In the first 11 months of the year, Hanoi welcomed nearly 31 million tourists, preparing to reach the target set for the whole year of 2025. This is the highest number in history, surpassing the peak of 29 million visitors in the golden year of 2019 - before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The capital's tourism industry has reached the finish line early, largely thanks to the motivation of a series of large-scale cultural and entertainment events that take place continuously throughout the year.
Explosion of festivals, concerts, events
This year, Hanoi witnessed the explosion of cultural events, music festivals and concerts with influence in the region. The most prominent is the A80 event series - celebrating the 80th anniversary of National Day on September 2.
Festivals, exhibitions, and performances within the framework of A80 are held continuously at Hoan Kiem Lake, the central area, museums and heritage spaces across the capital. Some programs recreate the image of Hanoi in historical periods, attracting tens of thousands of viewers, bringing emotional experiences to tourists.
In particular, the National Achievement Exhibition of the 80th Year of Independence - freedom - Happiness at the National Exhibition Center (Dong Anh, Hanoi) welcomed about 8.6 million visitors after 17 days of opening. This is a figure never recorded in any exhibition in history.
During the September 2, 2025 holiday and A80 anniversary, Hanoi welcomed about 2.08 million tourists. In September 2025, thanks to the A80 effect, Hanoi tourism welcomed 4.17 million visitors, an increase of 98% over the same period last year. This shows the great attraction of the event for tourists coming to the capital.
In addition, in the past year, many individual concerts and music festivals of Vietnamese and international artists also created a "wave" of audiences flocking to the capital.
Typically, in the first half of the year, the Anh Trai Say Hi and Anh Trai Vuot Ngan Chong Gai concert series attracted tens of thousands of domestic audiences to Hanoi.
In June 2025, the VPBank K-Star Spark in Vietnam 2025 event at My Dinh Stadium had the participation of G-Dragon and many Korean artists, attracting 40,000 spectators. In November, G-Dragon returned to Hanoi with a personal Overmensch concert, recording about 100,000 audiences in 2 shows.
In addition, cultural and entertainment activities continuously take place throughout the year such as the first World Cultural Festival in Hanoi, Thang Long - Hanoi Festival, Hanoi Autumn Festival... Also attracting tens of thousands of visitors.
On the other hand, many night-time entertainment activities are developed strongly, becoming a highlight in the journey of tourists. The walking space of Hoan Kiem Lake and the old town regularly includes street music activities, brass flute performances, modern dances, folk games, food stalls and creative products.
Night tours at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, the Hoa Lo Prison Relic or experiencing Hanoi by double-decker bus... also attract a large number of international tourists. These programs bring a new perspective on culture and art in the capital, while extending the experience of tourists, especially on weekends.
Night food street in Ta Hien, Luong Ngoc Quyen, Tong Duy Tan... continues to record a large number of visitors, especially during holidays and public holidays. Hanoi is becoming a destination where tourists can "go out all day and night" thanks to the continuous occurrence of events.
Continuous events not only create a stable flow of visitors but also expand the length of stay and spending of visitors.
The event becomes a driving force for tourism growth in the capital
Large-scale cultural and entertainment events not only increase the number of visitors but also contribute to raising the brand of destinations. Organizing many music festivals, creative festivals, and traditional cultural programs has been renewed, helping Hanoi become a "city of events", attracting the attention of domestic and foreign organizers.
Tourism businesses consider the event to be the reason why tourists decide to come to Hanoi. Many people buy tickets to the concert, then combine sightseeing, shopping, and enjoying cuisine. This is a popular trend in major tourist cities around the world and is clearly formsing in Hanoi.
Mr. Bui Thanh Tu - Marketing Director of BestPrice travel company commented: "Hanoi is developing a strategy to become a cultural industrial center, implementing heritage - creative tours, fall festivals, culinary events, handicrafts, and street art. This has both increased the number of visitors and enhanced the image of the capital as a "creative destination" of the region".
Social media expert Nguyen Ngoc Long commented: Fests, concerts and creative activities in Hanoi are creating a strong attraction for tourists, not only in the entertainment aspect but also promoting other economic activities.
When attending events, visitors often combine sightseeing, shopping, enjoying cuisine and relaxation, thereby increasing total spending and experience in the capital. This shows the influence of cultural and entertainment events that are contributing to the formation of a diverse tourism - consumer ecosystem, helping Hanoi become a comprehensive and dynamic destination.
However, experts say that to maintain growth momentum, Hanoi needs to continue to develop an annual event system, creating a long-term product chain. In addition, the connection between events - tours - night services needs to be promoted to optimize economic benefits and enhance the experience of tourists.
The explosion of cultural and entertainment activities is contributing significantly to making Hanoi a dynamic, modern but still rich in identity destination. With events taking place all year round, the capital is expected to continue to maintain its appeal, aiming for stronger growth in the coming time.
