Taipei's year runs on two calendars. The traditional festivals, from Lunar New Year to the Mid-Autumn Festival, follow the lunar calendar, so their dates move every year. The city's big events, from Pride to the marathon to New Year's Eve, keep to the usual calendar. Here is the year month by month, with the latest confirmed dates.
We give 2027 dates only where they are announced or fixed by the lunar calendar (from the Hong Kong Observatory). For everything else we give the most recent dates, so you know which month to aim for, and you should check the organizer's page before you book around an event. For weather and the best months to come, see our best time to visit guide.
The year at a glance
| When | Event | Latest dates |
|---|---|---|
| January to February | Dihua Street New Year market | Jan 31 to Feb 15, 2026 |
| February | Lunar New Year | Feb 6, 2027 (holiday Feb 4 to 10) |
| February to March | Yangmingshan Flower Festival | Feb 5 to Mar 15, 2026 |
| February to March | Taipei Lantern Festival | Feb 25 to Mar 15, 2026; the Lantern Festival is Feb 20, 2027 |
| February to March | Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival | Feb 27 and Mar 3, 2026 |
| March to April | Calla lilies at Zhuzihu | Peak bloom, every year |
| June | Dragon boat races | Jun 19 to 21, 2026; Dragon Boat Festival is Jun 9, 2027 |
| August to September | Ghost Month | Aug 13 to Sep 10, 2026; Aug 2 to 31, 2027 |
| September | Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep 25, 2026; Sep 15, 2027 |
| October 10 | Double Tenth National Day | Every year |
| Late October | Taiwan Pride | Oct 31, 2026 |
| December | Taipei Marathon | Dec 20, 2026 |
| December 31 | New Year's Eve at Taipei 101 | Every year |
January and February: Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year (春節). Taiwan's biggest holiday: families clean house, put up lucky characters on their doors and gather for a big dinner on New Year's Eve. In 2027, Lunar New Year's Day is Saturday, February 6, and the official holiday runs from February 4 to February 10. Many shops and restaurants close or keep shorter hours, so book trains and hotels early and check opening hours.
Dihua Street New Year market (年貨大街). In the weeks before the holiday, Dihua Street (迪化街) becomes the city's big New Year market, packed with stalls selling New Year snacks, gifts and festival food. In 2026 it ran from January 31 to February 15, mainly along Section 1 between Nanjing West Road and Guisui Street, as a no-smoking, pedestrian-only market. The 2027 dates are not announced yet; it runs in the weeks before the holiday, so look for the city's announcement in January. MRT: Beimen Station (Green Line, G13) or Daqiaotou Station (Orange Line, O12). → Dadaocheng and Dihua Street
February and March: lanterns and flowers
Taipei Lantern Festival (臺北燈節). The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month, which closes the New Year season, and Taipei celebrates with its own lantern show. The 2026 Taipei Lantern Festival ran from February 25 to March 15, at two venues: Ximending and Taipei Expo Park. In 2027 the Lantern Festival itself falls on February 20; the city has not yet announced the dates or venues of its 2027 show.
Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival (平溪天燈節). In the hills of New Taipei, people write wishes on paper lanterns and release them into the night sky, a custom that once told families that the mountain workers were safe. In 2026 the mass releases were on February 27 at Pingxi Junior High School and March 3 at Shifen Square, with free release vouchers handed out from 10:30 on each day. Taiwan Railway adds trains on the Pingxi Line for the festival. → Pingxi and Shifen day trip
Yangmingshan Flower Festival (陽明山花季). Every spring, Yangming Park and its famous flower clock fill with cherry blossoms, azaleas and visitors. The 2026 festival ran from February 5 to March 15. Parking on the mountain is limited, so take the bus. Then from January to May, and best in March and April, the calla lilies bloom at Zhuzihu, and you can pick your own. → Yangmingshan National Park
June: dragon boats
Dragon Boat Festival (端午節). The 5th day of the fifth lunar month remembers the poet Qu Yuan, with dragon boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves. Taipei has held official dragon boat races since 1974, and the Taipei International Dragon Boat Championships are raced on the Keelung River at Dajia Riverside Park (大佳河濱公園) over the holiday weekend. In 2026 they ran from June 19 to 21, with 223 teams and an onshore carnival with an egg-balancing challenge, a market and music. In 2027 the festival falls on Wednesday, June 9. MRT: Dazhi Station (Brown Line, BR14).
