Riverside Music Festival on the Chao Phraya in Phitsanulok Draws Big-Name Artists to Boost Tourism

The Chao Phraya Riverside Music Festival in Phitsanulok for 2026 officially opened on Friday evening, featuring performers from both international and Thai music scenes on a stage along the Chao Phraya River. A wide variety of musical styles — pop, rock, folk and local traditional music — energized the old town area, attracting thousands of residents, tourists and local community members to the event.

The festival was organized by the provincial tourism office in collaboration with local businesses and the community committee. Its goals are to stimulate tourism during the rainy season, give local artists a platform to perform, and preserve and promote local culture blended with contemporary elements. Activities at the event included a local food zone, craft booths, demonstrations of silk weaving and basketry, and a small panel discussion on developing creative tourism attractions in Phitsanulok.

The provincial administrative organization chief said at the opening ceremony that the festival is an important opportunity to spread income to communities along the Chiang Rai riverside and the old town. The aim is to make Phitsanulok a destination for visitors who want cultural experiences combined with entertainment. Organizers also coordinated with local tour operators to offer packages that include visits to historic sites such as Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat and the national museum, with the goal of increasing length of stay and tourist spending.

This year’s highlights included rising young artists and traditional performers who fused luk thung and molam music with modern sounds, creating diverse musical color. Audience members said they were impressed by the riverside atmosphere; some families traveled together from Bangkok and neighboring provinces, booking accommodations in town to attend the concerts and sightsee over the weekend. Local restaurant and hotel operators reported that bookings rose by about 30–40% during the festival compared with a typical week.

Although the festival was well received overall, there were complaints about traffic and safety management, particularly narrow access routes and disorderly parking. Municipal officers and tourist police coordinated intensive traffic control and parking arrangements. Organizers said they will revise the site layout for future events to ease traffic problems and add emergency service points such as first aid stations and emergency entrances/exits.

The long-term impact hoped for from the festival is to create a sustained tourism trend linking cultural activities and entertainment, so that Phitsanulok will be known not only as a historical city but also as one with lively public events and a modern lifestyle. The mayor of the old town said the municipality will continue developing infrastructure to support such events, including permanent stages, standardized power and sound systems, more green spaces, and training for local volunteers to enhance the experience for tourists and residents over the long term.