Buddha Pujaniya Festival starts at Kyaiktiyo Pagoda on 25 October
Published on 09/27/2026 at 15:49 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Kyaiktiyo Pagoda will open its Buddha Pujaniya Festival on 25 October 2026 in Kyaikto, Myanmar, with the date falling on the full moon of Thadingyut. The pagoda, also known as Kyaiktiyo, is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State and stands on the summit of Kyaiktiyo Mountain.
Buddha Pujaniya Festival begins on 25 October
The festival announcement was published on 13 September 2026 by Myanmar state media after information from U Soe Hla, chairman of the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda Trustees Board. It states that the Buddha Pujaniya Festival will begin on the full moon of Thadingyut and continue until the full moon of Kason.
Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists the 2026 Thadingyut holiday period as 25 to 27 October. The same announcement says that 152 buses will transport pilgrims up and down the mountain, while the cable car will operate as usual. Festival announcement for 25 October
The festival is open to ordinary pilgrims and visitors rather than being an invitation-only ceremony. The announcement also refers to accommodation, restaurants, souvenir shops and a clinic within the wider pilgrimage area, but it does not provide visitor prices or fixed daily times.
Kyaiktiyo Pagoda combines a shrine and granite boulder
The site is in Kyaikto Township, close to Kinpun in Mon State. The main pagoda is described as 7.3 metres (24 feet) high and built on a granite boulder covered with gold leaf applied by male worshippers.
The boulder sits at the edge of the mountain, while the summit provides views across the surrounding Mon State mountains. The pagoda was first built between the sixth and tenth centuries AD, according to Myanmar Digital News. That physical setting gives the 25 October festival a clear link to the place itself: the programme begins at the mountain shrine as the annual pilgrimage season approaches. Kyaiktiyo Pagoda location and dimensions
Thadingyut dates define the 2026 pilgrimage period
The 2026 Thadingyut holiday is listed from 25 to 27 October by Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For visitors planning around the festival, the official announcement identifies the full moon of Thadingyut as the opening point, while the pagoda board describes the wider Buddha Pujaniya Festival as continuing to the full moon of Kason. Myanmar holiday dates for 2026
Visiting Kyaiktiyo Pagoda: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Buddha Pujaniya Festival begins at Kyaiktiyo Pagoda on 25 October 2026 and the Thadingyut holiday period runs to 27 October 2026.
- The announcement says 152 mountain buses and the cable car will operate for pilgrims during the festival period.
- The pagoda is located in Kyaikto Township, Mon State, close to Kinpun and at the summit of Kyaiktiyo Mountain.
- The final approach is mountainous, and the main shrine stands on a granite boulder at the edge of the summit. Visitors should expect an uphill pilgrimage setting rather than a level urban attraction.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Kyaiktiyo Pagoda
When does the Buddha Pujaniya Festival take place at Kyaiktiyo Pagoda?
The festival begins on 25 October 2026, the full moon of Thadingyut, and the public holiday period runs until 27 October 2026.
Where is Kyaiktiyo Pagoda and how do you get there?
The pagoda is in Kyaikto Township, Mon State, close to Kinpun. The 2026 festival announcement says that mountain buses and the cable car will operate.
What is Kyaiktiyo Pagoda?
It is a Buddhist pilgrimage site on Kyaiktiyo Mountain, with a 7.3-metre pagoda built on a gold-leaf-covered granite boulder.
