Traditions, public holidays and 2026 announcements: practical information for an outing near home or a trip to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
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Cadrage d’affichage / display crop: 16:10, 16:9. Original non retouché / unedited.
Cambodia’s Water Festival public holidays fall on 23–25 November 2026. This year, the main celebrations in front of Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace are suspended. Preparations have been announced in Siem Reap, but its final programme still needs checking. These details matter whether you are planning an evening near home or coming from Phnom Penh, another province or abroad.
Boat racing is the best-known part of Bon Om Touk. The festival also includes illuminated boats, observances honouring the moon and Ok Ambok, a ceremony involving roasted, flattened rice. It marks the end of the monsoon season and gives thanks for the water that supports the harvest, as AKP explains in its account of the traditions.
The rowing teams, families and communities who keep these traditions alive are central to the festival. Understanding their place helps anyone experiencing it for the first time join the gatherings considerately. Celebrations vary between places, so a general description of the traditions is not a city's confirmed programme for 2026.
The public holidays run from Monday 23 to Wednesday 25 November, according to the Royal Embassy of Cambodia’s calendar. Local events have their own dates and times.
In Phnom Penh, the government decision covers the main celebrations along the Tonlé Sap in front of the Royal Palace. The public holidays remain in place, and provinces may hold celebrations according to their traditions and capacity. That is the scope of AKP’s report of the announcement on 30 June; it does not mean all celebrations across Cambodia are cancelled.
In Siem Reap, provincial officials and JICA inspected the riverbanks on 26 August in preparation for the festival, according to the announcement published the following day. As of 9 October, we have not been able to verify a final programme covering race times, public viewing areas and evening events.
For another province, look for a local announcement dated 2026. An old poster or the public holidays remaining in place does not confirm a boat race.
If you live in the capital or will be there during the holiday, do not build your outing around the main races in front of the Royal Palace. For an event advertised by a business, check its location, date and actual programme.
A family meal, time with friends or a visit can still be part of the holiday. Confirm the opening hours of places you have chosen rather than assuming every business will be open or closed. Our Phnom Penh map and guide can help you find somewhere in the neighbourhood that suits you.
If you were planning to come specifically for the races, reconsider that plan before booking. For a room, cruise or offer advertised around the festival, ask what is included and what happens if the plans change.
Once the local programme is confirmed, start with the activity and area that interest you. Check which bank you need, where the public can enter and how you will get home. This matters even if you know the city well: event arrangements may change a familiar journey.
For an outing with friends or family, agree on an easy-to-find meeting point away from the busiest passages. If you are bringing children or someone with limited mobility, check access conditions before choosing a spot. Keep areas reserved for rowing teams and organisers clear.
Our Siem Reap map helps you locate the river and choose somewhere to eat or meet. It does not replace the traffic plan and access instructions issued for the festival.
If you are using the holidays to visit Siem Reap, another city or relatives, plan the outward and return journeys together. Choose times around the confirmed programme and your availability, with a buffer before returning to work or making an onward connection.
For a short break from Phnom Penh, you can build your time around an evening at the festival and being together in town. If you are arriving from abroad, first check how the dates fit into your journey, then the announcements for the city where you will be.
If you need accommodation and the festival is the reason for booking, check cancellation terms while local arrangements remain unsettled. If you are staying with friends or relatives, agree on your arrival point and the journey back after the evening. Either way, avoid making a long journey depend on an unconfirmed event time.
For more on the festival’s seasonal setting, our article on why the Tonlé Sap River reverses explains the connection with water. Find other dates in the festival and public-holiday calendar.
Information checked on 9 October 2026. The public holidays and suspension of Phnom Penh’s main celebrations are confirmed; check local programmes and access arrangements with the relevant authorities.
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