What You’re Actually Watching
Devotees spend the festival purifying body and mind in honor of the Nine Emperor Gods. That means the ten abstentions: no meat, seafood, eggs, dairy, or pungent plants like garlic and onion, no alcohol, and clean thoughts and behavior.
The headline moments are the morning street processions. The mah song, believed to be possessed by the gods, walk in trance with their faces pierced by swords, skewers and stranger objects, through a constant storm of firecrackers.
It is intense, it is sacred, and it is real.
The 2026 Procession Schedule
How to Do It Right
Eat Like a Devotee
Look for yellow flags with red Chinese characters. They mark jay food: strictly plant-based, with no meat, dairy, eggs, garlic or onion.
For nine days, Phuket Town becomes a plant-based food paradise, and you don’t have to believe anything to eat like you do.
Here’s the Play
The festival happens in Phuket Town, and the processions start at dawn. Don’t fight the traffic and the parking at 6 a.m.
Questions, answered
When is the Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2026?+
October 10–18, 2026, with the farewell procession on the night of October 18.
Is the Phuket Vegetarian Festival free?+
Yes. You only pay for food and transportation.
What should I wear?+
White clothing, long sleeves, long pants and closed shoes.
Which procession is the biggest?+
Jui Tui Shrine on October 16.
Is it safe for children?+
It’s very loud and the piercings are graphic. Many parents watch from a distance, or skip the processions and just enjoy the food.