April is Cambodia’s hottest month and its single biggest festival month — the two are connected, since the scorching heat is traditionally cooled by days of water-throwing during Khmer New Year, the country’s most important holiday. Nearly everything else on the calendar in April either is Khmer New Year or grows directly out of it, with large-scale celebrations extending well beyond the three official holiday days in both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.
This guide covers Khmer New Year, also called Choul Chnam Thmey, and the other Cambodia events in April, with dates, locations and practical information for travelers. Dates marked TBC are not yet announced, so confirm them with the organizers before you book.
Khmer New Year and Cambodia Events in April at a Glance
| Date | Event | Location | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 14–16 | Khmer New Year (Choul Chnam Thmey) | Nationwide | National holiday and festival | Confirmed (three public holidays) |
| Around April 13–16 | Angkor Sankranta | Siem Reap and Angkor Wat | Cultural festival | TBC, programme not announced |
| Around April 14–19 | Nokor Sankranta | Phnom Penh | Cultural festival | TBC, programme not announced |
April 14–16: Khmer New Year (Choul Chnam Thmey)
When: April 14–16, 2027 (three official public holidays)
Where: Nationwide, with the largest organized celebrations in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh
Type: National holiday and Cambodia’s biggest festival
Khmer New Year, known locally as Choul Chnam Thmey, is Cambodia’s most important holiday by a wide margin — the equivalent of Songkran in Thailand or Thingyan in Myanmar, marking the end of the harvest season and the start of the new year on the traditional Khmer calendar.
The Three Days of Khmer New Year
The holiday unfolds over three named days, each with its own traditions. The first day, Maha Sangkran, marks the arrival of the new year’s celestial guardian; people clean and decorate their homes, set up an altar with offerings, and visit pagodas to pray. The second day, Wanabot, is traditionally devoted to charity, with donations made to the poor, the elderly and monks, and families performing merit-making ceremonies for ancestors. The third day, Leang Saka, involves ritual bathing of Buddha statues and, in many families, of elders as a sign of respect and a wish for good health and prosperity in the year ahead.
What Visitors Will See
For visitors, the most visible parts of the holiday are the ones that spill into the streets: water-throwing and water-splashing between strangers as a blessing and a way to beat the heat, talcum-powder dusting, traditional games such as Chol Chhoung (a courtship game involving a rolled cloth) and tug-of-war, and the sale of kralan, sticky rice and beans roasted in bamboo tubes, as a signature seasonal snack.
Practical Notes for Khmer New Year
Practically, expect much of the country to shut down for the three official days — many shops, restaurants and services close as Cambodians travel to their home provinces to be with family — while at the same time Siem Reap and Phnom Penh host the country’s largest organized public festivities, described in the two entries below.
Tourist tip: If you don’t want to be soaked, avoid wandering certain streets (especially around Siem Reap’s Pub Street and Phnom Penh’s riverside) during peak water-throwing hours in the afternoon — or embrace it, since good-natured water fights are very much part of the experience.
Angkor Sankranta in Siem Reap (Dates TBC)
When: Held annually around Khmer New Year; the 2025 edition ran April 13–16. Exact 2027 dates and program had not yet been announced at the time of writing
Where: Angkor Wat, the Siem Reap River and Royal Independence Gardens, and Pub Street, Siem Reap
Type: Large-scale cultural festival
Angkor Sankranta (also called Siem Reap Sankranta) is Siem Reap’s large-scale annual extension of Khmer New Year, run by provincial authorities as a multi-day program across several venues in and around the city.
Past editions have included flag-raising and parade ceremonies, classical and folk performances such as Lkhon Khol and Lkhon Bassac theatre, boat parades and floating lantern ceremonies on the Siem Reap River, traditional sporting competitions including chariot races, chess and tug-of-war, Buddha-statue bathing rituals, folk games, floating markets, concerts, and meditation sessions at Angkor Wat itself.
The festival has run in some form every year in recent years, but exact dates, venues and program details are set by local authorities and typically confirmed only weeks ahead — treat the estimated dates here as a planning guide rather than a confirmed schedule, and check local Siem Reap event announcements closer to your travel dates.
Nokor Sankranta in Phnom Penh (Dates TBC)
When: Held annually around Khmer New Year; the 2026 edition ran April 14–19. Exact 2027 dates and program had not yet been announced at the time of writing
Where: Wat Phnom, the Independence Monument, and the riverside area, Phnom Penh
Type: Cultural festival
Nokor Sankranta is Phnom Penh’s answer to Siem Reap’s Angkor Sankranta — a multi-day cultural celebration of Khmer New Year held around the capital’s central landmarks.
Recent editions have leaned into traditional culture over commercial entertainment, featuring traditional games, classical dance performances, religious ceremonies and displays of ancient Khmer martial arts, alongside charitable elements such as fundraising for soldiers and displaced families.
