Hanoi hosts major cultural events rooted in lunar calendar traditions; dates vary annually. Most are free or low-cost for visitors.
Good to know
Good to Know
- Lunar calendar dates shift annually—verify exact dates with local tourism boards before booking.
- Tet is Vietnam's most important holiday; expect business closures, price hikes, and advance booking requirements (4–6 months ahead). Mid-Autumn Festival is not an official holiday, so services remain open.
- Book accommodations well in advance, especially for Tet.
- Hang Ma Street in the Old Quarter is the epicenter for both Tet and Mid-Autumn Festival decorations and festivities.
- Foreign tourists are warmly welcomed to observe parades, join lantern-making workshops, and participate in mooncake tastings.
- Most street festivals and cultural performances are free to observe; costs are incurred only for food (mooncakes, traditional snacks) and souvenirs.
- Pre-holiday weeks (before Tet or Mid-Autumn) offer the most vibrant market and street energy; main holiday days are quieter as families gather privately.
Events
Tet Nguyen Dan (Lunar New Year)
- Dates
- February 14–22, 2026 (official holiday period; main day February 17)
- Logistics
- Major event; most local businesses close during official holiday (Feb 14–22). Premium hotels and tourist venues remain open with special programming. Book accommodations 4–6 months in advance.
- Description
- Vietnam's most significant annual celebration, marking the lunar new year with family reunions, ancestral reverence, and renewal. In Hanoi, the weeks before and after feature flower markets, temple ceremonies, traditional performances, and festive street decorations.
- Note For Visitors
- Quietest atmosphere on Lunar New Year's Day itself as families gather privately. Pre-Tet and post-Tet weeks offer vibrant market energy. Expect higher prices and crowded venues.
Key Activities
- Flower markets at Quang Ba and Hang Luoc
- Traditional calligraphy writing at Temple of Literature
- Lion dances and dragon parades in Old Quarter
- Fireworks display over Hoan Kiem Lake on New Year's Eve
- Traditional food preparation and family altars
- Opening ceremonies at Ba Dinh Square
Mid-Autumn Festival (Tet Trung Thu)
- Dates
- September 25, 2026 (15th day of 8th lunar month; full moon night)
- Logistics
- Not an official public holiday. Streets and markets decorated weeks in advance. Hang Ma Street becomes extremely crowded during festival evenings.
- Description
- A harvest and family celebration traditionally centered on children, featuring lantern processions, lantern displays, lion dances, mooncake consumption, and folklore about the moon. Not an official public holiday, so businesses remain open.
- Note For Visitors
- Free to observe street festivities. Mooncakes available at stalls (variable prices). Families welcome tourists to parades and local events. Moderate crowds compared to Tet.
Key Activities
- Lantern processions and lantern displays in Old Quarter
- Hang Ma Street transformed with colorful lanterns, toys, and decorative items
- Lion dance performances across the city
- Mooncake tasting and sales
- Children carrying star-shaped lanterns in evening parades
- Folk performances at Youth Theatre and Children's Palace
Thang Long-Hanoi Festival
- Dates
- September 11–20, 2026
- Logistics
- Hosted across Hanoi's cultural sites and heritage venues. Multi-day festival with scheduled programming.
- Description
- A signature cultural brand celebrating Hanoi's heritage, traditions, and creative development. Features heritage preservation, cultural industry showcases, and craft village tourism programming.
- Note For Visitors
- Growing festival; less crowded than Tet or Mid-Autumn. Excellent for deeper cultural immersion.
Key Activities
- Heritage exhibitions and cultural performances
- Craft village experiences and artisan demonstrations
- Community-based and eco-tourism showcases
- Traditional cultural and artistic performances
- Forum sessions on cultural development
Hanoi Tourism Festival
- Dates
- March 13–15, 2026
- Logistics
- Centered at Thong Nhat Park. Features over 100 vendor booths and outdoor performances. Opening ceremony 7–8:30 p.m. on March 13.
- Description
- Annual tourism and cultural promotion event themed 'Hanoi – Green Tourism, Digital Experience.' Features nearly 100 booths, exhibitions, traditional performances, and digital tourism experiences at Thong Nhat Park.
- Note For Visitors
- Free entry for most performances and exhibitions. Large-scale event; brings together tourism organizations, hotels, and local businesses. Good for family attendance.
Key Activities
- Memory Space: Old Quarter heritage recreation through photography and painting exhibitions
- Connection Space: tourism business meetings and new tour introductions
- Technology Space: VR360 virtual reality tourism experiences
- Tea Talk on the Veranda: lotus tea tasting and cultural storytelling
- Bat Trang pottery village tours
- Traditional puppet shows, drum-pulling dances, gong dances, and folk singing performances
Seasonal Patterns
Hanoi's cultural calendar follows the lunar calendar, which shifts annually. Tet (lunar new year) is the most significant; Mid-Autumn Festival is the most photogenic after Tet. Thang Long-Hanoi Festival and Tourism Festival are fixed-date modern events promoting cultural and tourism development.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this signature annual events research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Hanoi
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.