Taipei: This year's Thai Festival will be held in Taipei next week, featuring food, performances and an AI exhibit that lets visitors virtually try on national costumes developed by Thailand's late queen mother, the Thailand Trade and Economic Office (TTEO) said Wednesday. According to Focus Taiwan, Narong Boonsatheanwong, Thailand's top representative to Taiwan, announced at a press conference in Taipei that Thai Festival 2026 will showcase a lineup of performances and exhibits aimed at giving visitors "a firsthand sense of the creativity and beauty of Thai culture." The annual festival, themed "Creative Life and Creative Heartbeat," is scheduled to take place at the Far Eastern Department Store Xinyi A13 from April 24-26. It will feature food stalls and exhibits by 10 selected Thai brands, according to Narong. The TTEO plans to use the festival to honor Thailand's Queen Mother Sirikit, who passed away in October last year, highlighting her contributions, particularly her role in developing Thailand's nat ional costume. In the 1960s, Thai women did not have a clearly defined national costume, so the Queen Mother directed experts to study ancient court attire and incorporate modern tailoring techniques, which later became a model for today's national costume for Thai women. These designs were designated as part of Thailand's national cultural heritage in 2023. An AI-powered interactive exhibit at the festival will allow visitors to virtually try on Thailand's national costumes and take photos, Narong said. Thai performers, including dance group Sbunnga, music group The Ping Reverie, and boy band Lad, have been invited to perform. Additionally, 13 T-Pop artists will appear and interact with fans. The opening ceremony is set to begin at 3 p.m. on April 25, with three lucky visitors selected to win round-trip tickets between Taipei and Bangkok, according to the TTEO.