Visitors to Nguyen Hue pedestrian mall in downtown Ho Chi Minh City will have the chance to enjoy different street and traditional Vietnamese art every weekend, starting this Saturday.

A new program entitled “Ho Chi Minh City Street Show” will get underway on May 13 and then be scheduled weekly from 8pm to 9pm every Saturday and Sunday night along the mall, according to the city’s tourism department.

With new and various themes every week, the six different stages along the pedestrian mall designed in the city’s typical street style will have different performances at the same time. The theme of the first is “Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City”.

The highlight of the “Ho Chi Minh City Street Show” will be a number of “fusion” performances, combining international modern street arts with traditional Vietnamese folk culture, according to the tourism department. 

The weekend shows will not only feature common street arts like magic and singing but also traditional arts such as folk songs and gong dancing.

Besides regular performances, after every six months, a festival of international street art will be organized as part of the show. 

Street art competitions are also expected, in preparation for the larger ambition of organizing an international street art festival.

The program is also to introduce and add to the itineraries of tour operators as well as appear in social media and regular media.

“We expect the program to become something that holds both cultural and entertainment value, helping to increase the appeal of Ho Chi Minh City as a tourism destination,” Bui Ta Hoang Vu, director of the tourism department, said. 

“The program will also give local residents a new venue to relax over the weekends.”

VN Economic Times