Is it a music festival? A local carnival or fair? At first, we weren’t sure when we got invited to the Krabi Naga Fest by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Social media wasn’t a lot of help either, surprisingly. We heard it was a bit of both but still had no idea what it would be like until we actually get there.
That feeling alone was actually very exciting. Most festivals give a lot of information but that’s because they need to sell tickets. The Krabi Naga Fest, however, was and is absolutely free.
A little overview of Krabi Naga Fest
In its 3rd installment, the Krabi Naga Fest this year was held at the Klong Muang Beach in Krabi. Before I give you all the deets, I have to say it is one of the best festivals I have been to and it’s not because of epic productions or an amazing lineup of musicians. Because it didn’t and it wasn’t about that.
What I loved most about The Krabi Naga Fest was that it is a truly inclusive event that brings together communities of all kinds.
3 sections
At KNG (let’s call the fest this from now on), there were 3 sections or zones.
The first, as you pass the entrance, was the local market area. Well, actually it was more like a carnival. Set up on the grounds of Ban Khlong Mung School, the market itself could easily be confused as the actual KNG space. However, I think it’s simply an addition to give local vendors support and opportunity to increase their business. The massive market had an exorbitant amount of local food, some retail shopping, and even carnival games.
The second zone and third zone are part of the actual KNG. The signage lets you know where it starts from.
The second zone felt like a multi-branded, sponsored beer garden with plenty of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks being served. Some by hotels while others by big beverage brands like Leo, Singha, and Asahi. You could get cocktails, beers (cans, jugs, towers) and even buckets at extremely fair prices. Nothing was over 200 baht. Maybe except for the towers. Of course, there was also plenty of food.
The last zone was the beach zone. More hotel vendors (and some local businesses) were set up here selling food and drinks but the main feature was the music stage.
By night the beach was filled with people sitting on their mats with food and drinks that they had either bought at the markets or from home. It was a real picnic scene here as jazz musicians entertained the crowd.
Again, I couldn’t help appreciate the fact that no matter the social or financial status of a person, they could just come here and enjoy. Together. Whether you were poor or rich. Local or foreigner. It didn’t matter.
How to spend your time at Krabi Naga Fest
At first, it can feel a bit overwhelming with so much food, shopping and drinking options. But remember, KNG is a 3-day festival so if you miss out on something one day, you can always go back.
However, let’s say you can’t. You only have one day. Here’s what you should do.
Come early! Arrive there around 5:00 pm before the crowds roll in and get explore the space to get acquainted with what’s there. Don’t go to the local market as yet though.
Get a drink or grab a snack as you walk around. Check out the beach zone and the beer garden area.
As the sun starts to set, there are plenty of photo opportunities. Let this golden hour soak in. It’s an amazing time of day.
The performances and shows start around 7 or 8 pm, so if you want to catch them in time, head to the local market at the back quickly after sunset. Grab your food and come back to the beach.
Make sure you bring a beach blanket with you so you can sit on the sand and enjoy the music performances and fire show.
On the 2nd day, we saw hundreds, maybe a thousand people picnicking on the beach. They had bought food from the vendors or brought their own.
Yup, you can even bring your own food and drinks from home. There was no security check! In hindsight, we think there probably should be some.
The festival ends around midnight each day, so you have plenty of time to get more drinks, food and have a great fun day out with friends or family.
Very nice! Glad you got to experience something fun and exciting before the virus pandemic.