It draws a more local, family-oriented crowd than Siem Reap’s temple-centered celebrations, and is worth folding into a Phnom Penh itinerary if you happen to be in the capital over Khmer New Year, though it is not itself a reason to route a trip through Phnom Penh over Siem Reap.
Khmer New Year Schedule, Transport and Opening Hours
- Day 1, Maha Sangkran (April 14): cleaning homes, altars and pagoda visits. Streets are busy with people traveling home.
- Day 2, Wanabot (April 15): charity and merit-making. Many shops and restaurants are closed, and water-throwing gets lively in the afternoon.
- Day 3, Leang Saka (April 16): bathing Buddha statues and elders, with continued street celebrations.
The dates April 14–16 are widely listed for the three official days, but the government confirms the holiday and any extra days off, so check the official notice. Many businesses, markets and offices close for the three days, while tourist-oriented restaurants and hotels usually stay open. Opening hours at attractions, including Angkor Archaeological Park, can change for the holiday, so check the day’s hours before you go. Our temple visiting guide covers tickets and routes.
Intercity buses, minibuses and flights are heavily used as Cambodians travel to their home provinces just before and after the holiday. Book transport early, avoid traveling on April 13 and April 17 if you can, and expect higher prices and full vehicles. For a base in Siem Reap, see our Siem Reap travel guide.
What Is April Like for Travelers in Cambodia?
April is the hottest month of the year in Cambodia, with daytime temperatures regularly climbing past 35°C (95°F) in the weeks before the rainy season arrives — this is precisely why splashing water over friends and strangers became such a central part of the New Year tradition.
It is also, alongside December–January, one of the two busiest tourist stretches of the year, driven almost entirely by Khmer New Year — flights and hotels around April 14–16 book up well in advance, and domestic transport is heavily used as Cambodians travel home for the holiday, so plan bookings early if your trip overlaps with these dates.
See our best time to visit Siem Reap guide for more detail on weather and crowd patterns this time of year.
Where to Stay in Cambodia in April
Your choice of base depends on which side of Khmer New Year you want to experience, and book well ahead either way — this is peak season.
Siem Reap
Siem Reap is the top choice for travelers who want the biggest, most temple-centered version of Khmer New Year, via Angkor Sankranta’s multi-venue program around Angkor Wat and the river.
Compare different areas in our Where to Stay in Siem Reap guide, or browse the full range in our best hotels in Siem Reap guide.
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh offers a more local, less touristy version of the holiday via Nokor Sankranta around Wat Phnom and the riverside, and is generally a calmer base than Siem Reap during the New Year rush.
See our guide to where to stay in Phnom Penh before booking, or compare properties directly in our best hotels in Phnom Penh guide.
April Events in Cambodia: What Should Tourists Prioritize?
If you are planning a Cambodia trip specifically around April events, here is a rough order of priority for international travelers:
- Khmer New Year — April 14–16, Cambodia’s biggest festival and, for most travelers, the single best reason to visit in April
- Angkor Sankranta — around mid-April, Siem Reap, for the largest organized public celebration, centered on Angkor Wat
- Nokor Sankranta — around mid-April, Phnom Penh, a good add-on if you are already based in the capital over the holiday
Bottom Line
April is Cambodia at its hottest and, for Khmer New Year, at its most festive — if you can handle the heat and the crowds, it is one of the most rewarding times of year to experience the country’s culture directly rather than from behind a temple ticket.
Khmer New Year itself, April 14–16, is the anchor event, with Siem Reap’s Angkor Sankranta and Phnom Penh’s Nokor Sankranta extending the celebration into larger, city-organized festivals in each place.
If you are planning an April trip, use this calendar as a starting point and check official event sources before traveling, since exact festival dates and programs — beyond the three fixed public holidays — can shift from year to year and are typically confirmed only weeks in advance.
Khmer New Year: Frequently Asked Questions
When is Khmer New Year?
Khmer New Year, also called Choul Chnam Thmey, is celebrated over three days from April 14 to 16, and these are the official public holidays.
What is Choul Chnam Thmey?
It is the Khmer name for Khmer New Year. The three days are Maha Sangkran, Wanabot and Leang Saka.
What is Sankranta?
Sankranta festivals are the multi-day cultural programmes in Siem Reap (Angkor Sankranta) and Phnom Penh (Nokor Sankranta) that extend the Khmer New Year celebrations. Exact dates are announced locally.
Are shops and attractions open during Khmer New Year?
Many local shops, markets and offices close for the three official days. Tourist restaurants and hotels are usually open, but opening hours vary, so check ahead.
Will I get wet during Khmer New Year?
Very likely. Water-throwing and talcum powder are part of the celebration, especially in the afternoon on busy streets in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.