Dao My, Vice Chairman of the Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee, said this is the first time Dak Lak Province has organised a provincial-level Durian Festival in order to promote the Dak Lak Durian brand; honour farmers, businesses, and all participants in the durian value chain; promote trade promotion, investment connections, and export market expansion; while also developing agricultural tourism and experiential tourism associated with Dak Lak's cultural identity.
The festival aims to build Dak Lak durian as one of Viet Nam's strong agricultural brands in the international market; attract investment in deep processing, logistics, storage, trade and the sustainable development of raw material growing areas; and help develop the Dak Lak Durian Festival into a distinctive cultural and tourism product of Dak Lak Province in the coming years.
The festival is expected to attract around 300,000 visitors and increase the number of overnight stays through a continuous series of cultural, tourism, trade, and experiential activities held throughout the event.
The 2026 Dak Lak Durian Festival will feature 17 activities, including promotional activities before the festival and a series of key events during the festival period. Ahead of the festival, the organising committee will produce promotional videos, livestream the durian flower pollination process, organise a durian cuisine talk show, hold a talk show on the nutritional value of durian, and organise press conferences introducing the festival in Ha Noi and Dak Lak Province.
Highlights of the festival include a pickup truck parade promoting durian under the theme "Dak Lak Durian – Connecting and reaching further"; exhibitions showcasing the durian industry and OCOP products; the durian production and consumption connection forum; the durian food festival; experiential activities such as orchard tours and fresh durian tasting; a photo check-in area featuring the durian tower; the "Check in at the festival – receive instant gifts" programme; the "One Commune, One KOL and KOC selling durian online" programme; the live performance "Memories of the longhouse" at the Dak Lak Museum; and a special artistic programme celebrating National Day.
The highlight of the festival will be the opening ceremony, which will begin at 8:00 pm on August 15 at March 10 Square in Buon Ma Thuot Ward under the theme "Dak Lak Durian – Connecting and reaching further", together with the launch of the 2026 Dak Lak Durian Festival.
The opening ceremony is expected to be broadcast live on VTV8 and simultaneously aired by Dak Lak Newspaper and Radio-Television, as well as newspapers and radio-television units across the country.
A special artistic programme celebrating National Day (September 2) and the closing ceremony of the 2026 Dak Lak Durian Festival will take place at 8:00 pm on September 2 at Phu Yen Square in Tuy Hoa Ward.
Tran Hong Tien, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dak Lak Province, said that the 2026 Dak Lak Durian Festival is not only a celebration of the durian industry but also a major investment, trade, and tourism promotion event of the province.
