Vietnamese Lunar New Year Festival 2026 scheduled for February in HCMC

Vietnamese Lunar New Year Festival 2026 is scheduled for February in HCMC.

Held under the theme “The Beauty of the Past in the Radiance of Today,” the festival will unfold across three main zones: “The Beauty of the Past,” “The Radiance of Today,” and the Youth Cultural House Art–Creativity–Startup Complex.

The “Beauty of the Past” zone will feature a traditional calligraphy street, an apricot blossom display combined with artistic installations celebrating the Lunar New Year, and showcases of traditional craft villages. The calligraphy street alone will bring together more than 50 calligraphers, offering visitors the opportunity to request auspicious characters for the New Year and participate in on-site workshops.

The “Radiance of Today” zone will be highlighted by the art exhibition “The Great Horse Welcoming Lunar New Year,” presenting six symbolic representations of the horse as the festival’s zodiac mascot, such as strength, intellect, speed, joy, inner power, and a flourishing beginning for the New Year.

Meanwhile, the Youth Cultural House Art–Creativity–Startup Complex will offer visitors hands-on experiences through exhibition areas showcasing youth-led startup products, regional specialties from An Giang Province, and a diverse range of OCOP-certified goods, including agricultural and aquatic products, as well as handicrafts.

Calligraphy streetThe apricot blossom display

In addition, the festival will host a diverse lineup of cultural and artistic performances, including southern folk performances, Don Ca Tai Tu Nam Bo (southern amateur music), Hue royal court music, Ca Tru (ceremonial singing), lion–dragon dance shows, contemporary music, and fashion performances. The event will also feature dedicated culinary spaces alongside various cultural and sports activities.

According to Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Cultural House, Quynh Hoa, on the afternoon of February 1 (the 14th day of the twelfth lunar month), the 13th anniversary gala of the “Connecting Love” program will provide support for 500 children from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those orphaned by Covid-19 and children living in shelters and open care homes, as well as 250 pediatric cancer patients at Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital.

Meanwhile, the “Riding the Waves—Spring 2026” program will extend assistance to 500 children with disabilities at specialized schools and care centers across the city.

In addition, a series of activities organized by central and municipal agencies and mass organizations will also take place during the festival, including the “Spring Bus,” a gathering for students spending the Lunar New Year away from home, the “Family Reunion Bus,” and the “Spring of Solidarity” program, among others.

By Tieu Tan – Translated by Kim Khanh