August and September: Ghost Month and the Moon Festival
Ghost Month (鬼月). The seventh lunar month, when the gates of the underworld are said to open and spirits wander. Families, temples and neighborhoods set out tables of food, drinks and incense for them, and burn paper money, with the biggest offerings on the 15th day, the Zhongyuan festival (中元節). Visitors are welcome to watch the ceremonies or quietly step around them. In 2026 the month ran from August 13 to September 10; in 2027 it runs from August 2 to 31, and the 15th is August 16.
Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節). The 15th day of the eighth lunar month, a public holiday for family reunions and moon viewing, with mooncakes, pomelos and, in Taiwan, the newer custom of a barbecue with family and friends. It fell on September 25 in 2026 and falls on September 15 in 2027.
October: National Day and Pride
Double Tenth National Day (國慶日). October 10 is Taiwan's National Day, with the official ceremony in Taipei: parades, a flyby and helicopters carrying giant national flags over Taipei 101. The national fireworks move around Taiwan each year (in 2026 they were in Taitung), but Taipei 101 puts on its own show: in 2026 it ran for about 14 minutes from 22:00, with fireworks and 600 drones.
Taiwan Pride (臺灣同志遊行). Taiwan Pride is held in Taipei every year in late October. The 24th edition falls on Saturday, October 31, 2026, starting and finishing at Taipei City Hall (臺北市政府), with marchers gathering from 13:00. The organizers announce each year's date and routes on taiwanpride.lgbt. MRT: Taipei City Hall Station (Blue Line, BL18).
Good to know: autumn is also silver grass season on Yangmingshan, from September to a peak in November, and October and November are Taipei's best months for weather. It's a good time for a trip.
December: the marathon and New Year's Eve
Taipei Marathon. Taiwan's largest city marathon, founded in 1986, starts at Taipei City Hall Plaza and finishes at Taipei Municipal Stadium. The 2026 race is on Sunday, December 20.
New Year's Eve at Taipei 101. The city's countdown party runs for six hours on the evening of December 31 around Taipei City Hall, with acts from Taiwan and abroad, and ends with the midnight fireworks from Taipei 101. For the 2025 to 2026 countdown, the fireworks ran six minutes. The city has listed its Taipei New Year's Party 2027 for December 31, 2026. Crowds are huge, so arrive early. MRT: Taipei City Hall (Blue Line, BL18) for the party; Taipei 101/World Trade Center (Red Line, R03) for the tower. → Xinyi guide
Concerts and shows all year
Between the festivals, Taipei's arenas and concert halls, from the Taipei Dome and Taipei Arena to the Taipei Music Center, host shows all year, along with theater, dance and live houses. → Shows and nightlife · Concert venues · How to buy tickets
Spending time in the south too? Tainan has its own calendar of fireworks, temple processions and arts festivals. → Tainan's festivals and events on Inside Tainan
Sources
Lunar dates: Hong Kong Observatory calendars for 2026 and 2027. Festival customs: Taiwan Tourism Administration, traditional festivals and Taipei Travel, Ghost Month. 2027 Lunar New Year holiday: National Immigration Agency. Dihua Street market 2026: Commercial Times, January 30, 2026 and Focus Taiwan, February 4, 2026. 2026 Taipei Lantern Festival: Taipei Times, February 24, 2026. 2026 Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival: National Immigration Agency, February 3, 2026. 2026 Yangmingshan Flower Festival: National Immigration Agency, February 23, 2026. Calla lily season: Taipei Travel. Dragon boats: Taipei Travel, June 9, 2026. National Day 2026: Focus Taiwan, October 2, 2026 and CNA, October 10, 2026. Taiwan Pride 2026: Taiwan LGBT+ Pride, official site. Taipei Marathon: Taipei Travel event calendar. New Year's Eve: Taipei Travel event calendar and Focus Taiwan, January 1, 2026. Checked October 2026.