The best things to do in Phuket this weekend (March 26-29)

Into rock? Love beaches? Then Koh Sirey’s pirate-themed, Big Island Music Festival has you covered. Billed as a massive, high-profile ‘phenomenon party’ for the island, the annual music event brings some of the hottest Thai rock artists to the island’s shores. Big Ass take the headline spot, with their more recent repertoire leaning into harder, punk- and metal-influenced styles, while Potato follows close behind with a more multi-instrumentalist set of rock-pop with an international flair. And while black and vampire-red colours dominate, the festival isn’t all thrash metal, bandanas and metalwork-spiked leather. There’s food, family zones and much more besides. 

Mar 28. B1,490. Big Island Music Festival, Sunrise Beach, Koh Sirey. 4pm-midnight

Screams and gasps, shared laughter and the warm, buttery smell of popcorn are all great reasons why cinema just rocks. Now picture all that under the stars and you’ve pictured Cassia as their beachfront has turned into an open-air cinema. With the backing of their brilliant farm-to-table restaurant, Open Kitchen, the beachfront courtyard swaps loungers for bean bags every month. Kids movies usually kick off the show, with Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken showing at 6.30pm this Saturday, followed by Daniel Craig’s 007 latest, No Time to Die, as dinners turn into cocktails. Pets are also welcome, if that’s enough to persuade you. 

Mar 28, and every month Tue and Sat. Free. Open Kitchen, Cassia. 6.30-9.30pm

Suckers for seafood, beware. Marriott Phuket Town is pulling out all the stops this weekend as we dive straight into snow crab season. Their international, belly-pleasing seafood feast brings all the hits besides the crab, including freshly caught fish, king crab, shellfish, sushi and the local stir-fried hoy kratib – all served fresh and prepared alongside other grilled meats and vegetable options including Wagyu beef and plenty of other gourmet highlights.

Mar 27-28 (and following weekends). B1,350 for classic, B1,890 for deluxe. Courtyard by Marriott Phuket Town. 6pm-10pm

Pick out your best white outfits and head for the foamy pools of Patong Bay Hill for a friday foam party that’s something of legend. This usually polished setting turns playful for the day, with its White Lagoon Pool Club hosting a foam-fuelled bash where the only rule is simple: all-white everything. Think Y2K, late-’90s or full Millennium-era looks – this is your excuse to lean into the throwback. And as the bubbles start flying, so do the beats. A steady stream of ’90s dance anthems keeps you moving, while white linen and retro fits somehow make everyone look cooler than they planned. It’s messy, nostalgic and a whole lot of fun.

Mar 27. Free. Patong Bay Hill. 2-6pm

Heads up, house heads – Illuzion Phuket welcomes none other than David Morales, the godfather of New York house to the stage, and it’s a banger. Sets steeped in funk, disco, Latin grooves are on the cards as he brings his experience from Pacha to Space in Ibiza and beyond. A Grammy-winning producer, he’s also left his mark far beyond the booth, remixing and producing for icons like Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, U2 and Aretha Franklin – over 500 records and counting. So if you’re already hearing that irresistible beat pulse creeping in, consider this your sign. Plan a lie-in for Monday – doors close at 4am, but the soundtrack will stick with you all week.

Mar 29. Illuzion Phuket. 9pm-4am 

History and culture buffs are commanded to head to the Thalang Victory Field this weekend for the Thao Thepkrasattri-Thao Sri Suntorn Festival. The annual event honours two heroines for their courage during the Burmese invasion of 1785. If you’re not up to speed with the story, two local ladies rally locals to dress as male soldiers to intimidate the enemy, a strategy that worked – for some time at least. Today, highlights of the festival include an outdoor light-and-sound show that captures this story in more modern ways, as well as a nightly reenactment of the battle with over 300 performers – we’re talking duels, swords and stabbing attacks through real plate armor. Alongside, cultural shows create magic with shadow puppetry, folk games and Thai sword dances, as well as hundreds of food stalls that help you ‘fight’ away any hunger pains. 

