Vietnam prepares first Culture Day with call for wider public participation

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra has directed ministries and local authorities to prioritise community participation in preparations for the country’s first Vietnam Culture Day on November 24, 2026. At a national conference on October 12, she said some agencies and localities had not adequately prepared activities aligned with the event’s objectives.

The observance will be linked with the Great National Solidarity Festival on November 18 and Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day on November 23, creating a programme running from November 18 to 24. Tra called for activities that allow communities to take part directly and reinforce ties among ethnic and religious groups.

She urged local authorities to make museums, libraries, theatres, heritage sites and other cultural facilities more accessible through longer opening hours and suitable admission discounts or exemptions, particularly on November 24. Businesses were asked to provide practical incentives, while the Vietnam Fatherland Front would encourage public involvement.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism was instructed to complete guidance for the programme before October 15 and check national event schedules for clashes. Its assignments also include a Vietnamese film week, exhibitions, artistic performances and heritage activities.

Local authorities must standardise the initial data for the Digital Map of Vietnamese Culture before October 15. The platform is scheduled for a nationwide launch on November 1, with localities also tasked with informing the public about it.

The Hanoi People’s Committee and the ministry were assigned to organise a national-scale artistic programme at My Dinh National Stadium, with an estimated audience of 60,000–70,000 spectators.