, Platinum at 10,700 THB and Elite at 12,700 THB, checked 31 October. Raised seats cost less that night, but if lanterns are the reason you’re going, buy 31 December.
Where to Stay
Skip Mae On. Sleep in town near your drop-off, because the shuttle does the long drive and the restaurants are all in the city. These Booking.com links search 30 December to 1 January for two adults. Change the dates and guests before comparing prices.
- The Empress Premier Chiang Mai: a 5-star hotel on Changklan Road, within walking distance of the Night Bazaar drop-off. Hotel details.
- Shangri-La Chiang Mai: on Chang Klan Road, also a walk from the Night Bazaar and the Ping River. Hotel details.
- U Nimman Chiang Mai: at the top of Nimmanhaemin Road, the junction Maya stands on, with a rooftop pool. Hotel details.
- Art Mai Gallery Nimman: a smaller gallery hotel on Nimmanhaemin Soi 3, a short walk down the same road. Hotel details.
The hotel map shows more around the city, or use our Chiang Mai guide to choose an area.
Getting to Chiang Mai
Fly into Chiang Mai Airport, which is also a short ride from the usual shuttle point. Arrive on 30 December at the latest. Flights over New Year fill early, so compare fares in our Thailand flights guide and don’t book a departure before the afternoon of 1 January.
Chiang Mai Airport rescheduled flights on the lantern nights of Yi Peng in 2025, so check your airline’s times if you’re flying on the evening of 31 December.
Not Sold on a Ticket?
Tha Phae Gate in the Old City is Chiang Mai’s free gathering on 31 December. Tha Phae Gate gets food stalls and a crowd, with no shuttle to catch. You won’t see a mass release there. Unlicensed lanterns are banned in the city.
For something quieter, the 6-day New Year silent retreat runs from 28 December to 2 January in the Mae On countryside.
Safety Tip: Only release a lantern where staff tell you to, and only one they gave you. Sky lanterns leave debris wherever they land, and our Yi Peng guide covers the debate if that matters to you.
Plan the Rest of Your Trip
Comparing Chiang Mai with the beaches or Bangkok? New Year’s Eve in Thailand lines up every main countdown, and New Year’s Eve in Bangkok covers the free river fireworks and cruises. Add a few days with our list of things to do in Chiang Mai.
