Hanoi Jazztival 2026 expands the international Jazz exchange space in the Capital

On the evening of September 17, Hanoi International Jazz Festival 2026 (Hanoi Jazztival 2026) officially opened at the Music Garden – Hanoi Opera House. The event was directed and organized by the Hanoi People’s Committee, opening a three-day series of musical activities at many cultural locations in the capital.

Attending the opening ceremony were Politburo member, Secretary of the City Party Committee, Head of Hanoi’s National Assembly delegation Tran Duc Thang; Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra; Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Commission, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association Le Quoc Minh.

The program also had the presence of Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong; Member of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, Standing Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Council Tran The Cuong; Vice Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Vu Thu Ha along with representatives of departments, branches and many international guests.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Vu Thu Ha said that Hanoi is developing culture according to the orientation “Culture – Identity – Creativity – Integration – Connection”, which focuses on combining preservation and promotion of traditional values ​​with modern creative methods.

The city is gradually building cultural products with its own identity, while aiming to affirm its position as a creative center with cultural and artistic programs and events of regional and international scale.

Recently, Hanoi has implemented many music projects for the community, creating conditions for people to access art in diverse cultural spaces. Programs organized by theaters and art units increasingly attract public participation, contributing to bringing performance activities closer to everyday life.

Continuing these activities, Hanoi Jazztival 2026 takes place from September 17 to 19 at a series of locations such as Music Garden – Hanoi Opera House, Octagon House – Ly Thai To Flower Garden, Thang Long Music and Dance Theater, Cultural and Arts Center at 22 Hang Buom, Vietnamese Women’s Museum, Thang Long Opera Hotel, Hoan Kiem Lake walking street and Jazz clubs in the city.

With the theme “Jazz Hanoi – Melody without borders”, the Festival brings together many artists from the United States, France, Korea, Japan, Switzerland along with typical Vietnamese Jazz artists. Meritorious Artist Quyen Van Minh takes on the role of Brand Ambassador of Hanoi Jazztival 2026.

On the opening night, artist Quyen Van Minh and the Song Hong Jazz band introduced Jazz compositions combining folk music from three regions and Vietnamese musical heritage materials such as Ca tru, Cheo and Southern folk songs.

Besides Vietnamese artists, Nguyen Le Special Quartet from France brings a combination of European Jazz and Vietnamese traditional music. Female drummer Senri Kawaguchi and the band members also made their mark with the blend of Jazz, Rock and Fusion.

Hanoi Jazztival 2026 is built as an internationally connected music exchange space, where Vietnamese artists and bands can perform with colleagues from many countries, exchange expertise and share new approaches to Jazz.

Besides performances, the program also includes exhibitions, talks, workshops, jam sessions and street music activities. Organizing diverse forms of experience helps expand the public’s access to Jazz, while also bringing art closer to urban living spaces.

One of the goals of the Festival is to bring Jazz closer to the people of the Capital. Most of the activities at Hanoi Jazztival 2026 are held in an open and free format, creating opportunities for residents, tourists as well as those who have never encountered this music genre to directly enjoy and experience.

Through that, the event aims to form a Jazz-loving community in Hanoi, while creating an open cultural space where music becomes a bridge between artists, people and domestic and international tourists.

This is also the basis for Hanoi Jazztival’s long-term orientation, gradually turning Hanoi into an international Jazz exchange meeting point. Vietnamese artists have more opportunities to meet, learn and connect with the world music community, while Vietnam’s cultural values, people and creativity are more widely introduced to the international public.

Taking place over three days from September 17 to 19, Hanoi Jazztival 2026 is oriented to become an annual international cultural and artistic event, contributing to implementing the Capital’s cultural industry development strategy and concretizing Hanoi’s commitments when participating in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

September 17 opened with the exhibition “Jazz & Street – Crossover without borders” at Thang Long Music and Dance Theater, the program “Woman in Jazz” at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum and the opening night at the Music Garden – Hanoi Opera House.

On September 18, the program focuses on professional exchange activities, artist exchanges and international performances. At Thang Long Opera Hotel, the discussion “Hanoi and Jazz” had the participation of Meritorious Artist Quyen Van Minh. The workshop “Jazz language in traditional music” is led by artist Nguyen Le, with San Trinh taking on the role of translator.

After that, Jam Jazz Session creates more space for artists and the public to exchange and practice music.

On the evening of September 18, the second performance night at the Music Garden – Hanoi Opera House featured Thang Long Jazz, David Carlos Valdez Quartet, Longwaits Ensemble and JSFA Band.

In parallel with that is the program within the framework of the exhibition “Jazz & Street” at Thang Long Music and Dance Theater. The activities continue into the night with “Night Jam Jazz at Club” at Binh Minh Jazz Club and Long Waits Club, opening up more space for connection between artists after the main performances.

On September 19, Jazz was introduced to public and heritage spaces. The Street Jazz program on Hoan Kiem Lake walking street has the participation of Hanoing Jazz Band and Thuy Bui ft Breezin’ Bros x Hanoi Swing Dance, bringing Jazz tunes directly to residents and tourists in the downtown area.

On the same afternoon, the program “Jazz and Heritage” took place at the Cultural and Arts Center – 22 Hang Buom with the participation of Quyen Thien Dac & Dan That Band, aiming at the intersection between contemporary Jazz and traditional Vietnamese music materials.

Hanoi Jazztival 2026 ended with a closing program at the Octagon House – Ly Thai To Flower Garden, with performances by Yellow Star BigBand, Tran Manh Tuan & TMT Fusion Band and San Trinh & Sautéed Grabba Band.

The series of activities extending from professional performance stages to cultural spaces, heritage sites and public areas shows the orientation of building Hanoi Jazztival into a periodic cultural product with artistic quality and unique identity of Hanoi.

Combining professional art programs with free, open community activities also contributes to helping Jazz become closer in the cultural life of the people of the Capital.

Not only does it promote international exchange and cooperation in the field of music, Hanoi Jazztival also opens more development opportunities for artists, expands the artistic public, supports the development of the cultural industry and creates more products for tourism.

From a music festival, Hanoi Jazztival aims to become an annual cultural meeting with its own mark, contributing to strengthening the image of Hanoi – a creative, dynamic city and increasingly connecting with international cultural and artistic activities. Photo source: Hanoi People electronic magazine

PV