Taipei Lantern Festival 2026 Guide + Photos

Taiwan lantern festivals are always amazing, and the 2026 Taipei Lantern Festival returns from 26 February to 15 March 2026.

Taking place in the Ximending District, the Taipei Lantern Festival 2026 is easily accessible from Beimen MRT Station or Ximen MRT Station.

Better still, the Taipei Lantern Festival is free to visit and one of our favourite things to do in Taipei at night.

We were lucky enough to visit the last Taipei Lantern Festival and the huge illuminations and large-scale light displays were magical!

Please note the Taipei Lantern Festival 2026 is different from the Taiwan Lantern Festival, which this year takes place in Chiayi on 3 – 15 March 2026. This is the national Taiwan Lantern Festival (the 37th anniversary in 2026) which rotates around different Taiwan cities each Lunar New Year – last year was Taoyuan which we visited; it was amazing!

Check out our guide to the 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi here >

This article was originally published on 13 December 2024

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Table of Contents

Taipei Lantern Festival dates and times 2026

Celebrated after Lunar New Year, the Taipei Lantern Festival runs from 26 February to 15 March 2026 – no tickets or admission is required. This year’s theme is the year of the horse.

The Taipei Lantern Festival 2026 lights up nightly from 5pm until 10pm on weekdays, and from 2pm until 10pm on weekends and holidays.

In Taipei this February 2026 for Lunar New Year? Check out our guide the Dihua Street Lunar New Year Market, Taipei’s biggest Lunar New Year Market that runs from 31 January to 15 February 2026.

Please note there is a second smaller lantern display area in Yuanshan Park next to Taipei Expo Park and near Yuanshan MRT station.

You might also like – Our guide to the best January 2026 Taipei and Taiwan events or our pick of the best February 2026 Taiwan events

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Where is the Taipei Lantern Festival held?

A short walk from both the Beimen and Ximen MRT Stations, the Taipei Lantern festival 2026 runs from outside Beimen MRT Station all the way to Nishi Honganji Temple in Ximending, Zhongzheng District, along Zhonghua Road.

The vast majority of Taipei Lantern Festival illuminations take place on the east side of the road, parallel to the Ximending entertainment district.

A few other lanterns and light displays sometimes also pop up on the side-streets and foot bridges along Zhonghua Road.

When we visited the festival last time in February 2025, one of the main footbridges had been turned into a tunnel of lights – it was a popular selfie spot and had a small queue to go up the steps.

You might like – 40+ things to do in Ximending, Taipei >

How to get to the Taipei Lantern Festival

The Taipei Lantern Festival is located in Taipei’s Wanhua District by Ximending – it has its own MRT Station (Ximen station) located on the blue Bannian Line and the Green Songshan Xindian Line.

Once you get to Ximen MRT station, take exit 6 for the main Ximending entertainment district and walking street or exit 1 to head towards The Red House.

Or alternatively, you can alight at Beimen MRT and take exit 1 to start at the north side of Taipei Lantern Festival.

Check out our Taipei neighbourhoods guides:
Beitou >
Dihua Street and Dadaocheng >
Gongguan and Longquan >
Tamsui >
Ximending >
Xinyi >
Zhongshan >

Also check out our guide to the best neighbourhoods in Taipei >

What to expect

Launching 26 February 2026 with an opening ceremony, the Taipei Lantern Festival welcomes over a million visitors each year and is another great reason to visit the Ximending area of Taipei, a fantastic place to see the best of Taipei at night.

Although both Ximending and the Taipei Lantern Festival are very busy (welcoming tourists from all over the world), this is one of the biggest and best free events in Taipei in February 2026 (and each year).

There are usually 20 to 30 large scale illuminations and lanterns as part of the Taipei Lantern Festival. As the 2026 Lunar New Year is the year of the horse, expect to see an equestrian themed lantern or two.

Many of the Taiwan lanterns at the Taipei Lantern Festival will feature local Taipei landmarks like Taipei 101 and Jiufen’s tea houses recreated in lantern form.

The famous Formosa bear, Oh Bear, also features heavily amongst the lantern displays, as the annual Taipei Lantern Festival is organised by Taiwan Tourism.

There may also be lanterns from other cities and countries, who partner with Taiwan Tourism to install their own large lanterns and lightscapes.

As well as lanterns, there are lots of light tunnels which you can walk through – plus there are so many other distractions and things to at.

You might like – Things to do in Taipei with kids >

Light Show

As well as static lanterns, Taipei Lantern Festival usually has a light show which takes place at regular intervals right next to Ximen station exit 6.

In 2025, we watched the Taipei Lantern Festival a few times as our hotel was only a short walk away (we were staying very close by at the CitizenM Taipei North Gate – a great hotel with amazing views).

The light show usually consists of lasers, lights synchronised to music, plus a huge animal head that lights up with fire and smoke effects plus bubbles – all quite trippy but fun. It was OK for a free display (but nothing special).

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Other Taiwan / Taipei Lantern Festival events in 2026

Taipei Lantern Festival isn’t the only Taiwan lantern event in February 2026 or after Lunar New Year.

Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival & Mass Release 2026

We love exploring the Pingxi line, especially Shifen waterfall and Houtong Cat Village.

Every year, a mass lantern release takes place along the Pingxi line (usually in Shifen at the Shifen Lantern Release Square or Pingxi Junior High School).

The 2026 Pingxi Lantern Festival and mass lantern release dates are confirmed as 27 February 2026 (at Pingxi Junior School) and 3 March 2026 (at Shifen Square, near Shifen Waterfall).

Here at the Pingxi Lantern Festival 2026, thousands of lanterns are released across both nights and the whole Pingxi sky lights up in unison. You can write messages of good luck, prosperity and wishes on your lanterns before watching them whoosh into the sky.

Book your 2026 Pingxi Lantern festival tickets with Klook here >

Please also note you can release lanterns on the Pingxi railway line along Shifen Old Street every day of the year but it is not a mass release and it does not take place at night.

Check out our guide to the Pingxi Line and its lanterns here >

Book your day-time Shifen Old Street lantern release with KK Day and Klook (over 10k booked).

You might like – Our guide to more major Taiwan events in February 2026 >

Taiwan Lantern Festival 2026 – Chiayi, 3 – 15 March 2026

The Taipei Lantern Festival 2026 is different from the Taiwan Lantern Festival, which this year takes place in Chiayi on the 3 – 15 March 2026 (just over 1 hour away by high speed rail ride from Taipei).