Hoi An Creative Week 2026 slated for late August

The event is envisioned as an annual cultural and tourism product. It will significantly contribute to realizing Hoi An’s commitments as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network while creating momentum for the development of the creative economy based on heritage and traditional crafts.

The Hoi An Creative Week 2026 will be organized on the occasion of the 81^st anniversary of Vietnam's National Day on September 2 and in line with tasks outlined in the Action Program for implementing the Politburo’s Resolution No. 80 on the development of Vietnamese culture.

Through a series of exciting activities, the city expects to attract the participation of the creative community, artisans, artists, businesses, international organizations and visitors in promoting cultural values and encouraging creativity in handicrafts and folk arts.

The main activities will be held at the Hoai River Square, the An Hoi Sculpture Garden, the Hoi An Ancient Town, and various traditional craft villages and creative spaces in the wards of Hoi An, Hoi An Dong, Hoi An Tay, and Tan Hiep Commune.

Participants will include representatives from the craft communities of Kim Bong Carpentry Village, Thanh Ha Pottery Village, Tra Que Vegetable Village, Bay Mau Nipa Palm Forest, and Cu Lao Cham, along with artisans, designers, creative enterprises and delegates from cities within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

The opening ceremony of the event is expected to take place on the evening of August 28 at the Hoai River Square.

During the opening ceremony, the Hoi An Creative Map, a digital platform integrating information about the city’s creative ecosystem, will be unveiled.

Meanwhile, experiential routes connecting visitors with craft villages, heritage sites and distinctive creative activities, will also be introduced.

On the occasion, the organizers will also present awards for the “Hoi An Creative Space Design” competition.

Also, an artistic program recreating stories of traditional craft villages, folk arts and heritage values of Hoi An will be held.

Throughout the week, a wide range of thematic activities will be organized, including “The Art of the Whole Village” series of seminars where experts, artisans and creators will share experiences in heritage preservation linked with contemporary creativity.

Moreover, the training program “Craft Villages Go Digital” will provide artisans with skills in digital communication, e-commerce and online product promotion.

Also, there will be exhibitions; art installations; displays of handicrafts, OCOP products and creative gifts; recycling workshops; AI experiences for children; and exhibitions showcasing designs that combine heritage with modern creativity.

The organizers will develop a number of interactive activities for visitors, such as a GPS-based challenge to explore the ancient town, QR-code check-ins at heritage sites, and experiential tours of craft villages integrated with the Da Nang tourism passport to connect journeys through the city’s creative spaces.

The artistic performance series titled “Connecting the Artistic Flow” featuring traditional performances, bai choi folk singing and programs by young artists will run continuously throughout the event.