On the afternoon of October 29, 2025, in Hanoi, the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports held a preparatory meeting for the upcoming Hanoi Design & Creativity Festival 2026, to discuss proposed content, activities, and logistics related to the event.
The meeting was attended by Ms. Bạch Liên Hương – Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, Mr. Hoàng Thúc Hào – Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Architects, Ms. Bùi Thị Thanh Hương – Acting Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Architecture Magazine (Vietnam Association of Architects), along with experts, architects, artists, curators, and representatives of international organizations and businesses such as UN-Habitat, Lotte Mall West Lake, and the Đồng Xuân Market Management Board.
Opening the meeting, Ms. Bạch Liên Hương emphasized the importance of defining a clear vision for the 2026 Creativity Festival, one of Hanoi’s key commitments as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. She noted: “The Creativity Festival serves as a platform connecting creative communities, contributing to the formation of a sustainable cultural ecosystem. Holding it biennially allows us more time for thorough preparation, fostering new ideas and spreading the spirit of creativity across all levels of society”.
Following that, Ms. Bùi Thị Thanh Hương summarized the journey of the 2021 – 2024 editions, sharing key lessons learned and proposing the vision for 2025 – 2030: transforming the festival from an annual event into a creative platform and sustainable urban cultural ecosystem, grounded in four strategic directions and a mission to promote the generative values of architecture, culture, and community. She also presented the specific objectives, festival routes, proposed themes, and implementation phases.
Speaking about the 2026 festival route, Architect Nguyễn Hồng Quang revealed that the central area this year will be Đồng Xuân Market, connecting heritage sites such as Hàng Đậu Water Tower, Ô Quan Chưởng Gate, and nearby cultural industry hubs.
A number of artists and curators, including Nguyễn Anh Tuấn, Nguyễn Quốc Hoàng Anh, Architect Trương Ngọc Lân, and Artist Nguyễn Thế Sơn, presented artistic proposals focusing on the festival ecosystem, design-craft collaborations, and creative-economic models. The discussion also covered key topics such as the official 2026 theme, potential activities at heritage sites, and mechanisms for community and business participation in creative infrastructure development.
During the discussion, Architect Hoàng Thúc Hào emphasized: “Creativity should not only serve economic growth but also nurture cultural heritage. Each event must act as a developmental catalyst, helping maintain both permanent and mobile creative centers year after year, moving toward an internationally recognized creative network for Hanoi”.
He also shared plans for the 2026 International Architecture Festival, organized by the Vietnam Association of Architects, expressing a desire to align and synergize with the Design & Creativity Festival to create an international dialogue platform among architects, artists, and creative communities.
Concluding the meeting, participants reached a consensus on the general direction: to consolidate the Steering Committee, comprising the Department of Culture and Sports, Architecture Magazine, and key partners; to assign responsibilities for site surveys, funding proposals, and communication plans; and to schedule the next meeting to review progress.
In her closing remarks, Ms. Bạch Liên Hương affirmed: “The Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports will compile all recommendations to propose suitable policies and support mechanisms, ensuring that creative activities extend beyond the festival itself to become a driving force for the Capital’s sustainable creative economy”.
The Hanoi Design & Creativity Festival has become one of the most anticipated cultural events of the year, attracting a large community of creative practitioners, organizations, and businesses to foster collaboration, promote development opportunities, and draw both domestic and international visitors.
Through four editions, the festival has introduced a wealth of new creative experiments, blending into the city’s vibrant rhythm of innovation. Its scale and quality have grown each year, creating far-reaching impact and inspiration.
Past themes include “Inspiring Creativity” (2021), “Creativity and Technology” (2022), “The Flow” (2023), and “Creative Intersection” (2024) organized by the Hanoi People’s Committee in collaboration with the Vietnam Association of Architects, with support from the UNESCO Office in Hanoi and participation from various government agencies, research institutes, universities, enterprises, creative groups, and experts across diverse fields such as design, visual arts, performing arts, craftsmanship, gastronomy, fashion, music, and heritage conservation.
The 2026 edition marks a new milestone in both organization and collaboration, promising many exciting developments ahead. Stay tuned with Architecture Magazine for the upcoming Hanoi Design & Creativity Festival 2026.
© Vietnam Architecture Magazine
