Against the backdrop of the Perfume River, the elegant melodies of Hue Royal Court Music intertwined with the youthful rhythms of J-pop performed by Japanese singer Kawanishi Natsuki, along with a series of impressive artistic performances from South Korea, set the stage for a vibrant and colorful opening ceremony of Hue International Music Week 2026 on the evening of June 13.

Moving beyond ceremonial settings and enclosed stages within heritage spaces, Hue International Music Week 2026, a highlight of Hue Festival 2026, is designed to engage the wider community through music.

As part of the Lantern Festival under the theme “The Golden Light of the Dharma - Cultural Convergence, Spreading Peace”, thousands of monks, nuns, Buddhists, locals, and visitors joined in offering prayers before taking part in the ritual of releasing floating lanterns onto the Huong River.

Held under the theme “Flow of Heritage”, the first O Ly Artshow officially opened on the evening of June 6 at Hue Book and Cultural Space (23-25 Le Loi Street, Thuan Hoa Ward), on the banks of the Perfume River, attracting the participation of a large number of artists and art enthusiasts.

From electric boat rides along the Ngu Ha River to ideas for night streets, culinary routes, and community cultural spaces, Phu Xuan Ward is gradually unlocking the potential of a “heritage ward”.

As part of the celebrations for Vesak 2570 (Buddhist Era) and Hue Festival 2026, the Vegetarian Food Festival - Hue Festival 2026 officially opened on the afternoon of May 28th (the 12th day of the fourth lunar month) at the riverside area along the Perfume River. The event is jointly organized by the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Hue City and the Organizing Committee of Hue Festival 2026.

In the depth of Hue culture, gardens are not merely green zones, acting as supporting elements for architecture, but a constituent factor shaping the urban identity. Hue is famous for the Perfume River, Mount Ngu, the Citadel, royal tombs, pagodas, and noble residences, but Hue is also well known for its gardens. In Hue, gardens soften architecture, calm the everyday life, deepen poetry, and create a unique urban style: a garden city, a city of poetry, the harmony between man and nature, or “an urban poem” as said by M’Bow, former Director-General of UNESCO.

With the trend of modern tourism development, the night-time economy is increasingly becoming a “golden opportunity” to enhance a destination’s appeal and extend visitors’ length of stay. In Thuan Hoa Ward, alongside the solutions to maximize the effectiveness of existing night streets, the project of a night street along the Nhu Y River is expected to create a boost, contributing to the vibrancy of urban nightscape.

As part of Hue Festival 2026, Hue International Music Week 2026 will take place from June 13 to 18 on the riverside stage along the Huong River, in front of Quoc Hoc Hue High School for the Gifted. The event is expected to become a major highlight of the Summer Festival, bringing together artists, dance troupes, and art troupes from Vietnam and many countries around the world.

On the evening of May 18, along the bank of the Huong River - section between Thuong Bac Park and Truong Tien Bridge, the third edition of the community music program “Di mo, nghe chi?” (“Where shall we go, what shall we listen to?”) took place in a romantic atmosphere, drawing large crowds of locals and visitors.