More than 3,000 people will take part in a mass ao dai performance on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street on March 8, as part of the 11th HCMC Ao Dai Festival

The festival, running from March 1 to March 9, will feature 10 main activities at 20 locations across the city. More than 50,000 participants will perform in traditional Vietnamese attire throughout 21 districts and Thu Duc City.

The opening ceremony will be held on March 7, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Ho Chi Minh Statue Park and Nguyen Hue Street. The event will showcase more than 550 ao dai creations designed by 50 designers.

A synchronized ao dai dance performance, the festival’s key highlight, will take place on the morning of March 8. Around 3,000 people will parade in ao dai on Nguyen Hue Street, with similar performances occurring across the city.

This year’s festival will also introduce an imperial costume parade with 500 participants, showcasing the historical evolution of the traditional Vietnamese long dress. Other activities include an art program, a beauty contest, a painting competition, and an online photography contest.

During the festival, visitors wearing ao dai at select venues will receive special promotions. The event commemorates the anniversaries of the Hai Ba Trung Uprising, International Women’s Day, the liberation of southern Vietnam and the reunification of the nation.

Saigon times