This development not only creates playgrounds for young artists but also contributes to shaping the image of a dynamic, creative and rich in identity Ho Chi Minh City in the context of competition between major cities in tourism, technology and experiential culture.
Street art is vibrant and developing strongly
Graffiti and street art forms are familiar to the young community in Ho Chi Minh City. However, in recent years, street art is no longer seen as sideline activity, but gradually becomes part of the urban visual identity. Many mural projects in residential areas, drawings in small alleys or murals in public works have turned old walls into "open planks", allowing artists to express their stories about the city.
It is noteworthy that artists do not operate individually but connect into communities: graffiti artists, breaking dancers, rappers, multimedia artists... Street culture is therefore no longer just an image of "drawing walls", but has become a creative ecosystem spreading positive energy. This spread creates a foundation for Ho Chi Minh City to boldly bring street art into large-scale cultural events, where art is performed in front of tens of thousands of spectators instead of existing in small groups.
The most prominent event of the year is Saigon Urban Street Fest 2025 (SUSF 2025), taking place from December 5 to 7, 2025 in front of Ho Chi Minh City Post Office. Entering the third year of organization, the festival continues to affirm its position as a familiar rendezvous point for the street art community. The theme "Be Vietnam" becomes a special highlight when the organizers proactively integrate Vietnamese identity into modern forms of expression.
The biggest highlight is the large-sized graffiti "Be Vietnam" directed by artist Nguyen Cong Danh (DANZ ONE), champion of Graffiti Championship 2024. The work was auctioned after the festival to raise funds for the project "Draw Your Dream - Draw My Dream", opening up humanistic meaning beyond the framework of an entertainment event.
For the first time, SUSF introduced artLIVE Breaking Championship 2025, a professional competitive playground for young dancers. The international and domestic judging panel assessed the competitions not only in terms of technique, but also in terms of creativity and cultural elements. This helped break - a sport that has just been recognized by the Olympics - develop in a professional and unique direction.
The festival also expands the experience with Urban Zone, Urban Stage, culinary area, folk games, creative booths... creating a true "city festival". The audience not only observes, but also becomes part of the art flow, contributing to turning the city center into a large stage where heritage and modernity blend together.
The city's open stage creates highlights, attracting tourists and audiences
If SUSF is a youthful highlight, Nguyen Hue pedestrian street shows how Ho Chi Minh City brings traditional and contemporary art closer to the public.
The most notable is the introduction of traditional forms such as hat boi, folk music and dance, and cai luong into public spaces. The Golden Bell Vong Co 2025 Gala held in the pedestrian street attracted thousands of spectators, including many young people who have little exposure to cai luong. This is proof that when traditional art forms are presented in appropriate forms, they can completely live in modern urban life.
The pedestrian street in 2025 has also become a space for street sports, community art, independent performance groups and spontaneous creative activities. This "open theater" role plays an important role in maintaining the connection between art and the public - the core element of a creative city.
In 2025, Ho Chi Minh City promotes the application of digital technology in cultural and tourism experiences. 3D/360 maps, QR codes at destinations, automatic interpretation systems on double-decker buses... help tourists easily understand the story behind each mural, each street, each architectural work.
Areas such as Nguyen Van Binh book street, Tao Dan park, Ben Thanh market area... are supplemented with sculptures, miniatures and performance stages, turning them into outdoor art spaces. The combination of public art and technology helps the city increase the value of experience, especially for young tourists who like to explore.
Tourism businesses also take advantage of this trend, designing tours combining murals - relics - technology, creating new products for urban tourism.Each street corner becomes a "storyteller", each painting is a stopover, making the journey to explore the city more emotional.
It can be seen that 2025 is the year Ho Chi Minh City made a strong impression in developing street art spaces.Large-scale festivals create communication effects, while outdoor art programs maintain heat throughout the year.The creative ecosystem from artists, galleries to the young community is increasingly expanding.More importantly, the city has found a "intersection" between modern art and heritage, between urban life and Vietnamese identity.
From graffiti on city walls to cai luong stages in the center, from breaking before Ho Chi Minh City Post Office to 3D mapping lights on heritage sites, Ho Chi Minh City in 2025 brings the image of a young, open and energetic city. Street art is no longer a strange highlight, but is becoming a familiar breath - an inseparable part of the city's cultural face.
