Taunggyi Tazaungdaing Hot-Air Balloon Festival to begin on November 18

The Taunggyi Tazaungdaing Hot-Air Balloon Festival will begin on November 18, according to the festival organizing committee.

The festival will be held for seven days from November 18 to 24, 2026, through the full moon day of Tazaungmone, with an awards ceremony scheduled for November 25. The dates were set at a meeting of the Shan State Government held on September 15.

“We will hold the festival from November 18 to 24. We are still collecting registrations for the participating hot-air balloons, so the exact number is not known yet. If the number of balloons increases, the festival period may be extended. For now, these are provisional dates,” said U Soe Nyunt Shwe, Director of the Shan State Department of Information and Public Relations.

It is also reported that in 2026, the government will provide the same support as in previous years to participating Tazaungdaing hot-air balloon teams, providing six types of pyrotechnic materials worth K10 million per team. In addition, K50,000 will be provided as assistance for daytime balloons, said U Tin Win of the Shan State Traditional Hot-Air Balloon Artisans Association.

“We have so far registered 43 balloons, and the number exceeds 50 including the Kanbawza balloons. We do not yet know whether more will be added. It is encouraging that the government will provide financial assistance this year. Small-scale teams are facing difficulties as their expenses have risen to around K40 million to K50 million. So, on behalf of the hot-air balloon teams, we are pleased that the government will provide support,” said Sai Aung Myo of the Shan State Traditional Hot-Air Balloon Artisans Association.

The annual traditional Tazaungdaing Hot-Air Balloon Festival in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, usually features daytime and nighttime hot-air balloon competitions, a competition for weaving Mathothingan robes, a citywide Maha Kathina festival and a nighttime illuminated float procession competition.

This year, the number of participating nighttime large-balloon teams is expected to increase, and the festival is also expected to be more vibrant than last year.

Following a suspension of more than three years after 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival resumed in subsequent years. Last year’s festival was reportedly the busiest since its resumption, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors.

This year, small-scale participating balloon teams are reportedly facing financial difficulties due to rising commodity prices. Their expenses, which previously amounted to more than K10 million, have increased by around four to five times at current prices.