International jazz stars to perform at Dalat festival

International jazz performers from Japan, the US and South Korea will join Vietnamese artists for a three-day festival in Dalat next month.

The Lam Dong People's Committee and event organisers held a press conference on October 30 to announce the Vietnam Jazz Heritage Festival 2026.

The festival will run for three days at venues in Xuan Huong-Dalat Ward.

The opening night will take place from 5 pm to 10 pm on November 6 at Lam Vien Square. On November 7, performances will be held outside the 3/4 Theatre, also known as Hoa Binh Theatre, in the Hoa Binh area. The festival will conclude on November 8 with an invitation-only programme at the HAUS Da Lat project site at 1 Dinh Tien Hoang Street.

Organisers said the festival would feature international artists including Lisa Ono of Japan, and Nik West and Raul Midon of the US, alongside performers and bands from South Korea. Vietnamese acts will include diva Hong Nhung, Tran Thu Ha, musician Tran Manh Tuan, Duc Tri and Hoai Sa.

The meeting of artists from different musical traditions and performance styles is expected to create a diverse space for artistic exchange and showcase the creativity of Vietnamese music to international audiences.

Dinh Van Tuan, vice-chairman of the Lam Dong People's Committee, said the 2026 Vietnam Jazz Heritage Festival was among the cultural and artistic events in the 11th Dalat Flower Festival programme.

The event reflects the province's direction of promoting cultural and artistic values alongside tourism development and the growth of cultural industries, he said.

Provincial leaders said the festival was part of efforts to diversify cultural and tourism offerings, provide more experiences for residents and visitors, and promote Dalat and Lam Dong as dynamic, creative destinations with a distinctive identity.

Music director Huy Tuan said Dalat was the ideal place in Vietnam to enjoy jazz, citing its atmosphere, climate, architecture and scenery.

"When I first came up with the idea, Dalat was the first place that came to mind, not Hanoi or HCM City. I think whenever people think of somewhere that brings them joy and relaxation, they turn to Dalat. Few places offer the combination of space and time found here: you can experience all four seasons in a single day," he said.