Bon Om Touk (Cambodia Water Festival) 2026

Date: 23 November 2026 – 25 November 2026

Location: Phnom Penh / Siem Reap, Cambodia

Organizer: Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia

Bon Om Touk, the Cambodian Water Festival, is one of the biggest events on Cambodia's calendar, and the 2026 edition runs from 23 to 25 November. The festival marks the annual reversal of the Tonle Sap river, which changes direction when the rains end and the swollen lake begins draining back into the Mekong. Phnom Penh's riverfront is the centre of it. Long, narrow racing boats crewed by 40 to 80 paddlers compete in heats across all three days, with the champion crews decided on the final day. Evenings bring processions of illuminated boats on the river, fireworks over the water and ceremonies of salutation to the moon. Huge crowds travel to the capital for the races, and the riverbank turns into one continuous fairground. It is paddling rather than sailing, but for anyone interested in boats and rivers it is a remarkable spectacle, on a scale no other boat race in the region matches.

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