The Ho Chi Minh City Management Board for Civil and Industrial Construction Investment Projects officially handed over the Phu Tho Circus and Multi-purpose Performing Complex to the municipal Department of Culture and Sports for management and operation.
Attending the handover ceremony were Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City, Tran The Thuan; Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Management Board for Civil and Industrial Construction Investment Projects, Vo Duc Thanh; and Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Arts Center, Le Hong Son.
The Phu Tho Circus and Multi-Purpose Performing Center, located in the courtyard of Phu Tho Indoor Stadium in the former District 11, is a center for arts training and performing arts, organizing conferences, meetings, and cultural and sports exchanges in the city.
The 12-storey circus with two floors in the basement and a multi-purpose performing zone has a total construction area of more than 31,688 square meters. It consists of training and practice rooms, a 2,000-seat theater, a revolving stage, and a rotating rectangle stage serving different types of circus and arts, such as animal circus shows, classical music concerts, figure skating performances, restaurants, and other facilities. Construction of the project was kicked off in April 2023 with a total capital of nearly VND1.4 trillion (US$53 million). The designed service life of the project is 100 years.
On August 19, 2025, the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, in collaboration with the municipal Department of Culture and Sports and the Management Board of Industrial and Civil Engineering Construction and Investment Projects of the city, held the official inauguration ceremony of the circus and multi-purpose performing center complex. The project was one of the city's key cultural infrastructure initiatives, launched to mark the 80th anniversary of the National Day (September 2, 1945–2024).
Following the inauguration of the facility, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh City Arts Center, has prioritized training and professional knowledge transfer for personnel responsible for receiving, managing, and operating the complex. To date, approximately 40 experts have obtained internationally recognized certifications.
Under the plan, the Department of Culture and Sports has assigned the Ho Chi Minh City Arts Center to take the lead, in coordination with art troupes and artists, in organizing a wide range of performances featuring diverse genres and formats, combined with guided visits to the Phu Tho Circus and Multi-purpose Performance Complex for the public.
From April to June 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh City Arts Center, will conduct stage testing through a series of free-of-charge artistic performances for children, pupils, students, policy beneficiaries, and residents. Tickets will be made available through registration at the Ho Chi Minh City Arts Center.
The unit responsible for managing and operating the Phu Tho Circus and Multi-purpose Performance Complex also plans to step up performance activities from July 2026, featuring the circus production “The Mysterious Land," and to host the Ho Chi Minh City International Circus Festival in November 2026.