Mar 13-27. Free. Thalang Victory Memorial Field. 8am-midnight

When you think of Phuket, it’s easy to dream about beaches and barbecues. Once you’re actually here, the relationship between people, art and nature becomes a lot more nuanced. In celebration of this (and because, where better?) Thailand Biennale Phuket has set up a secure spot along the beaches and backstreets of the island, showcasing the best art the region has to offer. And while the Biennale is the largest contemporary art event on the island, you don’t even need to cough up an entry fee. Exhibitions and artworks by over 60 international artists are spread across 20 locations, from ‘Silent Memories’, a burlap sack pavilion set up at Khao Rang viewpoint, to ‘The Labyrinth #2’, that blends with the landscape of Saphan Hin Park – there’s lots to be seen, touched and contemplated. Whether mangrove tunnels or street art murals are more your thing – use art as a compass and join this visual feast all the way ‘til April. 

Nov 29-April 30. Free. Locations across Phuket, details here at Thailand Biennale 2025-2026. Opening hours vary

 If you’re going to do a boat party in Phuket, you may as well do it properly. The VIP Sunset Catamaran Experience swaps cramped ferry decks for the pinewood levels of a luxury catamaran – five hours of island hopping, swim stops and rooftop-style dancing. Run with Shipfaced – the crew behind parties in Sydney and Zakynthos, plus collaborations with Cafe del Mar, Paradise Beach’s Full Moon Party, Circo Loco and even Tomorrowland – this is Phuket’s new premium take on the classic sea rave. The route cruises from Chalong Pier to Coral Island, with a swim stop at Banana Beach (yes, that postcard-perfect one), then on past Racha Island before parking up at Promthep Cape for a sunset session and final DJ set. Standard tickets include transfers from Chalong area hotels, welcome drink and full cruise access, while VIP upgrades score you priority boarding, a reserved top-deck table, bottle service and unlimited shots for you and your crew. Tickets are still available, but best sourced through third-party tour operators.

Every Thursday until April. From B1,800. Departs from Chalong Pier 2.15pm. Hotel pickup 1pm

Forget your Google Maps pins – they’re all probably out of date anyway – and let Rush On guide you through some of the more hidden parts of Phuket through a playful gamified tour of Patong, Kata, Old Town, Rawai and beyond. Sign up and you get access to all you need for a self-guided scavenger hunt adventure packed with puzzles, challenges and genuinely great spots to update your map with. Bike or car tours are also available, although we prefer scavenging as there’s a prize waiting at the finishline… if you can make it. Prefer a bit of competition? Their guided Saturday challenge races add a social, fast-paced twist for teams and solo players of all ages. We hear the spirit is fierce. 

Feb 5-8 (and most weekends). B149 to B1,000 depending on your package, tickets here. Various locations. Midday-8pm (Saturday races 4pm onwards)

Into spirits? The drinkable kind? Head to The Distillery Phuket for an insider look at how Chalong Bay Rum and other small-batch tipples are made, from raw sugarcane to snifter cup. This is no backstreet operation – this is a proper guided tour through the working distillery, with stops for tasting along the way. Sure, you can sip Chalong Bay at many bars along the beach, but sampling yet-to-be-bottled rums, gins and vodkas while learning the basics behind distilling and cocktail-making adds new ‘depth’ to the glass. Plenty of swirling and sipping happens here, and maybe a few ‘just one more’ moments to be found as well. 

 Daily. B1,290. The Distillery Phuket. 11am-10pm

Ladies, Thursdays in Bang Tao just got a little more glamorous. Dolly’s Night at Maya Beach Club is your weekly excuse to lean into refined beachside energy with a night dedicated to feminine vibes. Start off at sunset, with deep-house rhythms and an ultra-glam dress-code to match Phuket’s beautiful golden hour. By 7pm, things shift to smooth sophistication with DJ Marcella curating a soundtrack and a troupe of pink-cladded acrobats who take you from dinner to dancefloor in one fell swoop. If you’re skipping the food, get there before 9pm to make the most of free-flow Prosecco and catch up with those already a bottle or two deep. 

Every Thursday. Free for women, B1,000 for men. Maya Beach Club. 7pm-late