2026 Taipei Lantern Festival Opens Dual Zones; Ximending, Pop Mart Highlight Labubu

The 2026 Taipei Lantern Festival will split across two linked exhibition zones and run from Feb. 26 to Mar. 15, with a new pop-culture angle that should pull bigger evening crowds. Organizers announced at a Jan. 29 press conference that Taipei Expo Park (Yuanshan) and Ximending (West Gate) will host lantern displays and events, and that Pop Mart will partner in Ximending to showcase Labubu and other IPs for the first time.

Display and performance schedules are set. “Display Period: FEB. 26 – MAR .15, 2026, total of 18 days, with lanterns lit daily during the period 17:00~22:00.” Roc-taiwan lists weekday lighting 17:00-22:00 and extended hours 14:00-22:00 on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Roc-taiwan adds that stage programming will be concentrated on weekends: “Stage Program ：Events will take place on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 19:00– 21:00.” The official opening ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 26.

The two-area layout pairs a traditional large-scale installation park with a commercial, pop-culture corridor. Taipei Expo Park and Yuanshan Exhibition Area will host the major outdoor lantern displays near Yuanshan MRT, with nearby cultural stops including Taipei Confucius Temple, Dalongdong Baoan Temple, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, and The Grand Hotel Taipei. Ximending’s route runs from outside Beimen MRT Station along Zhonghua Road to the Nishi Honganji Temple area and is easily reachable from Beimen and Ximen MRT Stations. Taiwanderers notes the festival “is one of the biggest and best free events in Taipei in February 2026” and that “The Taipei Lantern Festival is free to visit and one of our favourite things to do in Taipei at night.”

Programming will include IP Lanterns, Friendship Exchange Lanterns, Theme Lanterns, and Brand Lanterns. Roc-taiwan lists those categories explicitly: “Lantern Group Features ：IP Lanterns, Friendship Exchange Lanterns (inviting friendly countries or international cities to participate), Theme Lanterns, and Brand Lanterns.” Taiwanderers also reports that the festival typically features 20 to 30 large-scale illuminations. For Labubu fans and blind-box hunters, Ximending’s Pop Mart showcase will be the main pop-culture draw; Travel Taipei emphasizes the novelty: “The 2026 Taipei Lantern Festival will feature ‘dual exhibition areas and dual IPs’ for the first time.” Travel Taipei adds a welcome note: “This year, the Taipei Lantern Festival welcomes you with open arms. We hope these two spectacular exhibition areas bring everyone double the joy and an abundance of blessings!”

Exhibitor details are useful for makers and small brands: Roc-taiwan lists participant provisions including “Lantern display platform ( power supply, 3.3KW limit ) ●Recommendation assistance for lantern artists or makers ●On-site promotional booth ●Assistance with related publicity.” Published platform dimensions appear in the exhibitor guidance as medium and small sizes (printed as “6m length2m width” and “3m length3m width” in source text), so artists should confirm exact measurements with organizers when registering.

What this means for locals and visitors: expect two distinct night-time circuits, family-friendly lantern art at Taipei Expo Park and a pop-culture lit walk in Ximending anchored by Pop Mart’s Labubu, free admission, easy MRT access, and weekend stage programs that peak between 19:00 and 21:00. If you plan to go, aim for weekday evenings to avoid the biggest crowds and bring a portable charger for long photo runs; collectors and exhibitor-minded creators should confirm registration windows and platform specs with Taipei City organizers before building large installations. The festival’s dual-zone format signals a bolder blending of traditional lantern craft and contemporary collectibles culture that will shape Taipei’s nightscape through mid-March.