Hanoi launches inaugural International Martial Arts Festival

Hanoi will host its first International Martial Arts Festival from August 7‑9 2026. The three‑day event will take place at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel and several other venues across the capital. 1,500‑2,000 martial‑arts masters, practitioners, coaches and athletes from Vietnamese provinces and abroad are expected to participate, with seven foreign delegations comprising 53 masters already confirmed.

Organisers anticipate 10,000‑15,000 spectators on site and more than 100,000 online viewers. The programme blends culture and sport, featuring opening and closing ceremonies, demonstrations of traditional and contemporary martial arts, exhibitions of costumes, weapons and historical artefacts, and hands‑on activities for visitors. Four international open tournaments – Taekwondo, Lion and Dragon Dance, Wushu and Vovinam – will be staged, alongside community sports activities in communes and wards throughout Hanoi.

Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports Pham Xuan Tai described the festival as a major cultural, sporting and diplomatic event that showcases Vietnam’s martial‑arts heritage while promoting international cultural exchange and modern digital engagement.