The best things to do in Chiang Mai this weekend (April 2-5)

Chiang Mai's next generation of musicians takes the stage this Saturday for the grand finale of Chiang Mai Youth Music 2026 – a day-long showcase of young talent that has been building momentum all year. And with Chiang Mai being the city where popular Thai artists are born, this is your chance to see some of them before they make it big. Organised by the Chiang Mai Municipality alongside Chiang Mai Original – our favourite grass-roots original music community – the event gives secondary school bands a proper stage to perform on and an audience to match.

Performances run from 12pm onwards across a packed schedule, with local artist guests including RibbindaSky, Tree Natee Natee, Thanakon.band and Para Siptation. This is one worth showing up, not knowing anyone on the lineup and leaving having discovered three new favourite acts.

April 4. Free entry. Yupparaj Wittayalai School. Performances from midday

Ten artists, one theme and an opening night that gives you a very good reason to get dressed up this Saturday. The Power of Love group exhibition opens April 4 at Chiang Mai Art Museum, bringing together works from ten Thai and international artists including Jirayu Yuktanandana, Sarayut Viriya, Natthawut Jaikla and Gu Wenlong. We know love conquers all and this exhibition all but confirms it – ten artists, ten interpretations of what love means and how it affects us all differently.

The exhibition runs daily through to April 30, but catch the opening night and you can brush up against its own special energy and buzz.

April 4. Free entry. Chiang Mai Art Museum. From 6pm

Chiang Mai’s jazz underground turns into a space of visibility, expression and community for one special night, as performers and audiences come together to honour Trans Visibility Day. This heartfelt but energetic mix of live music, spoken word and wild performance is all about non-conforming – trust us, trans and queer voices are loud, warm and electrified. The night unfolds in three acts: an open stage inviting drag, poetry, comedy and more (with five-minute slots for those ready to step up), followed by a live set from The New Message Band featuring Steven, and closing with Fluid Frequencies, a soul-driven queer ensemble. Come to perform, come to support or simply come and enjoy the vibe – all are welcome.

Apr 2. B200 (door). Moment’s Notice Jazz Club. From 8.30pm

If you want to understand what Songkran actually means beyond the water guns and parties, this is the weekend event to attend. The fourth edition of the Chiang Mai Ethnic Market runs April 4-5 at LAN DIN in Rampoeng, exploring the shared traditions of the Thai and Myanmar New Year water festival through delicious food, culture, workshops and traditional ceremonies.

Over the course of two days expect a bustling market of independents and workshops making traditional snacks and crafts – including khanom tom, khanom tien and the traditional Lanna flag, tung. For a more in-depth dive into what the water festival is really about, stick around for the second day where cultural speakers from the Rak Lanna Group, the Myanmar Culture Association and Chiang Mai University take the stage, followed by a water pouring ceremony and traditional music and performances. This event will remind you that Songkran is so much more than just a water fight and a perfectly spiritual way to get into things a little ahead of schedule.

April 4-5. Free entry. LAN DIN. From 11am daily

Suan Anya is one of Chiang Mai's most unknown significant spaces – a garden and community hub for arts, history and performance that has stayed true to the vision of its founder, Kru Angoon Malik, who dedicated the land to the people and specifically to those without opportunity. This weekend marks 55-years of that legacy and the annual gathering is bigger than usual.

If you're ever looking to skip the usual tourist trail, this is how to properly immerse yourself in the local community and arts scene. The two-day programme is packed – exhibitions, a community market, lectures and panel discussions, live music in the garden and a theatre performance and film screening to round out each evening. Enough to fill your entire weekend with culture.

April 4-5. Free entry. Suan Anya Northern People’s Museum. Starts at 9am on April 4 and 1pm on April 5

Sanpakoi’s street market that takes place the first Sunday of every month is getting into the Songkran spirit a little early this weekend, and it's a good excuse to start your morning right. Taking place in the Anusarn Building, this market is going all in on the Lanna New Year theme – from a traditional water pouring ceremony and hanging of tung flags along the art alley to a light water play zone – emphasis on light – for those itching to get the water fighting started without going full chaos. 

This month also adds two workshops to the usual mix – drawing, bracelet making and a variety of handmade craft activities. If you haven't been before, come on an empty stomach because the food stalls and cafés in the building will have you wanting to try a bit of everything. The market is also dressing up for the occasion this month making it one of the more photogenic Sunday mornings on the Chiang Mai calendar right now.

April 5. Free entry but plenty of food to spend it on. Anusarn Building. 8am-1pm

Before the rituals of Songkran washes everything clean, get a final say in this stand-up night that is all about the bad decisions, cultural missteps and the kind of stories that should’ve stayed firmly behind closed doors. Three international comics take to the stage for a no-holds-barred confession session for a show that’s equal parts chaotic, relatable and sharply funny. Headlining is Emmy Award-winning comedian Tom Agna (known for Late Night with Conan O’Brien and The Chris Rock Show), joined by globe-trotting feature Adam Palmeter, whose sharp observational humour lands across cultures. And hosted by Scotland’s own Kevin Marsh, bringing high-energy, expat-fuelled wit to the stage throughout. Two Americans, one Scotsman – zero innocence, lots of belly-aching hilarity. 

Apr 3. Free entry. Winston’s Pool and Sports Club. 9pm

Jing Jai Market is already one of Chiang Mai's most popular markets, set in a community-focused space surrounded by trees. Once a month on the first Friday, the vintage market takes over with vendors from across northern Thailand – Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Lampang and Pai – bringing classic car parts, vintage clothing, rare band shirts, vinyl records and analogue cameras.

What makes this one different from your usual vintage browse is the swap culture – bring something to exchange and trade with fellow collectors rather than just buying new. There are also workshops for all ages covering art, craft and DIY activities, plus a chance to connect with vintage experts who actually know their stuff. Food, drinks and live music from Better Weather, a SpicyDisc artist, from 7pm round out the evening.

April 3. Free entry. Jing Jai Market. 4pm-10pm

Can bad art save you? Tear Factory Boy seems to think so. Bad Art Saves My Life, now showing at Head High Second Floor, leans into disappointment, jealousy and creative-industry burnout though art that is full of humour and meme-friendly faces. Spread across three interconnected rooms, the show moves from ‘The Money Face’ – a sharp jab at NFT-era art-market greed – to a room full of memes, where internet hilarity is reproduced through physical art and paint culture. Then, drag yourself out of the depths of Reddit to the ‘Not Ready Readymade’ room, where you’ll find everyday objects transformed with poems, jokes and quotes. This exhibition is best described as a portrait of our times – anxious, hyper-capitalised, chronically online and coping the only way we know how: through humour. 

Feb 28-Apr 10. Free. Head High Second Floor. Opening night 6pm, Feb 28

This exhibition at Deja Gallery invites you to sit with a question most of us have asked ourselves at least once: what if a different choice had been made? Featuring works by Jood Jung, Ignat Martynov, Chae Sengkwon, Jessica Chen, Kotaro Yokomizo and Christine Cho, the exhibition explores how we carry our past and the quiet weight of decisions left behind. Each piece approaches that theme differently, making the experience feel personal rather than prescriptive.

Feb 13-May 22. Free. Deja Gallery. Open Mon, Wed-Sun 8.30am-5pm