On the evening of October 4th, at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel historical site, the 2nd World Culture Festival in Hanoi 2026 officially closed, concluding four days of cultural exchange with the participation of 50 countries.
With the theme "Gathering Heritage - Shaping the Future," this year's festival brings together 50 countries, 45 cultural spaces, 19 international art troupes, and 35 food stalls. The film program showcases works from nearly 20 film industries.
For four days, Thang Long Imperial Citadel became a space showcasing heritage, performing arts, cinema, fashion , cuisine, and tourism. Besides activities within the heritage site, the parade on the pedestrian street brought the traditional art and costumes of many countries closer to the people and tourists.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh stated that the presence of countries, international organizations, artists, artisans, and a large audience created a broad and diverse space for cultural exchange.
According to the Minister, for Vietnam, culture is both the spiritual foundation of society and a goal, driving force, and resource for national development. Heritage preservation is not just about safeguarding values from the past, but also about ensuring that heritage continues to be present in contemporary life, being creatively developed, generating new values, and passing them on to future generations.
Placing heritage, art, cinema, fashion, cuisine, tourism, and creativity in the same space also demonstrates the potential for creating new cultural experiences and products. This is one way to enhance the role of the cultural industry, transforming creative capacity, identity, and cultural assets into resources for development, competitiveness, and national soft power.
This year's festival coincides with Vietnam's 50th anniversary of joining UNESCO. After half a century, Vietnam has gradually become an active, responsible member, increasingly proactively contributing initiatives to common issues of UNESCO and the international community.
In particular, the initiative "International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development 2027–2036" is mentioned as a milestone demonstrating Vietnam's proactive role in promoting culture in line with sustainable development goals.
The highlight of the closing ceremony was the artistic program consisting of two parts, "Colors Meet" and "Greetings from Vietnam," featuring international art troupes and many Vietnamese artists.
In the "Meeting of Colors" segment, performances from Iran, the Russian Federation, Mexico, Myanmar, Belgium, and Vietnam showcase diverse cultural characteristics through music, dance, and performance language.
The "Greetings from Vietnam" segment takes the audience on a journey from its origins and heritage sites to contemporary life. Traditional music and art from various regions are showcased in a new performance space, presenting an image of a Vietnam rich in identity, dynamic, and open.
At the event, the Organizing Committee presented commemorative plaques to international delegations, recognizing the participation of artists, artisans, and representatives from various countries.
Based on the results of the two previous editions, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will continue to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the city of Hanoi, UNESCO, diplomatic missions and international partners to gradually build the World Cultural Festival in Hanoi into a prestigious platform for international cultural exchange and cooperation.
Following this direction, the festival will be held annually, possessing its own unique identity and generating concrete collaborative results year after year. Hanoi aims not only to be the venue but also to become a regular meeting place for cultures, connecting initiatives related to heritage, creativity, cultural industries, and sustainable development.
Concluding its second edition, the Organizing Committee sends a message to international friends to respect differences to enhance understanding; to share values to promote cohesion and expand cultural cooperation for peace and development. The third World Culture Festival in Hanoi is scheduled to be held in 2027.
Source: https://congluan.vn/huong-toi-to-chuc-thuong-nien-le-hoi-van-hoa-the-gioi-tai-ha-noi-post362856.html
