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| Mr. Hoang Viet Trung - Director of Hue Monuments Conservation Center announcing the series of activities of Hue Festival 2026 |
Speaking at the announcement ceremony, Standing Deputy Head of Hue Festival Organizing Committee and Director of Hue Monuments Conservation Center Hoang Viet Trung stated that Hue Festival 2026 will be organized with activities continuously spread throughout the entire year. It is expected to feature nearly 80 cultural, artistic, and sporting programs and events imbued with the identity of the former imperial capital, while also expanding international exchange.
Accordingly, the Spring Festival will take place during the first three months of the year, focusing on restored court rituals and distinctive traditional folk festivals of Hue. Highlights include the announcement program of Hue Festival 2026 and the Ban Soc ceremony, along with a series of “Tet Hue” activities recreating traditional Lunar New Year customs, traditional cultural spaces, and springtime folk games of the former imperial capital, harmoniously combined with contemporary art forms.
From April to June is the Summer Festival season, with the peak being Hue Festival Week 2026 under the theme “Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development”. This series of events brings together the distinctive values of Hue’s heritage along with artistic colors from many domestic and international troupes. Notably, many heritage spaces that have been and are being restored will become open stages for artistic programs, creating fresh and emotionally rich experiences for the public.
Autumn, from July to September, is shaped by Mid-Autumn Festival activities and Hue Lantern Festival 2026, combined with exhibitions, art installations, lantern parades, unicorn dances, and performance programs for the community and visitors. Meanwhile, the Winter Festival will bring a different look to Hue with new festival activities, music and entertainment programs, and a highlight being the New Year Countdown, contributing to a warm and vibrant atmosphere for the heritage city.
In addition to the main programs, Hue Festival 2026 will also include many associated activities such as themed festivals, exchanges, displays, and exhibitions organized by units, organizations, and individuals from within the country and abroad, jointly contributing to a diverse festival panorama in both content and form.
According to Mr. Hoang Viet Trung, Hue Festival 2026 holds special significance in the context of Hue’s efforts to build and develop itself into a centrally-governed municipality on the foundation of preserving and promoting the values of the former imperial capital’s heritage. It is also an opportunity for Hue’s cultural heritage, especially its world heritage sites, to be promoted in a concentrated manner, creating strong spillover effects within the community and contributing to the development of local culture and tourism.
Immediately after the announcement ceremony, the reenactment of Nguyen Dynasty Ban Soc ceremony took place under the attentive observation of a large number of residents and visitors. Ban Soc is the ritual of issuing the new calendar, traditionally held periodically at the end of the lunar year under the Nguyen Dynasty, closely associated with the agricultural economy and the spiritual life of Vietnamese people in the past.
Through the theatricalized format, ancient procedures and rites were vividly recreated, helping the public gain a deeper understanding of the humanistic value of the Ban Soc ceremony - not only as a court ritual but also as a symbol of new beginnings and new hopes for the new year. With an accessible and emotionally rich approach, the Ban Soc ceremony at the start of the year left a positive impression on the first day of 2026 and opened a Hue Festival season full of expectations.
Some images of the ceremony:
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| Ban Soc was the calendar-issuing ceremony in the past under the Nguyen Dynasty, held periodically at the end of the lunar year and reenacted in a theatricalized format |
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| The Ban Soc ceremony was originally held in the courtyard of Thai Hoa Palace. In the Year of the Buffalo 1841. The ceremony was ordered by Emperor Minh Mang to be held at Ngo Mon for the first time |
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| High-ranking court officials presenting calendars to visitors at the beginning of the new year |
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| Presenting a calendar to Chairman of the City People’s Committee Nguyen Khac Toan |
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| This is also an occasion for visitors and Hue residents to enjoy a memorable experience on the first day of the new year |
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| Olympia champion Vo Quang Phu Duc (in blue ao dai) attends the program with young people |
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| Special guests visiting Hue heritage sites |
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| City leaders present gifts to 20 lucky visitors who “break ground” at the heritage site on the first day of the new year |