Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – The 2nd “Ho Do" International Music Festival and the 2nd Ho Chi Minh City Hot Air Balloon Festival will be held in the city from December 8 -11.
Speaking at a press conference to announce the information on November 11, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy affirmed that these will be the biggest cultural events in the southern hub to further speed up the development of cultural industry and stimulate local tourism.
These events are expected to attract nearly 500,000 on-site and 10 million online visitors.
Various activities will be organised at Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street, Thu Thiem 2 Tunnel Park in District 1 and "HOZO Metaverse" virtual platform.
Director of the city centre for tourism promotion Nguyen Cam Tu said the festivals will be an important highlight to attract holiday-makers to the city, thus contributing to promoting recovery and sustainable tourism development./.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism on March 1 announced the 8th municipal ao dai (traditional long dress) festival will kick off on March 5 and last until April 15.
More than 200 entries from 86 radio stations nationwide will compete for awards at the 15th National Radio Festival held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 4-6.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The event served as a vibrant display of solidarity, promoting peace, cooperation, and development through cultural dialogue, and reaffirmed HCM City's role as a dynamic hub for cultural diplomacy and international friendship.
The Indian Film Festival not only honours the artistic value of cinema but also contributes to strengthening the friendship and enhancing cultural exchange between the people of Son La in particular and Vietnam in general and India.
An art exchange programme between Vietnam and Cambodia was held on the evening of June 13 in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long as part of the 2025 Cambodia Culture Week in Vietnam.
Digitalisation does not mean commercialisation or oversimplification of culture. It is a way of selecting, adapting, and spreading traditional values through a modern language.
Illustrative image (Photo: congthuong.vn) 
