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Cambodia Public Holidays 2026

June 22, 2026

Guide 2026

Cambodia has one of the most culturally rich holiday calendars in Southeast Asia. Public holidays are based on a mix of Buddhist traditions, royal events, and national history.

If you live, work, or travel in Cambodia, understanding these holidays helps you plan business closures, travel schedules, and cultural experiences.

Cambodia Public Holidays 2026

Date	Holiday	Meaning	What People Do
Jan 1	International New Year	Global celebration of the new year	Parties, fireworks, family gatherings, travel
Jan 7	Victory Day	Commemorates end of Khmer Rouge regime (1979)	Government ceremonies, memorial events
Mar (varies)	Meak Bochea Day	Buddhist holy day honoring Buddha’s teachings	Pagoda visits, offerings, meditation
Mar 8	International Women’s Day	Celebration of women’s rights	Events, gifts, awareness campaigns
Apr 14–16	Khmer New Year (Chaul Chnam Thmey)	Biggest Cambodian festival marking solar new year	Travel to hometowns, water games, pagoda visits, family reunions
May 1	Labor Day	Workers’ rights and labor movement	Public celebrations, rest day
May (varies)	Visak Bochea Day	Birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha	Pagoda ceremonies, candle processions
May (varies)	Royal Ploughing Ceremony	Marks start of farming season	Royal rituals predicting harvest, public ceremony
June 1	Children’s Day	Focus on child welfare	School events, gifts, family activities
June 18	Queen Mother’s Birthday	Honoring Queen Mother Norodom Monineath	Official ceremonies, flag displays
Sept 24	Constitution Day	Adoption of Cambodian Constitution (1993)	Government events, flag ceremonies
Sept 28–30	Pchum Ben (Ancestor’s Day)	Honoring deceased ancestors	Pagoda visits, food offerings to monks and spirits
Oct (varies)	Bon Om Touk (Water Festival)	Reversal of Tonle Sap river flow	Boat races, concerts, fireworks in Phnom Penh
Oct 15	King Father Memorial Day	Honoring King Norodom Sihanouk	Religious ceremonies, remembrance events
Oct 29	King Norodom Sihamoni’s Coronation Day	Commemoration of current king’s coronation	Royal celebrations, national ceremonies
Nov 9	Independence Day	Independence from France (1953)	Parades, fireworks, flag displays
Nov (varies)	Bon Om Touk (Boat Festival continuation)	Largest river festival in Cambodia	Boat races, street festivals
Dec 10	Human Rights Day	Global human rights awareness	NGO events, workshops
Dec 31	New Year’s Eve	End of year celebration	Parties, countdown events, fireworks

Major Festivals Explained

Khmer New Year (Biggest Holiday)

📅 April 14–16

This is Cambodia’s most important holiday. What happens:

People return to hometowns
Families clean houses for good luck
Water fights in streets
Traditional games in pagodas

👉 Businesses often close for 3–5 days

Water Festival (Bon Om Touk)

📅 October (varies yearly)

Celebrates the reversal of the Tonle Sap River flow. What happens:

Boat racing competitions
Night fireworks in Phnom Penh
Street food festivals
Millions of visitors

Best viewing location:

Phnom Penh riverfront

Pchum Ben (Ancestor’s Day)

📅 September (3 days)

A deeply spiritual Buddhist festival. What happens:

Families visit pagodas
Offer food to monks and ancestors
Early morning ceremonies
Belief that spirits return to earth

Unofficial Holidays

In Cambodia, some "unofficial holidays" such as Lunar New Year (Chinese New Year), Mid-Autumn (Moon Festival), Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day), Christmas, and Halloween are not on the official government calendar, but in practice, they can feel just as significant as official holidays