Short answer: The Mid-Autumn Festival in Saigon falls on Friday, 25 September 2026. Its centre is Luong Nhu Hoc lantern street in Cho Lon, lit every night from around 11 September. Arrive at 6 PM to walk it comfortably; 7 to 9 PM is shoulder to shoulder. Lanterns cost 15,000 to 250,000 VND (~$0.60 to $9.60 USD).
When Is the Mid-Autumn Festival in Saigon in 2026?
The Mid-Autumn Festival in Saigon is on Friday, 25 September 2026 – the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, the night of the fullest moon of the year. Vietnamese call it Tet Trung Thu, and it is a children’s festival first: paper lanterns, lion dances, mooncakes, and families out on the street after dinner.
You do not have to be in town on the 25th. Vendors hang their stock from the first day of the eighth lunar month, which this year is 11 September, so the street runs for roughly two weeks. The heaviest nights are the last weekend, 19 and 20 September, and the festival night itself. For the wider background on the holiday, Vietnam’s national tourism board has a short primer on Tet Trung Thu.
Where Is Saigon’s Lantern Street?
The Mid-Autumn Festival in Saigon has one address, and this is it. Saigon’s lantern street is a 300-metre stretch of Luong Nhu Hoc, between Nguyen Trai and Tran Hung Dao, in Cho Lon – the city’s Chinatown. Families have sold lanterns on this block for more than 50 years, and a few still assemble them by hand behind the shopfront.
One detail that trips up anyone reading an older guide: District 5 no longer exists as an administrative level. Vietnam removed the district tier on 1 July 2025 and this area is now Cho Lon ward. Drivers, map apps and locals all still say District 5, so use whichever name gets you there. If you are still finding your feet in the city, start with our guide to your first time in Saigon.
What Time Should You Go?
Time your visit to the Mid-Autumn Festival in Saigon for 6 PM. The lanterns are lit, the sky still has colour in it for photos, and you can move at walking pace. From 7 to 9 PM the street packs with families, teenagers and photographers, and those 300 metres can take you 40 minutes.
A weeknight before the final weekend is the calmest version of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Saigon. If the festival weekend is your only window, come early and eat afterwards rather than the other way round.
What Does the Mid-Autumn Festival in Saigon Cost?
The Mid-Autumn Festival in Saigon is one of the cheapest nights out in the city. Walking the street costs nothing. You pay only for what you carry home.
| Item | Price (2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Paper lantern, traditional shapes | 15,000 – 50,000 VND (~$0.60 – $1.90 USD) | Star, carp and rabbit shapes; the ones locals buy for kids |
| Plastic or LED lantern | 40,000 – 120,000 VND (~$1.50 – $4.60 USD) | Music and lights; sizes vary widely |
| Large or specialty lantern | up to 250,000 VND (~$9.60 USD) | Big hanging pieces, silk shades |
| Single mooncake | 60,000 – 188,000 VND (~$2.30 – $7.20 USD) | A 150g Kinh Do cake runs 62,000 – 85,000 VND |
| Mooncake gift box | 600,000 – 2,000,000 VND (~$23 – $77 USD) | What Vietnamese give colleagues and family |
| Motorbike parking | ~20,000 VND (~$0.75 USD) | Pop-up lots on the side streets during the festival |
Prices checked in September 2026 at roughly 26,100 VND to 1 USD. Rates move, so treat the dollar column as a guide. Bargaining is normal here and it is friendly – our guide to haggling with a smile covers the etiquette.
What Else Is Worth Doing in Cho Lon That Night?
The Mid-Autumn Festival in Saigon is really a Cho Lon evening, and the lantern street itself takes 30 minutes. Cho Lon is what makes the evening worth the trip across town.
Thien Hau Temple, at 710 Nguyen Trai, is a two-minute walk away and open in the evening. Giant incense coils hang from the roof, and it is one of the oldest Chinese temples in the city. Binh Tay Market and the food stalls around it are a short ride further west. And the streets between them are where the lion dance troupes practise in the run-up to the 15th, which is the part nobody puts on an itinerary.
If you want the food side of a Saigon evening instead, Ho Thi Ky street food market and the rest of our Saigon nightlife guide are better value for a single night.
Who Should Skip the Mid-Autumn Festival in Saigon?
Be honest with yourself about what this is: a crowded shopping street, not a parade. There is no fireworks display, no road closure and no scheduled performance. Lion dances happen when a troupe turns up, not on a timetable.
Skip the last weekend if you travel with a stroller, dislike dense crowds, or want photos without fifty other people in them. Go on a Tuesday instead, or swap it for Nguyen Hue walking street, which is wide, flat and lit up all year. Understanding why the night matters to Vietnamese families is half the experience – our piece on Vietnamese culture fills in the rest.
How Do You Get There and Back?
Most people reach the Mid-Autumn Festival in Saigon from District 1. Luong Nhu Hoc is about 4.5 km from Ben Thanh Market, which is 15 to 25 minutes by car in evening traffic and less on a bike. Book a Grab rather than hailing a taxi on the street. Have your driver drop you on Nguyen Trai instead of turning into the crush. Our guide to getting around Saigon has the app-by-app detail.
Riding yourself is the one option we would talk you out of during festival week. The side streets fill with parked bikes, the pop-up lots charge around 20,000 VND (~$0.75 USD), and the last 200 metres are walking speed anyway. Keep your phone in a front pocket in the crowd; our notes on staying safe in Vietnam cover the rest.
If you would rather see Cho Lon with someone who knows the back routes, our Saigon By Night tour runs 3.5 hours for $39 USD per person. All our riders are women, and you book now and pay later. The lantern street is not a standard stop on the route, so tell us when you book if you want to work it in during the festival window.
Is the Mid-Autumn Festival in Saigon free?
Yes. Walking Luong Nhu Hoc lantern street costs nothing. You only pay for lanterns, mooncakes, food and around 20,000 VND (~$0.75 USD) if you park a motorbike.
What date is Mid-Autumn 2026 in Vietnam?
Friday, 25 September 2026. The date follows the lunar calendar – the 15th day of the eighth lunar month – so it shifts every year between mid-September and early October.
What do Vietnamese families do on Mid-Autumn night?
Children carry lit lanterns, families share mooncakes and tea, lion dance troupes go door to door, and parents give cakes to relatives and colleagues. It is closer to a children’s night than a national holiday – nobody gets the day off work.
Is the lantern street safe at night?
Yes, and it is busy with families until late. The risk is pickpocketing in a dense crowd rather than anything else: front pockets, bag in front, phone out only when you have stopped walking.
Can you buy mooncakes on the lantern street?
Yes. Single cakes run 60,000 to 188,000 VND (~$2.30 to $7.20 USD) and gift boxes 600,000 to 2,000,000 VND (~$23 to $77 USD). Bakeries around Cho Lon sell the same cakes for less than the tourist-facing stalls.
Is the Mid-Autumn Festival in Saigon worth it without kids?
It is worth one evening if you like street photography, Chinese-Vietnamese Saigon, or food markets. It is not worth rearranging a trip for. Come at 6 PM on a weeknight, add Thien Hau Temple and dinner in Cho Lon, and it makes a good night out.
Header photo: a traditional star lantern, Da Nang – Dragfyre / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
