Also attending were members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam: Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Vu Dai Thang; and Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department Bui Hoai Son.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra , Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh, and other delegates attended the ceremony.
Deputy Ministers of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong and Hoang Dao Cuong attended the program.
On the international side, the program was attended by the Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Lazare Eloundou Assomo.
The event was attended by current and former leaders of the Party and State; leaders of central and Hanoi city departments, ministries, and agencies; ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions and international organizations; and Vietnamese and international art troupes.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra delivered a speech at the festival.
Following the success of the first festival in 2025, the second World Cultural Festival in Hanoi will be held with the theme " Convergence of Heritage – Shaping the Future ," to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam's membership in UNESCO. The festival will take place at Thang Long Imperial Citadel from October 1-4, 2026, with the participation of 50 countries, international organizations, and businesses.
Compared to the first edition, this year's festival has expanded in terms of the number of participating countries, the venue, and the types of activities. The Organizing Committee hopes that the diversification of programs will create more opportunities for exchange and connection between cultures.
This year's program has been expanded to include 45 cultural spaces and 35 food stalls. The film screening program features participation from 16 countries, while the fashion space has traditional costumes submitted by 19 nations.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra, Minister Lam Thi Phuong Thanh, and other delegates visited the spaces of the participating countries at the Festival.
In addition, 20 international art troupes will participate in performances, creating a series of multicultural music and art activities throughout the four days of the festival.
Activities are implemented across various forms, from exhibitions, performances, cuisine, film, fashion to music and cultural experiences. Through these, countries have the opportunity to introduce their identity, heritage, and distinctive cultural values to the Vietnamese and international public.
A new feature at this year's festival is the "Creative Spreading from Heritage" area – the International Festival Games. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with Vietnamese businesses, will introduce, release, and operate video games inspired by Vietnamese history and culture.
The impressive opening of the festival.
Through interactive games and activities, the public can access content about history, culture, and heritage in a more visual and modern way. This area also features cosplay performances, combining dance moves from the Audition game with LED screen effects, creating an additional experiential space for young people within the framework of the Festival.
The organizers envisioned incorporating video games and interactive technology into a cultural event as a way to connect heritage values with the creative industry and contemporary cultural approaches.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/chinh-tri/pho-thu-tuong-pham-thi-thanh-tra-du-khai-mac-le-hoi-van-hoa-the-gioi-tai-ha-noi-lan-thu-hai-270590.html
