Vietnamese martial artists perform Vovinam. The Hà Nội International Martial Arts Festival 2026 will take place in Hà Nội from August 7 to 9. — VNA/VNS Photo

Martial Arts

HÀ NỘI — The Hà Nội International Martial Arts Festival will take place in Hà Nội from August 7 to 9, bringing together thousands of martial artists from Việt Nam and abroad.

Organised by the Hà Nội Department of Culture and Sports and relevant bodies, the festival is expected to attract up to 2,000 martial arts masters, athletes and coaches from both domestic clubs and international troupes.

This will be the first large-scale event held in Hà Nội to honour national martial arts while strengthening cultural and sports exchanges both domestically and internationally.

During the event, the Hà Nội City People’s Committee aims to develop the capital into a centre for regional cultural and sports activities. The martial arts festival is set to become an annual event, helping to connect culture, sports and tourism, while enhancing Hà Nội’s image on the international map.

With the message "The Pride of Thăng Long – The Quintessence of Vietnamese Martial Arts", the festival seeks to honour, preserve and promote the value of Việt Nam’s traditional martial arts. It is also an opportunity to promote the image of Việt Nam and its people as well as the city of Hà Nội to international friends.

Beyond its cultural significance, the festival serves as a platform to promote international cooperation, develop tourism, advance the sports economy and create an environment for learning and exchanging experience among martial arts schools in Việt Nam and around the world.

The opening ceremony will take place on August 7 at the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel. The opening programme is carefully choreographed, combining martial arts performances, traditional music and modern stage technology to create a unique, immersive cultural experience. 

More than an artistic programme, the opening ceremony also showcases the spirit of martial arts and Thăng Long-Hà Nội culture to audiences both in Việt Nam and internationally.

Diverse activities and exchanges

Along with performance activities, the festival also includes seminars focusing on the history and development of traditional martial arts in Hà Nội, as well as investment and resource development solutions for both traditional and modern martial arts. 

This provides an opportunity for masters, coaches, athletes and experts to share experience and explore measures to improve the quality of martial arts training and development in the context of international integration.

In addition, the display and exhibition area introduces historical and cultural values, as well as the martial spirit, through images, artefacts, equipment and digital technology applications.

Visitors can learn about martial arts uniforms, training and competition equipment, martial arts-related items and purchase souvenirs, gaining a deeper understanding of both traditional and modern martial arts.

Another outstanding feature will be a parade showcasing martial arts federations from a variety of Vietnamese provinces and cities as well as international martial arts troupes. 

Participants will join the parade in martial arts uniforms, ancient costumes and traditional Vietnamese attire. Performances include basic martial arts movements with simulated weapons and national flags, creating a vibrant event filled with cultural colour.

Competitions and exchange programmes are key highlights of the festival, bringing together a wide range of martial arts, including traditional martial arts, vovinam, karate, pencak silat, taekwondo, wushu and mixed martial arts. 

These activities allow domestic and international martial artists, students and instructors to exchange skills, learn tactics and techniques and promote the development of martial arts schools.

Martial artists from the Senegal Vovinam Federation perform.— VNA/VNS Photo

At the same time, they help introduce Vietnamese martial arts to the world, highlighting the diversity, uniqueness and cultural value of traditional martial arts. They are also combined with interactive digital technology experiences, enabling audiences to participate directly and truly experience martial arts movements and techniques.

The festival will take place alongside Hà Nội’s tourism promotion activities and includes tours to visit cultural heritage sites, historical relics, traditional craft villages and areas of Hà Nội’s Old Quarter as well as cultural activities, folk games and martial arts performance festivals in communes and wards.

Competitions of traditional martial arts will also take place for participants to exchange and learn about martial arts heritage.

These activities help showcase Hà Nội’s cultural identity and encourage the public, especially young people and international tourists, to better understand and appreciate the capital’s cultural and sporting value. 

The programmes also create an engaging space for learning and hands-on experience, connecting culture, sport and tourism through a single event.

With its large scale and diverse activities, the Hà Nội International Martial Arts Festival 2026 promises to become an important cultural and sports highlight of the capital, promoting the martial arts spirit.

It will also open up opportunities for Hà Nội to host and integrate into global cultural and sport events and spread Vietnamese culture worldwide. — VNS