Chiang Mai is set to welcome the return of the Chiang Mai International Food Festival 2026, an international food festival taking place on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th January, from 10am to 10pm, at the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center.
The festival is held under the theme “Globalisation: Bringing the World to the Plate.”
Now in its third consecutive year, the Chiang Mai International Food Festival aims to elevate “food” beyond what is served on the plate, positioning it as a shared space for public dialogue—connecting local cuisine, ethnic food cultures, and international gastronomy with contemporary issues such as sustainability, food innovation, the creative economy, and the future of food systems.
Food as a Common Language of a Multicultural City
Chiang Mai is a city shaped by diverse cultural roots—Lanna heritage, ethnic communities, people from across regions, and long-established international communities. The Chiang Mai International Food Festival is therefore designed as a cultural meeting ground, where food serves as a language through which the city tells its stories.
Festival visitors will experience food in multiple dimensions, ranging from real-market encounters with small-scale food entrepreneurs to academic and policy-oriented forums that raise critical questions about the future of eating and food production.
Key Highlights and Festival Zones
Glocal Food Market
A Festival for All
Here’s the festival schedule:
Chiang Mai International Food Festival 2026
Date: Saturday–Sunday, 17–18 January 2026
Venues: Main Stage, Ethnic Village Pavilion, Huen Sor Hong, Moment’s Notice Jazz Club, Glocal Food Market Stage (Hai Ya Garden), Homook Hall
Program subject to change
Saturday, 17 January 2026
Main Stage
09:00 – 10:00
Traditional Lanna Ceremony of the Four Guardian Spirits
(Ancient Lanna Ritual for Auspicious Blessings)
10:00 – 10:30
Opening Performance: Fon Phleng Sor (Lanna Folk Song & Dance)
by Ban Luang Nuea Community
10:30 – 11:00
Cooking Demonstration
Chef Habusat He Bin
Executive Chef, Xiangyun Clubhouse, Kunming, China
(LMC Spice Route Project)
Menu: Dali-style Grilled Fish
11:10 – 11:40
Cooking Demonstration
Chef Bunma Phoumin, Xieng Khouang, Lao PDR
(LMC Spice Route Project)
Menu: Jaew Mak Mad with Swiftlet
11:50 – 12:10
Burmese Harp Performance
by Khin Lut Latt Tun (Monica), Soi Burma
12:20 – 12:50
Cooking Demonstration
Chef Ekaphon Phichawong
Eakachan – Ethnic Thai Cuisine
Menu: Sour Soup with Grilled Fish, Makhaen and Long Pepper
13:00 – 13:30
Cooking Demonstration
Belén Restaurant
by Chef Paulo Airaudo, winner of 8 Michelin Stars worldwide
13:30 – 14:30
Handpan Performance
by Atùm Sphinx (Sombat)
14:30 – 15:00
Cooking Demonstration
Chef Watit Rungrojwatana
Aleenta Retreat Chiang Mai
Menu: Glocal Twist
15:10 – 15:40
Cooking Demonstration
Chef Phongsakorn Chiansathit
Take Me Home Ice Cream
Menu: Khao Soi Ice Cream
15:40 – 16:00
Cultural Performance
Hmong Community, Doi Pui
16:00 – 17:00
DJ Session
Opening of the Spice Route Panel Discussion
17:00 – 17:15
Opening Remarks
Ms. Pennapa Kanchana, Ombudsman, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI)
Welcome Address
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Weerapol Thongma, President, Maejo University
17:15 – 18:00
Special Panel Discussion: “Flavors Without Borders”
A Forum on Cultural Food Tourism Routes in the Mekong Subregion
(China – Myanmar – Lao PDR – Thailand)
Speakers:
Mr. Soulikone Samounty, Representative, Lao PDR Embassy in Thailand
Mr. Lyu Sheng, Commercial Consul, People’s Republic of China in Thailand
H.E. U Ming Kyaw Linn, Consul General of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in Thailand
Mr. Siwakorn Buapong, Deputy Governor of Chiang Mai
Moderator: Naruemon Chomdok
18:30 – 20:00
DJ Session
20:00 – 21:00
Performance by Chiang Mai Cultural Center
Ethnic Village Pavilion
11:50 – 12:00
Cooking Demonstration by Pgakenyau Community Chefs
Ban Bo Kaeo, Samoeng District
Menu: 12 Hmong Herbs and Hmong Herbal Boiled Chicken
13:00 – 13:30
Cooking Demonstration by Tai Yuan Community Chefs
Ban Huai Muang, Chom Thong District
Menu: Papaya Flower Salad
14:00 – 14:30
Cooking Demonstration by Luang Nuea Community
Doi Saket District
Menu: Khanom Wong
15:30 – 16:00
Cooking Demonstration by Thai Yong Community Chefs
Ban Pa Tan, San Kamphaeng District
Menu: Larb 4 Mong Laeng
Huen Sor Hong
09:00 – 10:00
Stillness in the Lotus
A mindfulness workshop through breathing practices and lotus fiber extraction
10:30 – 12:00
Cooking Workshop with Pa Ta Obasan
Vegetarian Lanna Cuisine
12:30 – 15:00
Intha Cooking Workshop from Inle Lake
by Min and May
18:15 – 19:45
The Flow of LMC Spice Route – Lancang Mekong Chef’s Table
(Invitation Only)
Moment’s Notice Jazz Club
FOOD FORUM: From Local Roots to Global Table
11:00 – 12:00
Sai Oua Live!
When Northern Thai Sausage Tells Global Stories
Live program by The Cloud Podcast (Thai language)
13:00 – 14:00
Lotus of Siam: The Formula for Opening Thai Restaurants Abroad
and Preserving Culinary Authenticity
Speaker: Penny Chutima (Thai)
15:00 – 16:00
Cool ISAN
From Vernacular Foodways to Cultural Capital
Speaker: Nattida Pholsak (Thai)
16:00 – 17:00
Thai Coffee, Global Responsibility
Ethical Sourcing and Sustainable Coffee Futures
Speaker: Dustin Joseph (English)
Glocal Food Market Stage – Hai Ya Garden
Activities include coffee cupping, cooking demonstrations, mixologist sessions, live music, DJ sessions, cabaret show and live bands.
Time: 10:00 – 22:00
Sunday, 18 January 2026
(Program structure continues across Main Stage, Ethnic Village Pavilion, Huen Sor Hong, Food Forum, Business Matching and Glocal Food Market Stage, following the official schedule.)
