Longboats moving in rhythm, bright floats reflected on the river and families sharing flattened rice beneath the full moon: Bon Om Touk brings together several sides of Cambodian life. Known in English as the Cambodia Water Festival, it celebrates the country’s close relationship with water and the changing seasons. For a visit in 2026, there is an important change: the main Phnom Penh celebrations are suspended, although the national holiday remains.
2026 update: holiday dates and Phnom Penh’s suspension
The 2026 Water Festival public holiday falls on 23–25 November. In a report dated 30 June 2026, Agence Kampuchea Presse announced that the government had suspended the celebrations planned along the Tonle Sap in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. The three-day holiday remains unchanged.
Provincial celebrations may take place according to local traditions and each community’s capacity. That permission is not a confirmed programme for every town. Do not book a Phnom Penh trip expecting the usual official riverfront races, illuminated-float programme or associated celebrations this year. This update was checked on 1 November 2026.
What Bon Om Touk celebrates
Bon Om Touk is a three-day festival associated with the end of the rainy season and the seasonal change in the Tonle Sap River’s flow. Its dates follow the Khmer lunar calendar and move from year to year, usually falling around November.
The festival connects Cambodia’s rivers with agriculture, community life and celebration. Boat racing is its most visible expression, but the evening ceremonies and family traditions are equally part of its character. The seasonal reversal is a natural process; it should not be understood as happening at a fixed hour on the festival’s opening day.
Boat races and illuminated floats
During a normal festival programme, long, narrow racing boats carry teams paddling together while spectators follow the competition from the riverbank. The shared rhythm of the crew is part of the spectacle: watch the timing of the paddles as well as which boat crosses first.
After dark, illuminated floats, often called pratip, bring another kind of display to the water. In past Phnom Penh celebrations, decorated floats have represented ministries and state institutions, accompanied by fireworks. These are traditional features of the festival, not a promise of a 2026 Phnom Penh programme.
Moon salutation and eating ambok
Sampeah Preah Khae is the salutation to the moon. Ak Ambok, also written Ok Ambok, is associated with eating flattened rice, commonly served with banana or coconut. Together with the races and illuminated floats, these customs help explain why the occasion is also described as the Water and Moon Festival.
The traditions extend beyond the capital. Banteay Chhmar’s community tourism organisation describes local celebrations combining boat races, preparing flattened rice, moon salutation and floating lights. Its account documents local customs rather than announcing dates for 2026.
How to plan your festival visit
For a provincial event, match your travel dates to an announced local programme before reserving transport specifically for the races. Provincial events can follow their own dates and formats. Leave time between your arrival and any event you hope to see, and reserve accommodation and intercity travel ahead of the holiday.
On an event day, carry drinking water, sun protection and a charged phone. Agree on a meeting point with your companions, keep access routes clear and follow barriers and organisers’ directions. Choose an open viewing area with an easy way out; leave a crowded spot before it becomes uncomfortable. Keep children close and stay back from the water’s edge.
Wear modest clothing for pagodas or religious ceremonies, remove shoes where required and ask before photographing people at prayer. Buy food from vendors handling it carefully, carry your rubbish away and leave racing boats and ceremonial objects undisturbed.
Explore more of Cambodia
Use our Phnom Penh destination page to plan time in the capital around the holiday. Our Banteay Meanchey page introduces the province that includes Banteay Chhmar, one of the communities with documented Water Festival traditions.
For another perspective on Cambodia’s festival calendar, read our journal guide to Pchum Ben, a season centred on remembrance, family and pagoda visits. Each festival has its own purpose and customs; allowing time to understand them makes a cultural visit more rewarding.
Questions before you go
When is Cambodia’s Water Festival in 2026?
The national public holiday is 23–25 November 2026. Provincial event dates and programmes may differ.
Will the main Water Festival celebrations take place in Phnom Penh in 2026?
The government has suspended the main celebrations along the Tonle Sap in front of the Royal Palace. The three-day holiday remains in place, and provincial celebrations are permitted according to local capacity.
What is ambok?
Ambok is flattened rice associated with the festival’s moon observance, commonly eaten with banana or coconut.
Does the photograph show the 2026 festival?
No. It is an existing archive photograph of the Royal Palace complex and riverfront, included for destination context.
Sources & further reading
- AKP — 2026 Phnom Penh Water Festival suspension and unchanged public holiday
- National Museum of Cambodia — Cambodia Water Festival
- Tourism Cambodia — Water and Moon Festival and Boat Racing (traditional celebrations)
- Visit Banteay Chhmar — local Water Festival traditions
Prepared with AI assistance using the linked sources; no first-hand reporting is claimed. Event status checked 1 November 2026. The existing Visit Cambodia archive image illustrates the destination, not a 2026 festival.