Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam’s biggest music festival, Monsoon Music Festival,  will return in November after a hiatus in 2018, its organisers announced on May 28.

In November 2017, they said that that year could be the festival's last aslocal authorities didn't want the festival to take place again at theformer Imperial Citadel of Thang Long due to its historical significance.

However, the festival’s founder and head of its organising board, composer andmusic producer Quoc Trung, has persuaded local cultural authorities and otherrelevant bodies to let the party go ahead at the 10,000-capacity venue.

“The vast grass grounds of the Imperial Citadel on Hoang Dieu Street are justfor non-commercial events. I have to reiterate that the festival is notprofitable and for the community. We run this festival without profit in mind.My wish is to develop it to become one of most prestigious international musicfestivals of the region,” said Trung.

According to him, over four editions since its debut in 2013, the festival hasreceived more than 200 artists from 20 countries and territories, and 125,000attendees.

The event was nominated at the ‘Vietnamese Grammy’ Devotion Awards for fourconsecutive years and won the award for Music Show/Festival of the Year in2015.

The festival has also been celebrated as part of Hanoi’s long-term culturaldevelopment plan, which was approved by the city’s People’s Committee ChairmanNguyen Duc Chung.

“We got approval to continue the festival last year, but, due to a timecrunch, we could not handle everything. Normally, to ensure every step of thefestival can be perfect, we have to start the preparation a year in advance,”Trung said.

This year, the festival will take place from November 1 to 3, with nodetails announced on performers as yet.  

The organisers have also launched an appreciationprogramme 'Super Fans Wanted' which will expire on June 11,with 100 people who attended all previous editions set to receive free ticketsto Monsoon in 2019.

Previous editions of the festival have featured performancesby Grammy-winning soul singer Joss Stone, best-selling string quartetBond and the world-famous rock band Scorpions.-VNA