Opening the festival, Nguyen Viet Hung, Chairman of the Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, said the Sea Festival is not only the province's unique cultural, tourism and artistic event but also an occasion to honour the values of the nation's seas and islands, promote local cultural identity and inspire aspirations for development and international integration in a land rich in tradition, dynamism and potential.
It also serves as an invitation to domestic and international visitors to discover Khanh Hoa, with its blue seas, distinctive culture and abundant opportunities for cooperation and investment.
According to Nguyen Viet Hung, the Khanh Hoa Sea Festival 2026 features nearly 50 cultural, artistic, sporting and tourism activities taking place throughout July and August, conveying messages of green growth, sustainable development, marine resource conservation, cultural heritage preservation and the building of a civilised, safe and friendly tourism environment.
On behalf of the Party and State leadership, Vice State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan congratulated Khanh Hoa on the organisation of the festival and acknowledged its contributions over more than two decades of development. Since its inaugural edition in 2003, the festival has been held 10 times and has established itself as one of Viet Nam's leading cultural events, helping promote the country's image and people, strengthen international exchanges and cooperation, enhance the value of maritime culture and create momentum for socio-economic development.
The Vice State President said the theme, "Colours of the Ocean – Reaching Out to the World", reflects Khanh Hoa's aspiration to reach out to the world while demonstrating a development vision that combines cultural preservation with green growth, the marine economy and international integration.
Vice State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan called on Khanh Hoa to continue effectively implementing the Party's policies on cultural development, gradually building the Sea Festival into a nationally significant cultural event with regional prestige, while linking heritage preservation with tourism development, cultural industries and the blue economy. She also stressed the need to further promote the people's central role in creating, preserving and spreading cultural values.
She also urged the province to effectively mobilise resources, strengthen regional connectivity and expand international cooperation in order to fully harness its potential and advantages, transforming Khanh Hoa into a centre for the marine economy, high-quality tourism, science and technology, innovation and international exchange in line with the orientations set by the Party Central Committee.
