Songkran Festival › Khmer New Year (Cambodian New Year)
Khmer New Year 2027: Cambodian New Year dates and where to celebrate
Choul Chnam Thmey, the Khmer New Year, is described by Cambodia’s foreign ministry as the country’s most significant festival. It is celebrated in mid-April at the same time as Songkran in Thailand. The 2027 dates are already set. Here is what each day means, what Phnom Penh and the provinces ran in 2026, what changed that year, and what to know before you travel. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
At a glance
Khmer New Year 2027
Confirmed Wednesday 14 to Friday 16 April 2027, set by sub-decree in September 2026
2026
Tuesday 14 to Thursday 16 April
Phnom Penh
Nokor Sankranta ran for six days in 2026, 14 to 19 April
Water fights
2026 provincial events banned water and powder throwing; 2027 rules not announced
Getting there
Land crossings from Thailand are suspended; fly in
Where to celebrate
What the capital and the provinces ran in 2026. The 2027 programmes have not been announced.
Phnom Penh · 6 days
Phnom Penh: Nokor Sankranta
The capital’s celebration, run by the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia, spread across Wat Phnom, Chaktomuk Walking Street, Vattanac Capital, the Night Market, Wat Botum Park, Bassac Lane and Toul Tompoung Market. Proceeds from product sales went to frontline soldiers and displaced families.
2026: 14–19 April, six days.
Getting there: Fly into Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh hotels on Klook.
2027 programme not announced
Sources: Cambodianess
Siem Reap · Angkor
Siem Reap
Siem Reap has hosted the famous Angkor Sankranta for years. In 2026 the province held a smaller celebration in the city and at displacement sites, because many residents were still displaced after the border conflict.
2026: Smaller event over the 14–16 April holiday.
Getting there: Fly into Siem Reap; the temples are a tuk-tuk ride from town. Angkor temples tour on Klook.
2027 programme not announced
Sources: Cambodianess
Provinces
Battambang, Kampong Cham and more
Seven provinces announced Sankranta events for 2026, focused on folk games, traditional dance, food fairs and product exhibitions. Kampong Cham planned to give away five tonnes of sun-dried clams to visitors; Kampong Thom planned a tribute with 159 monks for soldiers who died in the border clashes.
2026: Siem Reap, Battambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Mondulkiri, Stung Treng and Prey Veng.
Getting there: Check the UK advice before travelling near the Thai border (below).
2027 programme not announced
Sources: Cambodianess (from ThmeyThmey)
Next door
Songkran in Thailand
Thailand’s Songkran falls a day earlier: Tuesday 13 to Thursday 15 April 2027, with the big water festivals that Cambodia’s 2026 events did without.
2026: Water festivals in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phuket.
Getting there: Songkran 2027 dates · Bangkok · water fight rules
2027 dates confirmed
Sources: Songkran 2027
The three days
What each day of Khmer New Year means
Day one, Moha Sangkran, ends the old year and begins the new one. Day two, Veareak Vanabat, is for giving to the poor and honouring ancestors at the pagoda. Day three, Veareak Laeung Sak, is when Buddha statues and elders are washed with perfumed water (being checked) (Wikipedia).
People also build sand stupas in the temple grounds and play traditional games such as chol chhoung, a throwing game played on the first night (Wikipedia). The 2026 provincial events leaned into exactly this, with folk games and traditional dance in place of concerts and water fights (Cambodianess).
14–16 Apr 2027 Confirmed
Khmer New Year public holiday (Wed–Fri)
Nationwide
10 Apr 2026
Kampong Thom Sankranta opens with product booths
Stung Sen city
12 Apr 2026
Chanting and almsgiving with 159 monks for fallen soldiers
Stung Sen Park, Kampong Thom
14–16 Apr 2026
Khmer New Year public holiday; provincial Sankranta events
Seven provinces
14–19 Apr 2026
Nokor Sankranta
Wat Phnom and six more sites, Phnom Penh
Sources: Cambodianess (2027 sub-decree), Cambodian embassy in Berlin, Cambodianess.
Khmer New Year in numbers
From the 2027 holiday sub-decree and the 2026 announcements.
3 days
of public holiday in 2027, 14 to 16 April
22
public holidays in Cambodia in 2027
6 days
of Nokor Sankranta in Phnom Penh in 2026
7
provinces announced their own Sankranta in 2026
Sources: Cambodianess, Cambodianess.
Before you go
Travel advice for Cambodia
From the UK government’s Cambodia travel advice (still current on 24 Oct 2026). Check your own government’s advice too; it can change at short notice.
Heavy fighting took place along parts of the Thai–Cambodian border in 2025. A ceasefire was signed on 27 December 2025, but the UK says the situation remains tense.
Border areas
The UK advises against all but essential travel within 20 km of the land border with Thailand. Some border temples, including Preah Vihear, are closed.
Getting in from Thailand
Land borders and crossings between Cambodia and Thailand are suspended. Fly in instead.
Insurance
Travelling against your government’s advice can invalidate your travel insurance.
Water and powder
In 2026 the provincial events banned water and powder throwing. Expect folk games and temple ceremonies rather than street water fights, unless the 2027 rules change.
Where to stay in Siem Reap
Siem Reap is the base for the Angkor temples and the home of Angkor Sankranta.
In town
Walk to the restaurants and markets; the Angkor temples are a tuk-tuk ride north.
The links open Klook’s full Siem Reap hotel list; search by area or use the map to narrow it. We may earn a commission if you book; it costs you nothing extra and never decides what we list. Staying in the capital instead? Phnom Penh hotels on Klook.
Questions people ask
When is Khmer New Year 2027?
Wednesday 14 to Friday 16 April 2027. The dates were set in the 2027 public holiday sub-decree, signed by Prime Minister Hun Manet on 16 September 2026.
What is Choul Chnam Thmey?
It is the Khmer name for Cambodian New Year, a three-day holiday in mid-April with pagoda visits, Buddha bathing, sand stupas, traditional games and family gatherings.
What are the three days of Khmer New Year called?
Moha Sangkran (the first day, when the new year begins), Veareak Vanabat (the second day, for charity and ancestors) and Veareak Laeung Sak (the third day, when Buddha statues and elders are washed).
Are there water fights at Khmer New Year?
Traditionally, yes. In 2026, though, the provincial Sankranta events banned water and powder throwing and dropped big concerts, according to Cambodianess. The 2027 rules have not been announced.
Can I travel overland from Thailand to Cambodia for the New Year?
Not at the moment. The UK says land borders and crossings between Cambodia and Thailand are suspended, and it advises against all but essential travel within 20 km of the border.
Is Khmer New Year the same as Songkran?
They are neighbouring new year festivals in the same week. Khmer New Year is Cambodia’s; Songkran is Thailand’s. In 2027 Songkran is 13 to 15 April and Khmer New Year is 14 to 16 April.
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