The highlight of the opening ceremony was the parade of 168 ward, commune, and special zone units, along with the delegation of athletes from the Ho Chi Minh City Command, the delegation of athletes from the Ho Chi Minh City Police, and the refereeing team. In addition, the event also featured a torch relay, flags, and special art performances, attracting thousands of participants.
Before the opening ceremony, some sports belonging to the competition program of the 1st Ho Chi Minh City Sports Festival (TDTT) in 2026 took place. In which, the Table Tennis Tournament - the opening competition of the Games was held at Ho Xuan Huong Club (Xuan Hoa ward) from April 1 to April 5.
The Sepak Takraw Tournament is held at the Sports Center of the Public Service Supply Center of Binh Phu ward, taking place from April 3 to 10. Or the Chess Tournament is held at the Grand Palace Hotel (Vung Tau ward) from April 7 to 14... These tournaments all attract hundreds of athletes from communes, wards, and special zones in Ho Chi Minh City.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, the sports at the Games are scientifically divided into groups: Olympic (22 sports), ASIAD (7 sports), SEA Games, combined with traditional sports, including sports such as athletics, swimming, weightlifting to ethnic and beach sports such as Vovinam, tug of war, beach volleyball, and modern sports such as pickleball, roller sports... All promise to create dramatic and attractive competitions.
In addition, the congress identification work, including logos and mascots, has also been completed, showing the spirit of solidarity, dynamism and characteristics of the city in the new development stage.
The Ho Chi Minh City Sports Festival 2026 will take place from April to June 2026, with a scale of 44 sports, 832 events, attracting about 136 registered units with nearly 10,000 athletes competing. This is the largest sports event in Ho Chi Minh City, organized every 4 years.
The first Ho Chi Minh City Sports Festival in 2026 is an important stepping stone, creating a premise for organization, facilities and operation for the X National Sports Festival hosted by Ho Chi Minh City at the end of 2026.
This event is expected to take place in November and December 2026, with 48 sports, 975 events, gathering about 12,000 officials, coaches, and athletes from 36 delegations across the country (including 34 provinces and cities and delegations from the Police and Army sectors). The Congress is an opportunity for Ho Chi Minh City to upgrade facilities and affirm its position as a major sports center of the country.
