“ISAN SOUL PROUD”: ISANCF2025 returns to light up Khon Kaen

Discover over 200 programmes celebrating Isan's creativity and investment opportunities

Thaiger35 minutes agoLast Updated: Friday, May 23, 2025

72 3 minutes read

“ISAN SOUL PROUD”: ISANCF2025 returns to light up Khon Kaen

The clock is ticking; Thailand’s liveliest and most inspiring creative event of the year is fast approaching. Isan Creative Festival 2025 (ISANCF2025) returns for its fifth edition, this time, held under the theme “ISAN SOUL PROUD,” from June 28 to July 6, 2025, positioning Khon Kaen as a regional creative hub of northeastern Thailand.

Organised by the Creative Economy Agency (Public Organisation), or CEA, in collaboration with partners from the design community, artists, entrepreneurs, and civil society across Isan, the festival proudly showcases the region’s rich soft power through food, music, crafts, and regional inspiration.

With deep cultural roots, creative minds, and the energy of its people, Isan is rising to shape a new economy, led by its communities. The festival invites everyone to show their pride and be part of the creative transformation, redefining Isan not as a forgotten region, but as a region of boundless opportunity.

ISANCF2025 will light up the city with over 200 programmes across 9 days, spread across 4 main venues in Khon Kaen: TCDC Khon Kaen, Columbo Creative Community, Pullman Khon Kaen, and Sawathi Community, along with other areas across Isan.

ISANCF2025: ‘Region of Boundless Opportunity’ for everyone

The festival opens its doors to Isan residents to shape a better future by transforming the locals’ cultural assets into creative capital, infused with design, innovation, and emerging trends.

Through exhibitions, talks, workshops, academic forums, music events, and creative markets, it aims to turn Khon Kaen and other northeastern provinces into thriving creative districts, celebrated for their inherent value, investment potential, and their appeal as meaningful homecoming destinations.

In doing so, the festival fosters more inclusive and sustainable economic growth through the creative economy and plays a pivotal role in positioning Khon Kaen as a globally recognised creative city.

This year, ISANCF2025 showcases its full potential across two dimensions:

Showcasing cultural capital as new economic opportunity: Isan’s wealth of cultural assets is being reimagined through the creative industries in three key sectors: entertainment & content, crafts, art & design, and food. The festival also facilitates business matching to connect businesses with both domestic and international markets, while strengthening academic networks for a stronger presence on the global stage.
Unlocking spatial potential across the region: From provinces and cities to neighbourhoods and communities, the festival repositions Isan as a livable region full of charm, an investable area rich with potential, and a travel-worthy destination offering a wide range of experiences for creative exploration.

9 days, 7 types of activities, over 200 programmes

This year’s edition features expanded collaboration with creative forces, entrepreneurs, academic institutions, and networks from 20 provinces across northeastern Thailand.

It presents immersive experiences with more than 200 programs, ranging from music, film, food, crafts, design, to creative business, technology, and community innovation. The seven types of activities include:

Academic programme: e.g., Isan Creativity and Innovation Summit 2025
Creative business platform: e.g., ISAN MICE EXPO (by TCEB), ISANCF x Kupper Art Fes 2025, The Secret Sauce Business Weekend 2025 – Isan Edition, etc.
Showcases & exhibition: e.g., Laab Koey Universe, Muniverse Exhibition, Back to Isan! The Pavilion, etc.
Talk & workshop: e.g., Creative Wisdom Talk x H.O.W., NEXT STATION “Pla Ra,” etc.
Entertainment & event programme – e.g., ISAN SOUL PROUD Fashion Show, ISAN Music ConneXt, etc.
D-KAK creative market: showcasing original works by local creatives, artists, and entrepreneurs.
Creative district projects – e.g., SAWATHI HOME PROUD, Columbo Creative Community.

"ISAN SOUL PROUD": ISANCF2025 returns to light up Khon Kaen | News by Thaiger — Talk on a short film

Hope for the new generation, a path back home

Over the past four years, Isan Creative Festival (ISANCF) has proven itself as a pioneering platform for the regional creative economy, welcoming more than 1 million attendees, featuring over 6,000 creators and exhibitors, and generating an economic impact of more than 1.59 billion baht.

These achievements reflect the power of creative investment in driving both cultural enrichment and sustainable economic growth. ISANCF is also a proud member of the World Design Weeks and actively supports the vision of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), which promotes sustainable urban development through culture and creativity.

Come spread the pride and soul of Isan at the Isan Creative Festival 2025: ISAN SOUL PROUD, an event that will transform every corner of Isan into a vibrant, empowered landscape of opportunity.

From 28 June to 6 July 2025, in Khon Kaen, experience how creativity can uplift communities and propel local talents onto the global stage. Discover for yourself that Isan isn’t just rich in flavour, it’s proudly brimming with creative force.