The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) has announced the 10 typical cultural, sports, and tourism events of 2025, compiled from both direct and online voting.
- The work of building and perfecting the institutional framework progressed very positively, becoming a highlight of 2025 and a bright spot of the entire term, laying a solid foundation for the MoCST to advance into a new era.
The National Assembly passed the Press Law (amended).
Continuing breakthroughs in the work of building and perfecting the institutional framework, concretizing the Party’s and State’s guidelines, policies, and laws on cultural, information, sports, and tourism development, the MoCST has proactively reviewed, researched, and submitted proposals to competent authorities to improve institutions and policies, address “legal gaps,” and promote development in a manner that both ensures state management requirements and encourages creativity, unleashes productive capacity, and mobilizes all resources for development.
On December 10, 2025, at the 10th session, the National Assembly passed the Press Law (amended) with a high approval rate: 437 out of 440. The Law consists of 4 chapters and 51 articles and will take effect on July 1, 2026, marking an important step in the process of completing Vietnam’s press institutional framework.
On June 16, 2025, at the 7th session of the 15th National Assembly, the National Assembly passed the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Advertising Law, which will take effect on January 1, 2026, introducing many noteworthy provisions that reflect practical needs in managing advertising activities while approaching international standards for protecting consumer rights.
To provide detailed guidance for implementing the Cultural Heritage Law, by now the Government has issued 3 Decrees, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has issued 3 Circulars (replacing 9 Government Decrees and 16 Circulars issued by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism during 2001-2024), demonstrating extraordinary efforts in completing the legal normative system in the field of cultural heritage in 2025.
On November 14, 2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed Decision No. 2486/QD-TTg approving the Strategy for the Development of Vietnam’s Cultural Industries to 2030, with a vision to 2045.
Implementing Resolution No. 162/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly approving the investment policy for the National Target Program on cultural development for the 2025-2035 period, the MoCST issued Decision No. 3399/QD-BVHTTDL approving Phase I of the program: from 2025-2030, to be implemented nationwide and in certain countries with long-standing cultural interactions with Vietnam, and where a large number of Vietnamese people live, work, and study.
Currently, the MoCST has completed a draft Resolution of the Party Central Committee on the development of Vietnamese culture. The Resolution is expected to be a strong, breakthrough initiative, repositioning culture as the spiritual foundation, motivation, and development goal of the nation, with particular emphasis on digital transformation, promoting national identity, and international integration in the new context.
With a shift in thinking from “doing culture” to “state management of culture” from the beginning of the term, the work of building and perfecting the system of legal normative documents and creating conditions for development has been particularly emphasized and achieved very positive results, year by year, laying a solid foundation and investment resources for the development of culture, sports, and tourism.
- The National Achievements Exhibition with the theme “80 Years of the Journey of Independence – Freedom – Happiness” was organized on the largest scale ever, opening new directions for organizing exhibitions and fairs in a spirit of innovation, affirming Vietnam’s capacity and position.
General Secretary To Lam and other leaders and former leaders of the Party and State performed the opening ceremony of the National Achievements Exhibition with the theme “80 Years of the Journey of Independence – Freedom – Happiness.” Photo by: Tran Huan
The National Achievements Exhibition with the theme “80 Years of the Journey of Independence – Freedom – Happiness” was a special political-cultural event in the series of activities commemorating the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day (September 2, 1945 – September 2, 2025), aiming to honor 80 years of the nation’s glorious history and affirm the aspiration to rise in the new era.
For the first time in history, Vietnam organized an exhibition of the largest scale and significance ever. The event gathered 28 ministries and central agencies; 34 localities; more than 110 major enterprises and economic groups with over 230 exhibition booths, covering the entire Exhibition Center campus.
Building on the success of the National Achievements Exhibition “80 Years of the Journey of Independence – Freedom – Happiness,” the Prime Minister directed the continued organization of large-scale exhibitions and fairs to maintain the spirit of innovation and creativity, while affirming Vietnam’s capacity and position, awakening national pride and the aspiration for the country’s prosperity in the new period.
- Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Press (June 21, 1925 – June 21, 2025) and the 80th Anniversary of the Traditional Day of the Cultural Sector (August 28, 1945 – August 28, 2025), General Secretary To Lam gave important directions and development orientations for the new period.
