The 2026 Thành Tuyên Festival will take place from September 19 to 25, featuring giant lantern parades and a wide range of cultural activities. — Photo baotuyenquang.com.vn

TUYÊN QUANG — The 2026 Thành Tuyên Festival will take place from September 19 to 25 at Nguyễn Tất Thành Square, 26 March Square and several other venues across Tuyên Quang Province's administrative centre.

The annual Mid-Autumn celebration is designed to promote children's welfare, particularly among those living in remote and ethnic minority communities, while showcasing Tuyên Quang's revolutionary heritage and distinctive cultural identity to domestic and international visitors.

Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People's Committee Vương Ngọc Hà said this year's festival would continue to embrace innovation while ensuring safety and cost efficiency, with the long-term goal of developing Thành Tuyên into a nationally recognised cultural and tourism brand.

The move is also in line with the Politburo’s Resolution No 80-NQ/TW, which calls for culture to become a key driver of sustainable national development while encouraging localities to develop distinctive cultural products that strengthen tourism and the cultural industries.

The festival's centrepiece, Thành Tuyên Night under the theme Lung Linh Đêm Hội Trăng Rằm (A Sparkling Mid-Autumn Night), will be held on the evening of September 20 at Nguyễn Tất Thành Square. The event is expected to welcome international guests, Party and State leaders, representatives from central ministries, along with thousands of local residents and visitors.

The evening programme will feature a parade of dozens of giant lantern models selected from wards across the province, lion and dragon dances, gifts for 100 disadvantaged students and a special artistic performance.

The Thành Tuyên Festival has become Tuyên Quang's signature cultural event, attracting large crowds of residents and visitors every Mid-Autumn Festival. — Photo mytuyenquang.vn

A series of supporting events will also take place throughout the festival, including a heritage tour themed 'Uncle Hồ in Tân Trào', a children's Mid-Autumn celebration, an OCOP and traditional craft festival linked with tourism promotion, a food and beer festival, the 2026 Tuyên Quang Marathon and the fourth expanded off-road automobile and motorcycle performance competition.

One of the highlights will be the heritage programme at the Tân Trào Special National Historical Site on the morning of September 20, bringing together 1,941 pupils and university students to commemorate the 85th anniversary of President Hồ Chí Minh's return to Việt Nam in 1941 to lead the revolutionary movement. The event will also honour 85 outstanding students and include activities aimed at educating younger generations about the country's revolutionary traditions.

This year's festival will select 40 outstanding lantern models to participate in the main night parade. All entries must comply with regulations on size, traffic safety, fire prevention and environmental protection, while commercial advertising will not be permitted on the displays.

To ensure the festival runs smoothly, provincial authorities have assigned specific responsibilities to agencies and local administrations covering communications, security, traffic management, fire prevention, environmental sanitation, food safety and tourism services.

Local authorities have also been asked to beautify urban areas, decorate streets with national flags and traditional Mid-Autumn lanterns, and mobilise social resources to improve festival activities and support children.

Over the past two decades, the Thành Tuyên Festival has evolved from a grassroots lantern-making tradition into one of Việt Nam's most distinctive cultural events. It has earned several national records, including the country's largest Mid-Autumn lantern parade, the largest Mid-Autumn feast and the largest rotating lantern display.

In 2024, the 'Thành Tuyên Festival' brand was officially granted trademark protection by the Intellectual Property Office of Việt Nam, further cementing its status as one of the country's most distinctive cultural celebrations. — VNS