The festival runs from March 1 to March 31, with peak activities from March 6 to March 8. The activities will take place at the President Ho Chi Minh Monument Park, Nguyen Hue Walking Street, the Export Showroom located at 92–96 Nguyen Hue Street, Metro Line No. 1 stations and various historical and cultural sites and iconic landmarks across Ho Chi Minh City.
This year’s festival features 17 main activities, including the opening ceremony on March 6, an Ao Dai art program on March 7, and the finale of the “Charming Ao Dai Ho Chi Minh City” contest on March 8, with teams from 168 wards, communes and Con Dao Special Zone.
Other events include an online Ao Dai photo contest, a children’s Ao Dai drawing contest, seminars on Ao Dai, the “Accompanying Vietnamese Ao Dai” series, and the “Loving Ao Dai” program.
A highlight will be a mass folk dance performance and Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional dress) parade at 8 a.m. on March 8 at multiple locations citywide, expected to attract more than 50,000 participants, including around 3,000 at Nguyen Hue Walking Street.
The festival also includes Ao Dai exhibition and interactive spaces at Nguyen Hue Walking Street and Metro Line No.1 stations such as Ben Thanh and Saigon Opera House, along with the “Ao Dai and Metro” journey connecting tourist attractions via the urban railway.
The Export Showroom at 92–96 Nguyen Hue Street will feature a complimentary Ao Dai experience space, allowing visitors to try on traditional attire, take commemorative photos, and learn about the evolution of the Ao Dai through different historical periods.
The event brings together 37 designers, 600 performers and models, and 37 ambassadors from various fields.
According to Mr. Le Truong Hien Hoa, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Tourism, the Ao Dai festival this year holds greater significance as it is the first to be held in the newly envisioned Ho Chi Minh City, a modern, multi-centered metropolis rich in cultural identity.
>>>Below are photos from the launch ceremony for Ao Dai Festival this year.
