The Mường Lò Culture and Tourism Festival 2026 will feature a mass Xòe dance involving 2,026 participants. Photo baochinhphu.vn

SƠN LA — The Mường Lò Culture and Tourism Festival 2026, themed The Essence of Thái Xoè – Colours of the Northwest, will open on October 16, featuring a mass Xòe dance performed by 2,026 Thái ethnic minority people.

Speaking at a press conference on October 6, Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee Vũ Thị Hiền Hạnh said this year’s festival coincides with the 5th anniversary of Thái Xòe’s inscription on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The festival will provide an opportunity to review achievements in preserving and promoting the values of Thái Xòe, honour the cultural identities of ethnic groups in the Northwestern region, and promote the land and people of Lào Cai. It will also showcase local tourism products and destinations and strengthen linkages for tourism development, she added.

The highlight will be the opening ceremony at 20:00 on October 16 at Nghĩa Lộ ward stadium, featuring an art programme entitled Thái Xòe – A Complete Circle of Love.

Combining traditional cultural materials with modern artistic language, the programme will recreate the distinctive cultural space of the Northwest. It will also feature a mass Xòe dance involving 2,026 participants, highlighting community solidarity and the enduring vitality of Thái Xòe heritage.

A range of activities will be held as part of the festival, including a street parade from 17:30 to 19:00 on October 16 along Điện Biên and Nguyễn Quang Bích streets to Nghĩa Lộ ward stadium. The parade will involve about 400 participants divided into eight groups.

Other activities include the Northwest Tourism Fair 2026, showcasing OCOP products, and a photo exhibition on northwest tourism, both running from October 15 to 21.

Localities across the province will stage parallel events, including community-based tourism experiences, traditional sports, folk festivals, agricultural tours and cultural activities.

The programme also includes the Lào Cai Shan Tuyết Tea Festival 2026 and the Flying over the Golden Season paragliding event in Tú Lệ commune.

The Mường Lò Culture and Tourism Festival 2026 is expected to help preserve and promote the traditional cultural values of local ethnic communities, while further affirming Mường Lò as a distinctive cultural destination in the Northwest and enhancing the appeal of Lào Cai on Việt Nam’s tourism map. — VNA/VNS