Photo: The opening ceremony of the Hue International Arts Festival Week 2024 will be held in front of Kien Trung Palace instead of the previous location in front of Ngo Mon Gate

 

   Hue Festival, with its well-established brand value, has become a cultural and artistic event of national and international stature, showcasing the cultural essence, promoting the beautiful, safe, and friendly destination of the ancient capital of Hue - Vietnam, and driving the socio-economic development of Thua Thien Hue province.

   The Hue Festival 2024 will follow a four - season orientation, beginning with the Ban Soc Ceremony on January 1, 2024, and ending with the Countdown Program on December 31, 2024. The main highlight is the Hue International Arts Festival Week 2024, with the theme “Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development” held from June 7th to 12th, 2024. This year’s Hue Festival continues to affirm its influence as a cultural festival, gathering outstanding art troupes from across the country and 12 international art troupes from seven countries spanning Europe, America, and Asia, promising to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from both within and outside Vietnam.

   With the theme “Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development” the Hue International Arts Festival Week 2024 will feature programs and festivals with the participation of notable art troupes and artists from Vietnam and abroad, showcasing the uniqueness, sophistication, and diversity of traditional and contemporary arts from Vietnam and around the world. The large-scale, unique festivals will include main programs and various side activities taking place in Hue city and other localities. Notably, the opening and closing ceremonies and the Trinh Cong Son Music Program at this year's Festival will be held at Kien Trung Palace - one of the most splendid palaces of the Hue Imperial City.

   Under the theme “A Brilliant Aspiration for Millennia” the opening ceremony of the Hue Festival Week 2024 will be held for the first time at Kien Trung Palace in the Hue Imperial Citadel. The quintessence of the ancient capital of Hue will shine through meticulously staged performances combined with laser shows, Led Matrix, Holograms, and 3D Mapping on a semi-realistic stage at Kien Trung Palace.

   Performances on stage will highlight the city of Hue “Illuminating the Heritage Land” with sustainable development, respect for nature, friendliness, and serenity; praising the “Magical Ancient Capital”; a land with a rich tradition “Converging the Melodies” of regions both inside and outside the country; and honoring a city with sustainable development with “A Brilliant Aspiration for Millennia.”

   The stage, spanning over 1,500 square meters and utilizing 3D Mapping technology, will transform Kien Trung Palace into a dazzling, splendid space, showcasing the unique architecture and art. This promises to provide locals and visitors with unique and novel cultural, historical, and artistic experiences.

   The opening night art program, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, will feature a team of performers delivering various acts and songs by Vietnamese and international artists. This program will be a harmonious blend of traditional values and contemporary art, reflects the vibrant life of Hue and many other culturally rich regions of Vietnam and the world.

The “Trinh Cong Son Dialogue – Sending a bit of Hue” music program, meticulously organized by a team from Ho Chi Minh City with the participation of several famous singers, and the closing ceremony of the Festival Week, will be a cultural event by the Hue Heritage Conservation Center.

   At the community stage at Quoc Hoc Stele, there will be nightly performances by “hot” youth bands in Vietnam; the stage at the March 2nd Park in front of the Pedagogical University will feature performances by art troupes from both within and outside Vietnam. The colorful, vibrant street festival will see the participation of domestic and international art troupes, with a light festival at Thai Binh Lau and Thieu Phuong Garden in the Hue Imperial Citadel.

   Additionally, special activities will include the Lantern Festival; Culinary Festival; Vietnamese Cake Festival; Hue Vegetarian Food Festival; “Tam Giang Water Wave” Day…Alongside exhibitions and displays such as the “Converging Antiquities” exhibition featuring artifacts from the Nguyen dynasty, contributed by collectors from the North, Central and South regions; and the exhibition by People's Artist Tran Do with his collection of ceramics featuring dragons within the grounds of Kien Trung Palace.

   As part of the 2024 Festival activities, the Hue International Arts Festival Week is seen as a cultural and tourism event that deeply embodies Vietnamese and Hue culture, promoting international exchanges, economic development, tourism, and elevating Hue as a distinctive cultural and tourist center of Vietnam.

 

   Nguyen Thanh Binh, Permanent Vice Chairman of Thua Thien Hue Provincial People's Committee and Head of the Hue Festival 2024 Organizing Committee, emphasized that the Festival will contribute to the successful implementation of the Politburo's Resolution 54-NQ/TW on building and developing Thua Thien Hue province by 2030, with a vision to 2045, to become a centrally governed city based on the preservation and promotion of the values of the ancient capital's heritage and Hue's cultural identity, characterized by culture, heritage, ecology, landscape, environmental friendliness, and smartness.

   The Hue International Arts Festival Week 2024, inheriting the legacy of previous Hue Festivals, connects the present - day Hue with aspirations for a future Hue. It is an honored invitation to all guests to come to the ancient capital to enjoy the new, impressive festivals and programs, and experience the wonderful and unique aspects of the culture, history, and art of the heritage land.

   This is also an opportunity to extensively promote the values of Hue's cultural heritage, creating a strong resonance in the community, centered on the world heritage sites. With the goal of preserving traditional values, the selection, research, and organization of the restoration of royal architectural heritages and the re -enactment of festivals associated with Hue's architectural heritage over the years have left a strong mark on Hue Festivals, having positive impacts on the local cultural and tourism development.

 

Announcement of Ticket Prices for the Hue International Arts Festival Week 2024    The ticket prices for the opening ceremony of Hue Festival 2024 (Time: 8:00 PM on June 7, 2024, at Kien Trung Palace – Hue Imperial City) are as follows: A3 class (center stage) is 350,000 VND, and B1 (right wing of the stage) and B2 (left wing of the stage) classes are 300,000 VND.    For the Trinh Cong Son Night Music Program – “Love Found” (Time: 8:00 PM on June 9, 2024, at Kien Trung Palace – Hue Imperial City), the ticket prices are as follows: A1 class (center with seating) is 950,000 VND; A2 class (center with seating) is 750,000 VND, A3 class (center without seating) is 550,000 VND, and B1 (right wing without seating) and B2 (left wing without seating) classes are 450,000 VND.    The “Royal Banquet” program (6:30 PM on June 8 at Can Chanh Palace courtyard – Hue Imperial City) has a ticket price of 2 million VND. Participants will have the opportunity to experience Nguyen Dynasty royal cuisine while enjoying the most distinctive and unique performances of Nha nhac and Hue Royal Court Music – a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.    The “Royal Palace Night Food Show” (6:30 PM on June 10 at Truong Sanh Palace – Hue Imperial City) has a ticket price of 1,5 million VND. This unique culinary show at Hue Festival 2024 offers guests novel and exciting experiences through a buffet featuring traditional Hue delicacies (37 dishes and 5 types of fruits) and performances of royal court arts, set in the shimmering and magical atmosphere of Truong Sanh Palace – one of the 20 most beautiful scenic spots in the Nguyen Dynasty's capital.    Organizations and businesses bringing guests to these programs (with a contract signed with the Hue Monuments Conservation Center) will receive a 10% discount on ticket revenue. Groups of over 15 guests with an accompanying tour guide will have the tour guide’s ticket waived for the art programs.