The 2026 Giant Puppet Street Parade
Cambodia’s largest community arts project returns to the streets of Siem Reap. Siem Reap is world-famous for the ancient beauty of Angkor Wat, but it is also home to one of Cambodia’s most inspiring community celebrations — the Giant Puppet Parade.
Giant Puppet Parade in Siem Reap 2025
Launched in 2007, the Giant Puppet Parade began as a small community arts project and has since grown into a much-loved annual event. Each year, enormous glowing puppets — some stretching 10 to 30 meters long — are carried through the streets by children and volunteers, transforming the city into a moving work of art.
Through hands-on puppet-making workshops, local children discovered that art is more than creativity — it builds confidence, encourages self-expression, fosters teamwork, and instills pride. For weeks each year, hundreds of children from local schools and NGOs gather in the garden of Wat Damnak Pagoda to design and construct these spectacular giant puppets from rattan, bamboo, glue and paper.
Puppet workshop in Wat Damnak Pagoda 2025
The 2026 Giant Puppet Street Parade will take place on February 21, 2026, with a special theme this year celebrating Cambodia’s wildlife — The Wild Parade!
Leading the parade is the Giant Peace Dove - an international symbol of peace, hope, and humanity. A powerful symbol of hope for our childrens future.
The Giant Peace Dove fundraiser poster
More than a colorful spectacle, the Giant Puppet Parade brings together local and expatriate children to work side by side. Through shared creativity, they exchange ideas, learn new skills, and form friendships that cross cultural boundaries. The parade fills the streets with joy, imagination, and community pride, uniting families, neighbors, and visitors alike.
From the very beginning, the project carried a strong educational mission: teaching craftsmanship, collaboration, and creativity, while often exploring themes of environmental and cultural awareness. It also sought to revive Cambodia’s tradition of street festivals — creating something the local community could truly enjoy and call their own.
Over the years, the parade has grown into one of Siem Reap’s most beloved cultural events, with hundreds of children participating and thousands of spectators lining the streets. What began as a modest art-education initiative has blossomed into a vibrant cultural tradition — a powerful symbol of unity, creativity, and community spirit in one of Cambodia’s most dynamic cities.