In his opening remarks at the meeting, Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong emphasized that the second World Cultural Festival in Hanoi is not only a place to showcase the diverse cultures of Vietnam and other countries around the world, but also a space for cultural dialogue, where nations share their unique values and find common ground in their diversity. The Deputy Minister shared that each culture present in Hanoi adds a unique color to the overall picture, and it is this diversity that gives the festival its vitality. Following the success of the first festival in 2025, the second World Cultural Festival in Hanoi will take place from October 1st to 4th, 2026 at Thang Long Imperial Citadel , with the theme “Convergence of Heritage – Building the Future,” commemorating the 50th anniversary of Vietnam's membership in UNESCO.
Introducing the Festival, Director of the International Cooperation Department Nguyen Phuong Hoa outlined the overall picture of an event expanded in scale, content, and experiential forms, with the participation of 50 countries and international organizations, further affirming the widespread influence of an international cultural diplomacy event. With an upgraded scale and more diverse content compared to the first Festival, the second World Culture Festival in Hanoi will feature 45 cultural spaces, 35 food stalls, a film screening program with 18 participating countries, a fashion space with traditional costumes submitted by 19 countries, and the participation of 20 international art troupes, promising to create multicultural musical exchange spaces throughout the event from October 1st to 4th, 2026. These figures demonstrate the growing appeal of the Festival, while also creating a comprehensive and diverse program encompassing exhibitions, performances, cuisine, film, fashion, music, and cultural experiences.
Within the framework of this year's festival, the "Spreading Creativity from Heritage – International Games Festival" area offers a new experiential space, connecting historical and cultural values with technology and creative industries. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with Vietnamese businesses, introduces, releases, and operates video games inspired by Vietnamese history and culture, creating opportunities for the public to directly experience and explore heritage through modern interactive forms, cosplay performances, dance routines from the Audition game, and LED screen effects, opening up a youthful, vibrant, and attractive experiential space at the festival.
Director of the Department of International Cooperation Nguyen Phuong Hoa emphasized that the second World Culture Festival in Hanoi is the kick-off event for Vietnam's proposed initiative on the "International Decade for Culture for Sustainable Development" (2027-2036), which was recently adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. It contributes to spreading the message about the role of culture in promoting dialogue, connectivity, and sustainable development. The second World Culture Festival in Hanoi is expected to create a prominent cultural highlight in foreign relations in 2026, attracting the attention of the public and media both domestically and internationally. This is an opportunity for cultures to meet, exchange, and share unique values, while promoting the image of Vietnam, Hanoi, and the country's cultural values and heritage to international friends. The festival contributes to making Hanoi – a UNESCO Creative City – a meeting point of diverse global cultures, where traditional values are celebrated, new innovations are disseminated, and bridges of friendship between Vietnam and international friends are strengthened.
Phuong Linh (photo: Tran Huan)
Source: https://icd.gov.vn/le-hoi-van-hoa-the-gioi-tai-ha-noi-lan-thu-hai-khoi-dong-hanh-trinh-van-hoa-vi-phat-trien-ben-vung/
