Top 5 most famous festivals in Nha Trang: Discover traditional indigenous culture

Not only famous for its clear blue water and fine white sand, Nha Trang also impresses with its rich treasure of festivals, imbued with national identity. Festivals in Nha Trang are cultural highlights not to be missed, bringing visitors exciting moments and unique coastal identity experiences. Let's explore the traditional festivals that make up the unique appeal of this sunny and windy coastal city.

Việt Nam•14/07/2025

1. Nha Trang Sea Festival

Nha Trang Sea Festival 2025: A tourist destination not to be missed (Photo source: Collected)

This is a major cultural and tourism event held every two years in the summer, starting in 2003. The festival lasts 4-5 days with a series of exciting activities such as Cau Ngu festival, food festival, folk games, art exhibitions, beach sports competitions and brilliant fireworks displays. This is an opportunity to honor marine culture and promote the image of Nha Trang to domestic and foreign tourists.

The festival also features many famous artists, creating a bustling and colorful festival atmosphere. If you want to participate during this peak time, you should proactively book air tickets, train tickets and hotel rooms early to avoid the situation of no rooms available or high prices. The Sea Festival is not only a fun event but also a memorable cultural experience in the beautiful coastal city.

2. Hung Temple Festival

When mentioning the Hung Temple Festival, many people immediately think of Phu Tho - the land of origin of the nation. However, in Nha Trang, there is also a solemn festival to commemorate the Hung Kings and pay tribute to the ancestors who built the country. This is an opportunity for locals and tourists to look back to the nation's roots in a sacred cultural space in the heart of the coastal city.

The festival takes place on the 10th day of the third lunar month every year at Hung King Temple (Ngo Gia Tu Street, Nha Trang City), with traditional rituals such as palanquin procession, flower offering and incense offering. The solemn atmosphere and the presence of a large number of people and city leaders make the festival a special cultural highlight, contributing to spreading the spirit of "remembering the source of water when drinking" in modern life.

3. Cau Ngu Festival

Cau Ngu Festival in Khanh Hoa: Unique cultural identity of coastal villagers (Photo source: Collected)

As one of the festivals in Nha Trang bearing the mark of maritime culture, Cau Ngu festival originates from the worship of Whale – the god of the South Sea who is always respected by fishermen as the protector of each trip to sea. Over time, the Whale worshiping ritual has developed into a large festival with many layers of meaning, not only to pray for favorable weather, calm seas but also an occasion to express gratitude to the sea and the spirit of solidarity of the fishing community.

The festival usually lasts for 3 days and nights around February or March of the lunar calendar – right at the beginning of the fishing season. Traditional rituals such as the Nghinh Ong ceremony, the Ruoc sac ceremony, the Tinh Sanh ceremony, the Te Chanh ceremony and the Thu ceremony are solemnly held alongside unique folk cultural activities such as Ho Ba Trao – a form of folk performance rich in coastal identity. In addition, there is also the Tong Na ceremony to send off evil spirits, bringing peace to the residents of the fishing village.

4. Am Chua Festival

As one of the festivals in Nha Trang bearing the mark of cultural beliefs, Am Chua festival - also known as Thien YA Na festival - is an opportunity for Khanh Hoa people to show their respect to goddess Thien YA Na, the sacred Holy Mother considered the protector of the coastal central region. The event takes place from the 1st to the 3rd of the 3rd lunar month every year at Am Chua relic site (Dien Dien commune, Nha Trang city), attracting a large number of pilgrims and tourists who love Nha Trang tourism associated with spiritual factors.

The ceremony was solemnly held with incense offering, worshiping, singing and flower offering dances recreating the sacred image of the Mother Goddess. In addition, the festival took place excitingly with a colorful lion procession, lion dance performances from many art groups inside and outside the province. Visitors also had the opportunity to experience unique folk games such as swinging, singing Bai Choi - cultural features of the Central region. This is not only a traditional festival of Khanh Hoa but also a precious cultural space, expressing the spiritual life and Mother Goddess worship of the Vietnamese people.

5. Ponagar Tower Festival

Ponagar Tower Festival (Photo source: Collected)

Also known as Thien YA Na Festival or Lady's Festival, this is one of the festivals in Nha Trang with deep spiritual value and long history.

The festival takes place annually from the 20th to the 23rd of the third lunar month at the Ponagar Tower relic site, Vinh Phuoc ward, Nha Trang city. The event honors Thien YA Na Thanh Mau - a goddess in Cham beliefs, who is considered to have reclaimed the land, taught people how to cultivate and protected the race. With its cultural depth and special spiritual significance, this festival has been recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2012.

Not only is it a pilgrimage for local people, the festival also attracts a large number of tourists from all over to experience solemn rituals such as offering incense, bathing statues, changing clothes for goddess statues, and dancing to Ba... Interspersed with exciting festival parts such as traditional boat racing and singing performances, creating a bustling atmosphere imbued with local cultural identity.

6. Monkey Festival

Also known as the Hoa Qua Son Festival, this is a unique event held annually at Hon Lao (Monkey Island) tourist area in Nha Trang city. Not only for entertainment purposes, the festival also conveys a meaningful message about environmental protection and preserving the marine ecosystem. Held on the first Saturday of June, the festival attracts a large number of visitors thanks to its harmonious combination of nature, culture and creativity in expression.
On the island, visitors will be able to admire attractive activities such as fruit offering ceremony, music performance, art photography contest, boat racing, net weaving, monkey king circus and especially the moment when hundreds of monkeys enjoy a rich fruit feast.

7. Bird's Nest Festival

Nha Trang Salanganes Nest Festival: Preserving the unique value of the Salanganes Nest profession (Photo source: Collected)

As one of the festivals in Nha Trang imbued with the identity of the coastal region, the Bird's Nest Festival takes place periodically on the 10th day of the 5th lunar month at Hon Noi Bird's Nest Island - known as the "kingdom of swallows". The event was initiated in 2013 by Khanh Hoa Bird's Nest Company, to commemorate the founder of the bird's nest industry, to show gratitude to the Holy Mother and the ancestors who have preserved and developed the bird's nest exploitation industry - a valuable traditional heritage associated with the history of the South Central Coast region.
The festival is an opportunity for tourists and locals to immerse themselves in the solemn ceremonial atmosphere, folk art performances such as Quan Ho singing, traditional dances and exciting activities such as boat racing, visiting stalls of bird's nest specialties. In particular, the program is also combined with a tour to explore Yen Island, where natural birds nest in the majestic scenery of limestone cliffs - creating a unique Nha Trang travel experience, attractive in both culture and natural landscape.

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