Water Festival

Cambodia’s Water Festival, Bon Om Touk, is one of the country’s most vivid public celebrations. It is connected with the annual reversal of the Tonlé Sap River’s flow and the changing water and fishing season, an extraordinary ecological rhythm created by the Mekong and Tonlé Sap system. The festival gives thanks for water, fertility and abundance while turning Phnom Penh’s riverfront—and many provincial communities—into a place of collective celebration.

Boat races are its best-known image, but the occasion is larger than racing. Floating lanterns, illuminated riverfronts and the moon festival of Ok Om Bok connect royal ceremony, local crews, harvest hopes and family gathering. Government programmes can change due to weather, security or other conditions, as can transport around the capital, so current notices should always guide plans.

For 2026 the paid Water Festival period remained November 23–25. The Royal Government later suspended the principal celebrations along the Tonle Sap River in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh while confirming that all three public holidays would remain and that provincial celebrations could proceed where feasible. Day 1 therefore must not promise Phnom Penh boat races or a fixed public programme. Travellers should consult current municipal and provincial notices rather than infer events from leave status.