Festival Lotus: Dates, Tickets & Venue (Siem Reap)

Silk, Stages and Two Kitchens

For nineteen days, a silk farm becomes a festival ground. Festival Lotus takes over the Lotus Silk Farm in Siem Reap from November 7 to 25, 2026. The programme brings together artisans, musicians and chefs from both Cambodia and France.

The venue’s name points to an unusual craft. Lotus silk is spun from fine fibres drawn out of lotus stems. It is slow, hand-worked and one of the rarest textiles in Asia, so even a narrow scarf is a serious object. Setting a Franco-Khmer festival at a place named for it suits the theme: making things by hand, in two traditions, side by side.

Why Siem Reap, and Why This November

The timing comes from diplomacy. Festival Lotus runs alongside the Francophonie Summit, the gathering of French-speaking nations, which Cambodia hosts in 2026. The French link goes back to the protectorate era (1863–1953), and you can still see it in the colonial shophouses around the Old Market.

November is the start of the dry season. The rains ease off and the humidity drops, which makes it one of the more comfortable months for walking around Angkor. Summit weeks usually bring delegations, press and extra security. Central hotels tend to fill up, and some roads can close at short notice.

Tickets, Sessions and What This Guide Leaves Out

We have no ticket prices, entry terms, daily schedules or performer names for this edition, so none appear here. Any figure you see without a source is a guess.

The event runs for almost three weeks, which makes it feel less like a single concert and more like a place you can drop into. Visitors usually pick a free afternoon or evening between temple days. Most spend a few hours there, long enough to:

• watch the artisans at work
• eat from both culinary traditions
• catch whatever music is playing

Getting Out to the Lotus Silk Farm

Most visitors set off from central Siem Reap, around Pub Street and the Old Market (Psar Chas). From there you can take a tuk-tuk, the motorbike-pulled carriage you’ll find on nearly every corner, or book a ride through PassApp or Grab. The apps show a fixed fare up front, so you don’t have to negotiate with the driver.

With a street-hailed tuk-tuk, people agree the fare before climbing in. If the ride is longer, travellers often hire the same driver for the return trip and ask them to wait. International flights land at Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport, roughly an hour’s drive from town. Most visitors book a transfer through their hotel.

Buying From the Makers, Politely

How you buy here matters as much as what you buy. Some local habits that make the day go smoothly:

• Money: US dollars and Cambodian riel both circulate. Small purchases often come back with riel as change, and small vendors tend to prefer cash. Many also take KHQR payments, the national QR code system, through Cambodian banking apps.
• Haggling: bargaining is normal at the Old Market. At an artisan’s table it’s a different matter. Lotus silk takes weeks to produce, so hard haggling there comes across as dismissive.
• Photos: ask before you photograph someone weaving or cooking. A gesture toward your camera and a nod usually does it.
• Greetings: chom reap suor means hello and or kun means thank you. A sampeah, palms pressed together at chest height, is the respectful way to greet older vendors. With the French theme, merci will get a smile too.
• Clothing: if your day combines the festival with Angkor, cover your shoulders and knees. You need them covered to climb the upper levels of Angkor Wat.

Building the Rest of Your Days Around It

A festival this long fits around a temple itinerary. Angkor Wat at sunrise, the stone faces of the Bayon and the trees growing through Ta Prohm make a full first day. Angkor passes are sold at the official ticket centre on the road out to the temples, where current prices are displayed.

Evenings in town centre on Pub Street and the night markets along the Siem Reap River. Phare, The Cambodian Circus, puts on acrobatic theatre performed by Cambodian artists. It sits well alongside a festival built around Khmer craft and performance. Three or four nights give you time for the temples, the farm and a slower day by the river.