On the evening of June 15, as part of Hue International Music Week 2026, the stage by the Perfume River, in front of Quoc Hoc - Hue High School, continued to draw a large audience with performances by Ojos band (France), Kawanishi Natsuki (Japanese singer), as well as Vietnamese singer My Anh, and artist Matthew Ifield (Australia).

On the evening of June 14, thousands of audiences filled the riverside stage area along the Perfume River to relive the timeless songs of the late musician Trinh Cong Son during the special artistic program “25 Years of Remembering Trinh Cong Son”, held under the theme “Hue - Saigon - Hanoi”.

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.

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.

Thousands of flower pots, together with decorative miniatures featuring the horse mascot along the two banks of the Perfume River, have emerged as a focal point of the Binh Ngo Tet (Lunar New Year of the Horse) 2026. The urban space of Hue has thus preserved its ancient charm while creating a distinct touch of modern beauty.

“Noi vong tay lon” (The Great Circle of Vietnam), one of the signature songs in the vast musical legacy of the late musician Trinh Cong Son, has been engraved on a stone stele and installed at the park named after him on Trinh Cong Son Street, along the romantic Perfume River. ​

To preserve the beauty of this place, everyone often reminds each other not to pick the flowers, break branches, or litter.