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| Signing a five-year cooperation agreement between Hue Festival organizing committee and Beyond Communication company |
From an event to a lasting brand
Hue Wonderverse Music Fest 2026 - The International Music & Heritage Festival, themed ‘City Awakening’, will take place from August 30th to September 1st at Ha Huy Tap Square. The inaugural festival is expected to attract more than 500.000 visitors, with free admission during its first year and the potential to reach millions more through media and digital platforms.
The highlight of the festival will be the two major concert nights. The opening performance, ‘Heritage Awakens’ on August 30, will feature renowned Vietnamese artists My Tam, Phuong My Chi, DJ/Producer Hoaprox, and MONO. The closing concert, ‘Heritage Connects’ on September 1st, will bring together Vietnamese and international DJs, including VinJaz and MESS, as part of the ambition to develop an international DJ festival in Hue.
The event will also introduce Long Ma - the official mascot of Wonderverse Music Fest, for the first time. Inspired by Hue's cultural heritage and reimagined through digital art, the mascot is intended to become the festival's enduring visual identity for future editions.
What distinguishes Wonderverse Music Fest is its long-term vision, rather than creating a one-time cultural event. Hue aims to establish a festival IP with a recognizable brand identity, a loyal audience community, and the capacity to expand year after year.
According to Vice Chairman of Hue City People's Committee Tran Huu Thuy Giang, Wonderverse Music Fest is being developed into Hue's flagship international music and cultural festival. Beginning in 2027, the festival is expected to transition gradually to a ticketed model while expanding into a week-long celebration featuring multiple music genres, including EDM and international contemporary music.
He emphasized that the development of the cultural industries should be driven by public-private collaboration. The government's role is to create enabling policies, provide communication support, encourage innovative ideas, and contribute seed funding, while businesses make long-term investments and lead festival operations. At the same time, Hue is strengthening international partnerships to support future editions of the festival.
Mr. Lam Vu, Production Director of Beyond Communication and the festival's General Director, said the company is committed to investing in creative talent, performance technology, an international artist network, and a broader partnership ecosystem to gradually establish a festival brand with a distinctive identity. The inaugural edition is expected to feature nearly 100 domestic and international artists, with the long-term goal of bringing more leading performers from across Asia and around the world to Hue.
When heritage meets technology
Wonderverse Music Fest will feature a multi-sensory stage design incorporating large-scale LED displays, visual mapping, interactive media, laser technology, and other advanced performance effects. The festival grounds will also include immersive art-related experiences, technology, cuisine, creativity, and community engagement, encouraging visitors to spend more time exploring the event.
According to representatives of Ngu Binh Son Co. Ltd., one of the festival's development partners, the event will utilize a projection system with approximately 92 million pixels, integrated through synchronized servers, software, and interactive lighting and sound technologies to deliver a new level of visual experience for audiences.
At the festival's official press conference, Huy Tuan, the musician and Music Director of Hue Wonderverse Music Fest, said Hue is taking pioneering steps in implementing Politburo Resolution No. 80 on the development of Vietnamese culture by creating a festival IP with its own unique identity. In his view, the initiative is not simply about launching another cultural event but about redefining how heritage is presented, showcasing a Hue that is dynamic, creative, and more engaging for younger generations.
To prepare for the anticipated influx of visitors, Hue City People's Committee has established an inter-agency steering committee and instructed the tourism sector to work closely with Hue Tourism Association and accommodation providers to ensure sufficient lodging capacity and enhance service quality. A wide range of cultural, technological, culinary, and community activities will also be organized throughout the festival area to encourage longer stays and increase visitor spending.
If successfully sustained and allowed to develop its own distinctive identity, Wonderverse Music Fest has the potential to become one of Hue's signature festival brands, enriching the city's cultural offerings while serving as a catalyst for creativity, tourism, and the cultural economy.