Events Hanoi: festivals, concerts and holidays
Hello everyone! We've compiled the most comprehensive guide to events in Hanoi through 2026. We'll be updating the list—stay tuned!
Want to stay up-to-date on all the latest events and announcements? Find all the events, parties, and exclusive bonuses in our Telegram chat.
🎂 City Day: What's happening and when
Liberation Day, the founding day of modern Hanoi, October 10, 1954 , is one of the capital's major holidays. In 2026, the city will celebrate 72 years since its liberation. Traditionally, a solemn ceremony is held in Ba Dinh Square and at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, a military band plays in Hoan Kiem Square, and in the evening, fireworks explode over the lake. The Old Quarter is decorated with red and yellow flags, and street markets run until midnight.
🔥 It's already on—don't miss it!
February 22 – May 11: The Perfume Pagoda Festival (Chùa Hương) is one of Vietnam's largest religious pilgrimages, annually attracting millions of devotees and tourists. The mountain complex of pagodas, located 70 km south of Hanoi, is open to the public. Admission was free in the first days after Tet, and over 51,000 people visited the site in just the first few days.
📍 Huong Son Commune, Ha Nam (70 km from Hanoi)
📅 April – May 2026
Until May 11: The Perfume Pagoda Festival continues—your last chance to visit this season .
April 18: Hung Kings Festival – a ceremonial day commemorating the founders of the Vietnamese nation at the Hung Kings Temple (Phu Tho Province, 80 km from Hanoi). An official holiday nationwide .
April 30–May 1: Vietnam Reunification Day and Labor Day – city celebrations, concerts, and festive events in Ba Dinh Square and the Old Quarter .
📅 June – August 2026
June – August: The best season for strolling around Hanoi – temperatures are high, but evenings by Hoan Kiem Lake and at the Old Quarter Night Market remain the main attractions. In the Old Quarter, streets are closed to pedestrians on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
August: Wu Lan (Ancestral Tet) Festival – Buddhist ceremonies, lantern processions, night markets with traditional street food.
📅 September 2026
September 2: Vietnam Independence Day is a public holiday with a military parade at Ba Dinh Square (Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum) and fireworks over Hoan Kiem Lake in the evening .
📅 October 2026
October 6: Mid-Autumn Festival (Tet Trung Thu) – lantern parades, lion masks, rice cakes, and night markets throughout the city. The Old Quarter on Hang Ma Street is especially beautiful – the entire block is transformed into a sea of lanterns .
🔥 October 10: Hanoi Liberation Day marks the anniversary of the capital's liberation from French colonization in 1954. It will be 72 years old in 2026. Traditionally, there is a military parade, laser show, and a spectacular fireworks display over Ba Dinh Square and Hoan Kiem Lake. One of the city's main autumn events .
📅 November – December 2026
November–December: The best season to visit Hanoi—cool, dry weather, and golden trees lining Dien Bien Phu Boulevard. Ideal for Ha Son trekking and trips to Ha Long Bay .
December 24–25: Christmas – a midnight mass is held at St. Joseph's Catholic Cathedral in the Old Quarter, and a spontaneous Christmas market springs up around the cathedral. The square in front of the cathedral fills with thousands of people, with Hanoians and tourists coming together for the midnight mass .
December 31 – New Year Countdown 2027: Hanoi's main NYE celebration traditionally takes place at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square near Hoan Kiem Lake – with live music, performances by Vietnamese pop-rock and electronic music stars, a laser show, and a midnight fireworks display over the lake .
🍸 What about the parties? Hanoi's nightlife, with its rooftop bar by the train tracks (Train Street), jazz clubs, and Ta Hien beer bars, is open year-round. All the best spots are in our separate article about Hanoi at night.
