Countdown to 2026
Many activities to welcome the new year 2026 are ready in major cities and many localities across the country. Preparations for the countdown programs are currently underway, with expectations of creating a truly impressive New Year's Eve – the moment of transition between 2025 and 2026.
According to the plan, for New Year's Day, Hanoi will hold a fireworks display with the theme "Opening Real Connections" for 15 minutes, from 11:45 PM on December 31, 2025 to midnight on January 1, 2026, at 5 locations with 6 firing sites. Along with the fireworks display, the city will organize a New Year's Eve program (Countdown 2026), taking place from 7 PM to midnight on December 31, 2025 at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square and the pedestrian area around Hoan Kiem Lake.
In Ho Chi Minh City, the New Year's Eve atmosphere for 2026 will spread from the area near the Saigon River tunnel to Dam Sen Cultural Park. The city plans to hold fireworks displays at three high-altitude locations and one low-altitude location, with funding from social contributions. These 15-minute fireworks displays promise to illuminate the sky of the country's most dynamic metropolis at the moment of transition into 2026.
Furthermore, on January 3rd, Suoi Tien Tourist Area is scheduled to host a performance by 1,500 calligraphers, offering free calligraphy services to visitors.
Similarly, from December 30, 2025 to January 4, 2026, Saigon Zoo will host an International Cultural Week celebrating the New Year 2026 with over 80 food, cultural, and artistic stalls. Also during the beginning of 2026, the Cu Chi Tunnels Historical Site will continue to organize a night tour themed "Moonlight in the War Zone".
Thai Nguyen province will also have a meaningful Countdown 2026 program. Scheduled to take place at Vo Nguyen Giap Square, Phan Dinh Phung ward, the event will combine an outdoor multi-purpose art program with high-altitude fireworks at the stroke of midnight.
Quang Tri Province will organize a series of events titled "Welcoming the New Year 2026" with many unique cultural and artistic activities taking place in Dong Hoi, Phong Nha, and southern Dong Ha to attract tourists and promote the province's friendly and hospitable image to domestic and international friends. In addition, within the framework of the New Year 2026 events, Quang Tri Province will also organize activities to welcome the first tourists to the province in 2026 at Dong Hoi Airport; and a program to welcome the first tourists to the Phong Nha - Ke Bang World Natural Heritage Site in 2026.
In Lam Dong province, the "Countdown - Welcome to the New Year 2026" program will be held at Lam Vien Square (Da Lat) and several other locations. The event, combining various art performances, DJ sets, light shows, 3D LED screens, and artistic fireworks, promises to bring a youthful and modern atmosphere to the windy highlands…
For the 2026 New Year's Eve celebration, many provinces and cities will hold 15-minute fireworks displays from 11:45 PM on December 31, 2025, to midnight on January 1, 2026. From Lang Son and Quang Ninh to Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Khanh Hoa, various cultural and artistic "Countdown" programs are also planned.