For nine days every autumn, Phuket Town turns white. Devotees dress in white, stalls hang yellow flags, the air smells of incense and gunpowder, and in the early morning processions of entranced mediums walk through the old streets with their faces pierced while firecrackers explode around them. It is one of the most intense festivals in Asia, and it happens on an island most people know only for its beaches.
When is the Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2026?#
The festival runs for the first nine days of the ninth Chinese lunar month. In 2026 that is expected around October 10–19. The shrines publish the full programme, including which shrine's procession goes out on which morning, shortly before it starts, so check it once you arrive.
The poles that call the gods down are raised the evening before the first day, and the last night ends with the gods being sent off with the biggest firecracker barrage of the festival.
What it is#
The festival goes back to the 19th century, to the Chinese community that came to work Phuket's tin mines. The story told locally is that a travelling Chinese opera troupe fell ill in Kathu, kept a strict vegetarian diet to honour the Nine Emperor Gods, and recovered. The town kept the practice, and it spread to every Chinese shrine on the island.
For nine days, devotees purify body and mind: no meat, no alcohol, no sex, white clothes. The mah song are the mediums the gods are believed to enter. In trance, they walk the processions and some pierce their cheeks with skewers, blades and stranger things. They are not performers; this is worship, and the people around them are there to pray.
Where to see it#
The festival belongs to Phuket Town, not the beaches.
- The shrines. Jui Tui (by the old town), Bang Niew, Sui Boon Tong and Kathu's shrine, where the festival began, are the main ones. Each holds ceremonies through the nine days, and visitors in white are welcome to watch quietly.
- The morning processions. They leave the shrines early in the morning and wind through the old town streets. Get there early and stand on the pavement, not in the road.
- The food streets. The stalls around the old town and the shrines are where most people take part.
The food#
Look for yellow flags with red characters: that is jay food. It is vegan in practice and also leaves out garlic, onion and strong flavours, but it is not plain. Mock meats, noodles, curries and fried snacks fill the stalls, and even 7-Eleven and the supermarkets bring in jay ranges for the nine days. It is the easiest way to join in.
How to watch it well#
- Wear white, closed shoes and long trousers. The firecrackers land at your feet.
- Bring earplugs. The noise is serious.
- Stand back from the mediums and never block a procession's path.
- Ask before photographing someone up close at a shrine, and don't use flash during ceremonies.
- Leave small children back from the firecrackers.
| When | About Oct 10–19, 2026 (confirmed by the shrines) |
|---|---|
| Where | Phuket Town: Jui Tui, Bang Niew, Sui Boon Tong and Kathu shrines |
| What to wear | White, closed shoes, long trousers |
| Bring | Earplugs, water, cash for food stalls |
The rest of the island is still the rest of the island: Phuket beyond Patong. Thailand's next big night is Loy Krathong on November 24.
Go with someone from Phuket#
The festival is easy to see and hard to understand. Someone who grew up in Phuket Town knows which shrine's procession is the one to see, where to stand, and which jay stall their family has been going to for years. Local Friends in Phuket are locals you message directly on Roavi. More about the island: the Phuket city guide.
See the festival with someone who grew up in Phuket Town.
Meet Local Friends in PhuketEvery big festival and holiday worldwide, month by month, with the dates: the Roavi world events calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2026?
It runs for the first nine days of the ninth Chinese lunar month, which in 2026 is expected around October 10–19. The shrines publish the exact programme, including the procession days, shortly before.Is the Phuket Vegetarian Festival safe for tourists?
Yes, if you keep your distance from the processions. Firecrackers are thrown in the street, so wear closed shoes and long trousers, bring earplugs, and stand back from the mediums. Don't take children close to the firecrackers.What should I wear?
White, if you can. Devotees wear white throughout the nine days, and visitors who do are welcomed into the shrines more easily. Dress modestly around the shrines.Where is the best place to see it?
Phuket Town. The big processions leave from the main shrines, including Jui Tui, Bang Niew and Sui Boon Tong, early in the morning and wind through the old town streets. Patong and the beaches see little of it.Do I have to be vegetarian to go?
No. But the food stalls with yellow flags sell only 'jay' food, which is vegan in practice and also avoids strong flavours like garlic and onion, and it's the best way to take part.