Elephant Festival

Annual festivals

Elephant Festival

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Elephant Festival

Every year, in February

3 last events:

From 13 February 2023 to 20 February 2023

From 21 January 2020 to 28 January 2020

From 24 February 2019 to 27 February 2019

Iinitiated in 2006 by an NGO working for years with the elephants, this annual meeting became one of the big festivals of Laos, followed by thousands of Laotians who move to attend a number of exercises, parades, and elections of the most emblematic animal of Laos. Fifty elephants are walking around for 3 days in the streets of the small provincial town. A large market takes place for the occasion with all kind of local (or Thai) products.

Elephant parade during the festival in February

Below, taken from the Website of Elephant Asia:

As a living icon with important symbolic connotations and historical associations in Laos, the elephant is an animal dear to the hearts of the Lao people. Unfortunately, it is no exaggeration to say that the elephant, one of the defining components of Asian heritage, is today under threat.

Due to loss of its forest habitat, the Asian elephant is endangered in the wild. Because economic and technological change has limited the number of elephants needed in traditional occupations, the continued well-being of the region’s large number of domesticated elephants is also of concern, as is the future of mahouts and their families.

In response to these concerns, the Elephant Festival has been organised to raise awareness of the need for action to protect the Asian elephant as part of the vital cultural and natural heritage of Laos and the countries of the region. Sayaboury Province welcomes you back to pay tribute to its elephants and enjoy great cultural activities and entertainment.

Sayaboury Province has always been famous for elephants. The expert training and handling capabilities of local mahouts have made Sayaboury the focal point of Lao elephant-lore. In sayaboury, elephants are sacred.

They have been man’s best friend since time immemorial. Traditionally used for work in the forest, these magnificent animals are now looking forward to meeting you at this 6th elephant festival, giving you the chance to discover the riches and marvels

of the cultural and natural world surrounding them. Who could pretend to have visited Laos, the “Land of a Million Elephants”, without meeting one of these superb animals? So, come and meet the elephants and their masters at the Elephant Festival...where past and present meet...

Since 2012, the festival will be hosted in Sayabouri, and will not be managed by Elephant Asia as it was before.

in 2023: festival from 13 to 20 February
in 2021 and 2022, no festival
in 2020: festival from 21 to 28 February
in 2019: festival from 24 to 27 February
in 2018: festival from 15 to 18 February
in 2017: festival from 16 to 19 February
in 2016: festival from 19 to 21 February
in 2015: festival from 13 to 15 February
in 2014: festival from 17 to 19 February
in 2013: festival from 17 to 19 February

See also the fantastic article about this festival : https://sonasia-holiday.com/sonabee/laos-elephant-festival

Portfolio :

An elephant during the festival in february

One of the elephant during the competition in Hongsa

One of the elephant during the competition of the elephant festival

Parade of elephants in Hongsa during the festival

Elephant taking a bath during the festival

Elephant Festival in Sayabouri - Laos

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