Ha Noi is a leading cultural and industrial centre in the country, with cultural events and festivals being a prominent feature. The Light Concert has established a strong brand of industrial culture in the capital, becoming an eagerly awaited event for the public every spring.
Creativity creates appeal
Excitement was the common feeling among fans before the stage lights came on. After the unforgettable impressions of the Light Concert – Welcoming the New Year 2025, everyone wanted to know what surprises the organisers would bring to the audience this year, especially since this was an art programme celebrating the success of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and welcoming the Lunar New Year 2026. In that exciting and enthusiastic atmosphere, the programme was honoured to welcome Politburo Member Do Van Chien, Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, along with many other leaders of the Party and state.
Not disappointing the audience, the square erupted in cheers from the very first moments. It featured the image of a dragon from the Ly Dynasty, soaring and winding, symbolising the thousand-year history of Thang Long. The sacred dragon spat out a pearl, and that precious pearl transformed into a special character, Lumi — the mascot of the Ha Noi International Light Festival. The entire square erupted in cheers to welcome this unique mascot, resembling a small, transparent, yet playful dragon. It also conveyed the message of Ha Noi, a capital city rich in identity but always yearning for innovation and creativity.
Creativity is also the “unique characteristic” of the Light Concert, evident throughout the three chapters of the programme: Light of Faith, Sparkling Dawn, and Radiant Viet Nam. Creativity is also the element that takes the audience from one surprise to another. In the first light show, Lumi appeared on a circular LED screen high above, independent of the stage lights and “suspended” by a giant crane. Then, in the first songs of Chapter 1, the LED screen transformed into a brightly shining Party flag. All the artists and the audience turned their attention to the Party flag as the lyrics of the song “The Party Flag” rang out. The Party flag is a guiding light, not only in thought but also materialised and vividly honoured through technology and music.
Many audience was overwhelmed by the continuous stream of unexpected and novel performances: the stage “floating” in mid-air, small stages suddenly appearing amidst the large stage. The Grand Theatre was not just a backdrop for the performances, the LED grid system with its automatically programmed sliding rails allowed the heritage architecture to “unfold” in layers of emotion, thereby celebrating the beauty of the heritage. The applause and cheers showed that creativity is a crucial factor in ensuring that works with revolutionary themes, or songs inspired by folk culture, have, are, and will always have a firm place in the hearts of the audience.
While Chapter 1 featured performances deeply rooted in revolutionary songs, Chapters 2 and 3 left a strong impression of a dynamic, youthful Viet Nam looking towards a brilliant future with performances such as ‘Vietnamese Melody”, “Hermosa”, and “Loving You Every Day”, accompanied by the vibrant dances of the dance troupes.
Music, technology, light, and heritage resonated together in a creative way, bringing about truly extraordinary experiences, as stated by Le Quoc Minh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, Deputy Head of the PCC’s Commission for Communication and Mass Mobilisation, and President of the Viet Nam Journalists Association: “We chose the name ‘Light’ for the programme because light is a symbol of truth and pioneering leadership. It is the light of unwavering faith in the Party’s leadership, the torch that has guided our nation to its current position and status.
It is the light of heritage and identity, where Thang Long – Ha Noi, a city with a thousand years of cultural heritage, is undergoing a powerful transformation, harmoniously blending tradition and modernity. It is also the light of the future, in which all Vietnamese people, especially the younger generation, with their intelligence and courage, are ready to integrate and lead the country to develop and stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s leading nations.”
Building a cultural brand
Waiting from early on to experience the festive atmosphere of the programme, Nguyen Thu Thuy Duong (Tu Son Ward, Bac Ninh Province) said: “In 2025, when the Light Concert programme was first held, I only knew about it through the media, but I was very excited. When I learned that the Light Concert is an annual event, I proactively ‘hunted’ for tickets by registering online and finally made it to enjoy the performances tonight. Here, I know many young people from other provinces and cities also came to Ha Noi to enjoy the programme. I hope that the next Light Concert will grow even larger in scale to meet the expectations of fans.”
This year's Light Concert brought together many prominent artists of Vietnamese music, including Lam Truong, Truc Nhan, Kieu Anh, Dong Hung, Hoang Quyen, Phuong Ly, and Quan A.P., along with child artists Ali Thuc Phuong, Kim Cuong, and Dang Kim Thien Kim.
During 2025-2026, Nhan Dan Newspaper, in coordination with the Ha Noi People’s Committee, will organise many large-scale cultural and artistic events. A highlight is the musical “grand feast”: the Light Concert – Welcoming the New Year 2025 by West Lake, “Fatherland in our Hearts” in My Dinh Stadium on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the successful August Revolution and National Day (September 2).
In 2025, when the Light Concert programme was first held, I only knew about it through the media, but I was very excited. When I learned that the Light Concert is an annual event, I proactively ‘hunted’ for tickets by registering online and finally made it to enjoy the performances tonight. Here, I know many young people from other provinces and cities also came to Ha Noi to enjoy the programme. I hope that the next Light Concert will grow even larger in scale to meet the expectations of fans.
Nguyen Thu Thuy Duong (Tu Son Ward, Bac Ninh Province)
These activities are in line with the strategy of developing the cultural industry and building the Creative City of Ha Noi. By becoming an annual event, the Light Concert is becoming a strong cultural brand of the capital, especially as the city and Nhan Dan Newspaper are positioning the Light Concert as the starting point for the upcoming International Light Festival.
According to Le Thi Anh Mai, Deputy Director of the Ha Noi Department of Culture and Sports, Ha Noi is aiming to become a city of cultural events. The city of Ha Noi has collaborated with the Nhan Dan Newspaper to organise many large-scale cultural events. In these events, Ha Noi's departments and agencies have always strived to ensure the programs are organised in the best and safest way possible. The city hopes that the Nhan Dan Newspaper will continue to contribute outstanding artistic programs so that Ha Noi truly becomes a destination for the public nationwide and internationally.
