Gia Lai Gong Festival 2026: dates and how to go

You are in Pleiku at exactly the right time, and the first thing to know is that the festival happens in two different places. The first three days are out at Biển Hồ commune, in the countryside; the three big days are in the middle of town. It was scaled down from international to national level on 6 October, so older articles still say “international”. What follows is the latest plan, with the parts that are still waiting for an announcement marked clearly.

The festival day by day

The festival runs from 30 October to 8 November 2026 in Pleiku ward, Biển Hồ commune and a few neighbouring wards and communes. Its theme is “Gia Lai: Touch the rhythm of the gongs, touch the soul of the Central Highlands”. Anything marked “planned” can still change.

A few things in the table deserve a word. The new communal house blessing on 31 October leaves out the buffalo sacrifice. Instead the village elder invites the spirits (Yang) to watch, sprinkles water inside the house and calls the villagers in, and then come gongs, xoang dancing, traditional food and rice wine shared with locals. The Gong Night on 7 November is planned to include a ceremony for two national treasures, the Kơ Đơ gong set and the gold worship objects from the An Phú Cham tower, plus certificates for the troupes. Altogether there are 29 Gia Lai gong troupes and groups from ten other provinces and cities, about 1,487 artisans in total.

We recommend building your plan around three solid moments: the opening on the morning of 30 October at Ia Gri, the communal house at 2 pm on 31 October, and Gong Night on 7 November. Everything else is a bonus to fill the gaps.

Getting to each place from central Pleiku

Ia Gri is the village at the foot of Chư Đăng Ya volcano in Biển Hồ commune, about 30 km north-east of central Pleiku. So treat the 30 October to 1 November part as a half-day trip, not a quick stop. The Đào Duy Từ road into the volcano has been widened, but last festival season it jammed locally, so this year the commune has put traffic-control points and parking in place. The exact car parks are not announced, so go early and follow the marshals.

The suggested route links Biển Hồ Lake, Ia Nueng village, the hundred-year-old pines, the tea hills, Bửu Minh pagoda and the volcano, in that order. Read Biển Hồ Lake and Chư Đăng Ya volcano first so you know where the gates and rest stops are. From town you do not need a motorbike: book a taxi or Grab and agree the pick-up time back, because a 30 km ride out is easier than a 30 km wait in the countryside. If you do ride, see motorbike rental in Pleiku.

The 6–8 November part is inside the city. Great Unity Square and Pleiku Museum are the two main sites, the farm and coffee zone is on Anh hùng Núp street, and the street parade passes along several routes in Pleiku, Diên Hồng and Hội Phú wards. Each parade route is about 1.2 km and all end around the Uncle Hồ monument, although that plan was still being built, so expect small changes. Parking is arranged by each local authority where an activity takes place and road closures are not announced yet. For Gong Night, get out of your Grab a few blocks from the square and walk in. The page on Great Unity Square shows how to reach it.

If you are coming from another province, check coaches to and from Pleiku or the Pleiku airport page before booking, because the festival expects 100,000 to 150,000 visits.

How many days: plans for your time

One day. The two best days are 31 October and 7 November. On 31 October go to Ia Nueng in the morning for the community-tourism launch, then the new communal house blessing at 2 pm. If you are only here on 7 November, give the whole evening to Gong Night at 8 pm and eat beforehand near the square.

The weekend of 30 October to 1 November. These are the three Biển Hồ days. Opening at 8 am on 30 October and village music in the afternoon; Ia Nueng in the morning of 31 October, communal house in the afternoon; on 1 November the sports day, then climb to the crater rim, where you can see Pleiku and Biển Hồ. If you want to run, the Gia Lai City Trail has five distances: 6, 12, 30, 50 and 70 km; read Gia Lai City Trail 2026 before you book a bed. On the third day, leave a gap for the market and the flowers rather than filling every hour.

Staying until 7–8 November. Split it in two: the first half at Biển Hồ as above, the second half back in town from 6 November. Watch the street parade on 6 November, eat at “Gia Lai Flavours Meet” on 7 November before Gong Night, and on 8 November return to Pleiku Museum, where the troupes re-create their daily spaces. If you still have time, the U23 friendly football tournament, Gia Lai Cup 2026, is on 10–14 November in Pleiku ward. For other days see Pleiku in 1, 2 or 3 days and gongs in Pleiku for how to behave in a communal house or at tombs.

Wild sunflowers. They usually bloom from October to December along the roads and hills of the Central Highlands. This year they came early: a family garden in Biển Hồ already has sunflowers and buckwheat, while the butterfly-shaped flowers are not yet in full bloom. So do not promise yourself a golden sea on a fixed day. The viewing spots are in wild sunflower season in Pleiku and late-year weather is in Pleiku weather by month.

Where to stand, what to eat, where to stay

Our pick. To sleep near the Biển Hồ part, try Pleiku Adventures Homestay: a few small rooms in a coffee garden, with a host who speaks English and Vietnamese and takes guests around like family. On evenings in town, have a cocktail at Pleiku Balcony, run by the same team, before Gong Night; contact details are on the page for both places.

Some places to stay in Biển Hồ filled up early, so if you want to be near Ia Gri, call now; if nothing is left, sleeping in town and driving out in the morning works fine. Areas and nightly prices are in where to stay in Pleiku.

For food, each troupe brings dishes from its own province, and the festival has a food space for the provinces and countries that send troupes; Biển Hồ has a highland market with OCOP products and food. For everything else use Pleiku specialties, Gia Lai dry noodles (phở khô) and Pleiku coffee. We recommend the Gia Lai coffee zone on Anh hùng Núp street on 6–8 November to taste before you choose a café. After the show, see late-night eating in Pleiku, the Pleiku night market or entertainment in Pleiku if you want to carry on.

Crowds, tickets and safety

The province police and military command handle security, order and traffic safety. Expect crowds: 100,000 to 150,000 visits are forecast, so on 7 November arrive early, keep your phone and wallet in front pockets, and plan your way home before the fireworks end.

Tickets and cost are the part that is still open. No ticket price has been announced for Chư Đăng Ya volcano or for watching Gong Night. About 1,078 delegates are invited on the night of 7 November; if you cannot get into the square, the show is broadcast live on Vietnam Television and on Gia Lai radio and television. At the volcano, the Chư Đăng Ya cooperative offers grass sliding, float sliding, horse riding, a flower garden and traditional costume hire; prices are not announced, so ask before you play.

Still unannounced: closures and detours for 6–8 November, the parade start time, the fireworks time and the programme of the last day. Check the Gia Lai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Facebook page and Gia Lai Newspaper. The original plan is on the Gia Lai provincial portal, but it was written before the 6 October change, so where the two differ, trust the newer one.

A few words to carry

For the rest of the year, other Gia Lai festivals are in festivals in Gia Lai through the year and the festivals and seasons section.