Events & Festivals in Laos

Laos has many festivals, or Boun scattered throughout the year to commemorate various aspects of traditional Lao lifestyle and culture. Most festivals are connected with religion and follow the rice farming seasonal cycle. The timing each festivals is calculated according to the Buddhist lunar calendar which changes every year. Please check the latest information before attending these events.

January

Boun Khoun Khao

Harvest festival, celebrated after the rice has been harvested, in which a ceremony is held to give thanks to the spirit of the land and to ensure the next harvest will be plentiful.

Boun Pha Vet

A temple-based festival when the jataka or story of Prince Vestsantara (the Buddha’s penultimate life) is recited. The festival lasts for three days and three nights. Visiting fortunetellers is also a popular attraction at this time.

Boun Phabath Phonesan Stupa Festival

Province: Bolikhamxay Province
This is the most significant event of Bolikhamxay Province when they celebrate the old stupa and give respect to Buddha’s footprint in Thaphabath District. The Pphabath Phonsan stupa Festival is held over three to seven days during the full moon of the second lunar month (January). The festival includes a Buddhist ceremony, trade fairs, concert, and fairs arranged around the grounds of the stupa