Akha Swing Festival 2025 – Celebrating Akha Heritage in Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand – 23 August 2025
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) invites travellers to experience the Akha Swing Festival 2025, one of the most colourful ethnic celebrations in Chiang Rai. Held only once a year, the festival showcases the living heritage, rituals, and traditions of the Akha hill tribe.
Marking the Akha New Year, the festival honours E-Um Sa Yae, the goddess of fertility and abundance, while highlighting the Akha people’s deep reverence for women. Months before the event, Akha women prepare their intricate, handcrafted traditional attire, which is proudly worn during the celebrations. At its centre stands the symbolic wooden swing, used for both sacred rites and joyful games.
This year’s main highlight is “Bo Chong Tu: The Akha Swing Festival”, taking place on 6–7 September 2025 at Phra Siam Thewathirat Square, Sam Yaek Akha Village, Mae Fa Luang District. Visitors can expect spectacular cultural performances, swing demonstrations, drumming shows, parades, a hill tribe food fair, and a traditional marketplace.
Festival Highlights Across Chiang Rai
Ban Phahee, Mae Sai District (4–8 September 2025)
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Akha Cup Football Tournament (4–5 Sept)
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Swing construction rituals (6 Sept)
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Grand festival opening (7 Sept) with cultural shows, community games, and food contests
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Closing swing celebrations (8 Sept)
Ban Pha Mee, Mae Sai District (6–8 September 2025)
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Traditional swing activities and ceremonies at the village swing site
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Community-led cultural performances in a picturesque highland setting
Why Visit?
The Akha Swing Festival is more than an event—it’s a rare glimpse into the ancestral heritage, spiritual traditions, and cultural pride of the Akha people. A highlight of Chiang Rai’s cultural calendar, it draws both locals and international visitors eager to experience authentic highland traditions.
Plan Ahead:
For details, contact TAT Chiang Rai Office at +66 (0) 5371 7433 or 5374 4674-5.
Visit www.tourismchiangrai-phayao.com or follow @tatchiangrai on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Line.
