From sold-out concerts and internationally acclaimed ballet performances to contemporary dance productions, Hà Nội is increasingly becoming a destination for world-class artistic events.

Beyond enriching audiences' artistic experiences, the trend is enhancing the capital city’s global profile, fostering the growth of its cultural industries and strengthening Hà Nội’s position as an emerging hub for international cultural exchange.

The trend has become increasingly evident in recent months. Early this year, a series of performances by the Russian State Ballet at Hồ Gươm Opera House left a lasting impression on Vietnamese audiences with two timeless ballet masterpieces, The Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet.

Ballerinas from Russian State Ballet perform classic ballet masterpiece The Nutcracker in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

Widely regarded as hallmarks of the Russian classical ballet tradition, the productions captivated audiences with their excellent technique, refined choreography and profound emotional depth.

The choice of Hà Nội as a stop on the tour of a renowned Russian arts company highlights the growing attractiveness of the city's performing arts market.

It also demonstrates Hà Nội’s expanding organisational capacity, increasingly sophisticated performance infrastructure and the public's rising appreciation for classical performing arts.

This was followed by the dance production Duyên Ngày Nợ Đêm, one of French-Algerian choreographer Hervé Koubi's most acclaimed works. Featuring 14 dancers, it has captivated audiences on international stages with its compelling fusion of hip-hop, b-boying, contemporary dance, ballet and acrobatics.

Dance performance Duyên Ngày Nợ Đêm has captivated audiences in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

The trend extends well beyond dance. A growing number of international concerts, musicals, operas, jazz performances and arts festivals have chosen Hà Nội as their venues.

These productions have been meticulously staged, featuring carefully crafted content, elaborate stage design, sophisticated lighting and sound systems, and the integration of high technology.

Held on July 1-5, the Crescendo International Music Festival brought together more than 1,300 Vietnamese artists and over 70 international participants from nine countries and territories, alongside more than 50 internationally renowned professors, doctoral scholars, performers and music experts.

The Crescendo International Music Festival featured more than 1,300 Vietnamese artists. — VNA/VNS Photo

According to Phạm Tuấn Long, Director of Hà Nội's Department of Culture and Sports, the international music festival serves not only as a platform for exchange and collaboration among Vietnamese and international artists, music educators and industry professionals, but also as a driver of the cultural and creative industries. It also helps showcase Hà Nội to domestic and international audiences as a UNESCO Creative City.

Global art hub

Many A-list stars have also chosen Hà Nội as a stop on their global tours. The two Born Pink concerts by Blackpink, held in 2023, marked a major milestone for Hà Nội's live entertainment scene. The capital is estimated to have welcomed more than 170,000 visitors during the two-day event, including around 30,000 international arrivals.

In late 2025, K-pop star G-Dragon chose Hà Nội as a stop on his Übermensch World Tour, drawing around 100,000 concertgoers over two nights. It was one of the best-attended stops of the tour worldwide.

The two Born Pink concerts by Blackpink in 2023 were huge for Hà Nội's live entertainment scene. — VNA/VNS Photo

More recently, legendary K-pop group BigBang has announced Hà Nội as one of 18 stops on their world tour celebrating its 20th anniversary. The tour marks BigBang's first world tour in nearly a decade and is widely regarded as one of the most highly anticipated K-pop events of the year.

Thanks to events such as these, Hà Nội is well positioned to gradually establish itself as an emerging music destination in Asia. The city was ranked ninth among the world’s 20 greatest cities for art and culture for 2025 by the UK-based Time Out magazine, making it the highest-ranked destination in Asia.

According to Bùi Hoài Sơn, a permanent member of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Social Affairs, Hà Nội enjoys greater advantages than many other localities in hosting international-scale arts events and developing its creative industries.

"International arts events not only enrich the city's cultural landscape but also help strengthen Hà Nội's position within the region's artistic ecosystem," he said.

Hồ Gươm Opera House in Hà Nội has become a venue for many international art events.— Photo baochinhphu.vn

Artist Nguyễn Trung Hiếu, director of Hà Nội Drama Theatre, highlighted that every international cultural and arts event presents an opportunity to promote the image of both the city and the country while generating spillover benefits for sectors such as tourism, hospitality, services and cuisine.

However, he stressed that sustaining such events over the long term would require systematic investment in infrastructure and organisational capacity.

At the same time, Hà Nội would face direct competition from the region's leading entertainment hubs, such as Singapore and Bangkok, which have decades of experience hosting global concert tours and offer highly flexible policy support.

"Without stronger and more timely policy measures, the city risks remaining an alternative stop rather than becoming a preferred destination on the touring schedules of international artists," Hiếu said.

To realise its ambition of becoming a global arts destination, according to specialists, Hà Nội needs a more coordinated strategy. This includes developing modern performance and exhibition venues, refining policies to facilitate the organisation of international events, training a skilled workforce in technical production, event management and communications, and expanding opportunities for young creative communities to thrive.

Above all, the most important challenge for Hà Nội is to preserve its distinctive identity as it integrates more deeply into the global cultural landscape. Its greatest and most enduring strength lies in its ability to bridge heritage and contemporary life, linking a millennium of history with the creative energy of today.

Building on this foundation, Hà Nội can steadily establish itself as an emerging arts hub in the region while becoming an increasingly attractive destination on the touring and creative map of international artists. VNS