Attending the program were: Ms. Truong Thi My Hoa, former Vice President of Vietnam ; Ms. Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, former Vice President of Vietnam; Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, former Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee; Ms. Vo Ngoc Thanh Truc, Member of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, and President of the Ho Chi Minh City Women's Union; and Ms. Tran Thi Dieu Thuy, Member of the City Party Committee and Vice Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee.
In her opening remarks, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Tran Thi Dieu Thuy affirmed that, after 12 years of organization, the Ho Chi Minh City Ao Dai Festival has made a significant contribution to positioning the city as a cultural, creative, and integrated destination. In this new phase of development, the festival is expected to continue playing a driving role in promoting sustainable tourism , increasing experiential value, extending length of stay, and enhancing the competitiveness of the destination.
The Ho Chi Minh City Ao Dai Festival 2026 is not just an annual cultural and artistic event, but a concrete action aimed at transforming cultural values into soft power, into resources for tourism, the creative economy , and the city's brand positioning. The festival serves as a driving force for designers, artists, and the creative community to increase the value of the ao dai.
"The city expects that this year's festival will feature collections inspired by the sea and islands, seaports, renewable energy, green industry, digital transformation, and smart cities; that the ao dai will become a distinctive product in themed tours, MICE events, and international exchange activities, contributing to the development of Ho Chi Minh City's cultural industry and creative economy," emphasized Comrade Tran Thi Dieu Thuy.
The opening ceremony was structured into three chapters: “Threads of Time - The Flow of Heritage”, “Threads of Connection - The City of Light”, and “Weaving Aspirations”, featuring musical performances and ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) shows: “Radiant Ho Chi Minh City”; “Success in Business”; “Vietnam in Brocade”; “Grandmother, Mother, Sister and Daughter”; “Sun and Landscape”; “Silk Colors”; “Brilliant Vietnam”; “Multicolor”; “Soaring Vietnam”.
The designers presented impressive and meaningful outfits. The collections were showcased in a modern stage setting, combining music and performance art, contributing to honoring the Vietnamese ao dai as a symbol of rich cultural identity, while also spreading the image of Ho Chi Minh City as dynamic, creative, and integrated.
The highlight of the program was the performance of "Hello Vietnam" by singer Kyo York and little Gabi, with the participation of the Consulates General of Belarus, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Laos, Malaysia, the Netherlands, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the Russian Federation, Cuba, and Cambodia in Ho Chi Minh City in the " Multicolor" segment, creating a meaningful image of cultural exchange.
Following the opening ceremony, the Ao Dai Art program will take place on the evening of March 7th; the folk dance performance with an Ao Dai parade will be held on the morning of March 8th; and the final round of the "Charming Ao Dai of Ho Chi Minh City" competition will be held on the evening of March 8th.
This year's Ho Chi Minh City Ao Dai Festival features 17 main activities, taking place from March 1st to March 31st at the President Ho Chi Minh Monument Park, Nguyen Hue pedestrian street, the Export Showroom at 92-96 Nguyen Hue (Saigon ward), Metro Line 1 stations, and historical and cultural sites, tourist destinations, hotels, and iconic landmarks throughout Ho Chi Minh City.
The festival brought together 36 designers, nearly 400 ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dresses), 600 actors and models, and 37 ambassadors from various fields.
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/khai-mac-le-hoi-ao-dai-tphcm-lan-thu-12-post841543.html
![[Image] National conference summarizing one year of operation of the overall organizational model of the political system, the three-tiered government model.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/07/01/1782882811691_ndo_br_1-jpg.webp)
