In addition, the city has been completing its institutional framework, infrastructure, and other elements to build an “ecosystem” for sustainable cultural development and become a destination for international events.
“Four seasons” of festivals
In late September and early October, numerous cultural, artistic, and sporting events of international stature are taking place at cultural and public spaces across Ha Noi.
Among the highlights is the 2nd World Culture Festival, held at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel from October 1 to 4 and jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ha Noi municipal authorities.
Under the theme “Converging Heritage — Shaping the Future”, the festival brings together 50 countries and international organisations, showcasing various forms of culture and art as well as experiences, while creating a space for exchange and encounters among different cultures.
The Ha Noi Open Dragon Boat-SUP Racing Championships will be held on October 3 and 4. With 900 athletes taking part, this year's competition is the largest edition to date. The dragon boat category features three international teams, from China, the Philippines and Malaysia, which are all among the leading teams in Asia in terms of sporting prowess.
There are also hundreds of international athletes from embassies, international organisations, and independent competitors.
Pham Xuan Tai, Deputy Director of the Ha Noi Department of Culture and Sports, said: “Dragon boat racing reflects the cultural identity of a land of many rivers and waterways, while SUP is a newly introduced sport. Together, they represent a Ha Noi that is rich in cultural traditions but also very modern. The event also features numerous traditional cultural activities, helping create a cultural space around West Lake to promote the city's brand and boost tourism.”
These events are taking place as Ha Noi has just concluded other major cultural events, including the Thang Long-Ha Noi Festival, the first International Jazz Festival, and the International Martial Arts Festival.
Among them, the Thang Long-Ha Noi Festival attracted as many as 250,000 visitors. At its inaugural edition, the Ha Noi International Jazz Festival attracted 12,000 spectators, along with hundreds of thousands of interactions across social media platforms.
In addition to performing music, many artists also interacted with audiences and explored Ha Noi's culture and cuisine, thereby spreading the image of Ha Noi strongly among international friends.
Japanese artist Senri shared: “This is my second time visiting Viet Nam. I really enjoy trying local dishes. I hope this festival will help create a major boom for Jazz, which can then spread to the Asian music market.”
In addition to the events mentioned above, Ha Noi also organises other international events such as the Ha Noi Creative Design Festival, the Ha Noi International Film Festival, Viet Nam Cultural Day in Ha Noi (currently being prepared), the Ha Noi Lotus Festival, and Photo Ha Noi: Biennale. Ha Noi also actively coordinates with central-level agencies to organise major cultural events, while “rolling out the red carpet” for leading artists from around the world to choose the capital as a stop on their tours.
Building a sustainable ecosystem
Ha Noi has a vast system of cultural institutions, with numerous theatres, cultural centres, and major cultural spaces. This system of institutions is continuing to expand with the Pearl Theatre, the VinFast-Trong Dong Stadium, and others.
This provides favourable conditions for international-scale cultural events. However, to pursue sustainable development, the city needs a favourable environment in which businesses, artists, artisans, creators, and others can participate in cultural and sporting activities.
The city has issued Resolution No. 24/2025/NQ-HDND and Resolution No. 25/2025/NQ-HDND, providing regulations on the operation of cultural industry centres and commercial and cultural development zones, with a range of incentives for entities operating in the cultural industries, including incentives on land and water-surface rental fees, corporate income tax incentives, promotional support, and direct financial support for the organisation and development of cultural programmes and products.
The City People's Council recently issued Resolution No. 31/2026/NQ-HDND, providing direct economic incentives and support for cultural institutions, including non-public ones, and entities operating in the field of traditional culture.
One factor of focus for the city is “nurturing” the demand for cultural enjoyment — the cultural market. A typical example is the recent International Jazz Festival, which was organised following a lengthy period of preparation by Ha Noi through the Weekend Music Project.
Since late 2025, every Sunday, Ha Noi's cultural sector has organised free Jazz performances in public spaces around Hoan Kiem Lake. The activity has helped audiences become familiar with Jazz and develop their appreciation for the genre.
Jazz musician Quyen Van Minh said: “This is a wonderful project for Jazz, as well as for culture and the community in general. It brings Jazz to the public and demonstrates to international audiences that Viet Nam plays Jazz in a highly professional manner.”
The city both organises events directly and coordinates with agencies, while creating favourable mechanisms for non-public entities to participate in and organise international cultural events. Despite organising numerous international events, cultural identity remains the core element.
Bui Hoai Son, Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, spoke highly of this aspect of Ha Noi, citing the recently held Thang Long-Ha Noi Festival as an example: “Cities compete not only through infrastructure or landscapes but also through cultural experiences.
A city that can create vibrant cultural stories will have a major advantage in attracting tourists as well as the creative community and promoting the cultural industries. The Thang Long-Ha Noi Festival has opened a ‘gold mine’ of heritage through the creative economy, with the aim of developing the cultural industries and affirming Ha Noi's position as a creative centre of the region.”
