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| “Enchanting Imperial Palace” is a highlight activity in Hue Festival 2026: Photo: Hue City People’s Committee |
A Year-round Cultural Destination
This transformation stems from a profound understanding of Hue’s unique identity - a home to one of the country’s richest and most diverse cultural heritage systems, where tangible and intangible heritage coexist harmoniously alongside royal and folk cultures. In such a setting, concentrating heritage values into only a short festive period is no longer sufficient, and may even diminish their depth and vitality. The year-round Festival model, therefore, seeks to establish a continuous cultural rhythm, enabling heritage to live beyond seasonal celebrations and become an essential part of everyday urban life.
Since 2022, after 4 years of operating under the new model, positive changes have become increasingly evident in the way that the heritage is preserved and promoted. While heritage was once largely “staged” through performance-oriented artistic programs, it has now been brought back into its authentic living spaces and naturally integrated into everyday life. Royal court festivals, along with cultural spaces dedicated to ao-dai, cuisine, and traditional craft villages, are now organized throughout the year, creating a vibrant cultural landscape where tradition and modernity coexist and evolve together.
A notable aspect of the new model is that the community has become the true heart of the Festival. Local people are no longer merely spectators standing on the sidelines, but active participants in both the creation and enjoyment of cultural activities. This engagement has helped generate lasting vitality for heritage, as heritage can only endure when it is preserved and passed on by the community itself. Hue Festival, therefore, is no longer simply a venue for “showcasing heritage”, but also a space where heritage is nurtured and allowed to thrive within contemporary society.
The seasonal distribution of activities has also enabled Hue to better make the most of its natural and cultural characteristics. Spring is dedicated to traditional festivals and spiritual rituals. Summer comes alive with international cultural exchanges and music programs, while Autumn reflects the depth of heritage and cultural identity, and Winter offers a quieter atmosphere centered around cuisine and immersive experiences. This seasonal structure not only creates a distinctive rhythm for the Festival, but also helps position Hue as a year-round cultural destination rather than one associated solely with a few peak events.
From a development perspective, Hue Festival has demonstrated its ability to transform cultural and heritage resources into tangible economic and social values. In recent years, tourist arrivals have recorded strong and stable growth, while sectors such as accommodation, cuisine, transportation, and trade have flourished during Festival seasons and related events. This serves as a clear example of the “heritage economy”, in which heritage is not only preserved but also leveraged as a driving force for development.
Let Hue Festival be a Brand Name
However, the Festival’s values extend far beyond economic figures. More importantly, Festival has contributed to shaping and promoting the brand name of Hue as a special cultural hub of Vietnam in particular and the region in general. Cultural values such as Hue Royal Court Music, Hue ao-dai, Hue cuisine, as well as heritage spaces… have been widely promoted, contributing to the enhancement of the locality’s stature and “soft power”.
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| Visitors taking part in the “Royal Night Banquet” program at Duyet Thi Duong Royal Theater - a distinctive culinary highlight of the Summer Festival - Hue Festival 2026. Photo: Hue Monuments Conservation Center |
However, for Hue Festival to establish itself as a truly prestigious brand on both the national and international stage, significant challenges still lie ahead. More importantly, there must be a shift in mindset, from simply “hosting a festival” to integrating the Festival into the city’s daily rhythm and identity. Achieving this vision requires the collective engagement of authorities, businesses, and local communities, with the government serving as the driving and coordinating force.
Another key breakthrough lies in institutional reform and policy mechanisms. Special policies are needed to attract social resources, encourage businesses to invest in the cultural sector, and create favorable conditions for creative activities to flourish. Hue Festival cannot rely solely on the state budget; instead, it should evolve into an open platform where all sectors of society can participate, contribute, and benefit together.
Additionally, developing infrastructure and expanding spaces for Festival activities can be seen as another urgent requirement. Hue needs to plan and develop open spaces, outdoor stages, as well as pedestrian streets, and community art spaces… so that Festival events can blend seamlessly into the city’s daily life. Beyond serving the Festival itself, these public spaces would also help enhance the living quality and cultural experience of locals.
Human resources and governance are also key factors in the Festival’s long-term development. It is essential to build a professional Festival workforce capable of organizing, managing, and fostering international connections. Establishing a highly professional Festival management structure, including the possibility of adopting an overall artistic director model, could become a necessary step toward elevating Hue Festival to a higher level in the future.
In the coming time, the city’s culture and sports sector will work closely with relevant departments and agencies to further refine the four-season Festival model in a more professional and in-depth direction. Each season and event should be designed with its own distinct identity, avoiding overlap and fragmentation. At the same time, efforts will focus on developing a system of signature cultural products associated with the Festival, including regular art performances, heritage experience spaces, and traditional festivals that are standardized and elevated in quality.
It can be said that the transformation of Hue Festival reflects a broader journey of redefining the role of culture in development. From being a periodic event, the Festival is gradually evolving into a vibrant cultural space and a driving force for sustainable development.