An art programme “Vietnam: The Legendary Voyage” of the 2024 HCM City River Festival
The festival was originally scheduled to take place from November 29 to December 31, featuring a series of unique cultural and tourist activities along the Saigon River, canals and ports.
The highlight was planned to be a live Signature Show combining music, dance, circus acts, and modern performance technology.
Other attractions would have included a wharf-side space under the boats, street carnivals, light art installations, boat races, a culinary festival, and various activities promoting waterway tourism to showcase Ho Chi Minh City as a vibrant river city and strengthen links with neighboring localities.
First launched in 2023, the HCM City River Festival has quickly grown in scale and impact. Its diverse activities help to promote waterway tourism, cultural performances, regional linkages, shopping promotions, and ticket discounts, further strengthening its role as a signature cultural and tourism event that attracts both domestic and international travelers.
The 2024 edition, the second of its kind, received two awards in the event category at the 22nd International Business Awards (IBA) 2025 ceremony held in Portugal on October 10.
The festival won the Gold Stevie Award for Arts, Entertainment & Public Festival, while its opening show, the art programme “Vietnam: The Legendary Voyage,” received the Gold Stevie Award for Arts, Entertainment & Public-Cultural Festival.
The IBA, part of the American Stevie Awards system, is considered one of the world’s most prestigious business awards platforms and is often described by the New York Post as the “Oscars of the business world.”