General Secretary To Lam and other Party and State leaders, including former leaders, visited the 2025 Spring Press Festival.
The celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Press, the National Press Festival, and the Exhibition showcasing the achievements of 100 years of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Press attracted great attention from the public and professionals in the field. At the same time, lively National Press Forums took place, creating a passionate space for professional exchange.
The ceremony marking the 80th Anniversary of the Traditional Day of the Cultural Sector was held solemnly, highlighting 80 years of culture accompanying the revolutionary cause and nation-building, honoring achievements, and affirming the core role of culture, information, sports, and tourism.
At both ceremonies, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam attended and delivered an important speech.
- Vietnam’s cultural heritage continues to affirm its prestige, experience, and stature on the international stage, with four outstanding heritage sites across different categories being recognized by UNESCO for the first time this year.
The Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son – Kiep Bac complex of relics and scenic spots was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
On July 12, 2025, the Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son – Kiep Bac complex of relics and scenic spots was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is Vietnam’s first serial World Cultural Heritage (spanning three provinces/cities: Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh, and Hai Phong) recognized by UNESCO, affirming the unique, vivid, and globally significant value of Truc Lam Buddhism originating from the sacred Yen Tu Mountains.
On July 13, 2025, UNESCO approved the boundary adjustment of the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park World Natural Heritage to include Hin Nam No National Park (Laos), under the name: “Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park” in the World Heritage List. This is the first transnational World Heritage site of Vietnam and Laos, reflecting international cooperation and strengthening the special friendship between the two countries.
On April 10, 2025, UNESCO inscribed “The Collection of Musician Hoang Van” on the Memory of the World Register. This is also the first time a Vietnamese music collection has been recognized as a documentary heritage of the world, affirming the position of Vietnamese music in the flow of human intellectual heritage, reflecting the enduring vitality of Vietnamese culture through melodies marked by history and the national soul.
On December 9, 2025, UNESCO approved the inscription of the Dong Ho Folk Painting Craft (Bac Ninh province) on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. This is Vietnam’s first intangible heritage recognized by UNESCO in the field of folk woodblock painting, contributing to timely acknowledgment of the need for protection and transmission of a heritage at high risk of disappearance.
UNESCO also highly appreciated Vietnam’s experience in preparing heritage nomination dossiers, contributing to the identification of outstanding values, and serving the preservation, transmission, promotion, and dissemination of cultural heritage.
- The UNESCO General Conference approved the initiative “International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development” proposed by Vietnam.
Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung proposed Vietnam’s initiative on implementing the “International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development” at the World Conference on Cultural Policy and Sustainable Development.
The initiative “International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development,” proposed by Minister Nguyen Van Hung at the World Conference on Cultural Policy and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT 2025), co-organized by UNESCO and the Government of Spain from September 29 to October 1, 2025, in Barcelona, Spain, was approved by the UNESCO General Conference with broad support from member states, sending a strong message of the shared aspiration to jointly create a peaceful, prosperous, and humane future for all humanity, based on strengthening global cultural cooperation.
- A series of cultural and artistic events commemorating major events of the year created a positive social impact; it was a year of exploding music festivals, with Vietnamese music leaving a brilliant mark both domestically and internationally, promoting the development of the cultural industry.
The art program “80 Years of the Journey: Independence – Freedom – Happiness.”
In the jubilant atmosphere across the country, artistic units under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism implemented a series of special art programs to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification; the 80th Anniversary of the August Revolution; and National Day, September 2. Many programs, performances, and plays were elaborately staged, recreating the heroic spirit of the nation. Not only commemorative activities, the series of art programs organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and other ministries and agencies attracted wide public attention, created a positive social effect, evoked national pride, and inspired reflections on the country’s development journey. The success of these cultural and artistic activities clearly demonstrates that culture is a spiritual foundation, an intrinsic strength, a regulating system, and a driving force for sustainable national development.
In 2025, Vietnamese music continued to leave many brilliant marks. Major music festivals organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, as well as by other ministries, agencies, and localities, left deep impressions on the public. These programs not only stirred pride and love for the homeland but also demonstrated the role of music in promoting cultural soft power and fostering the development of Vietnam’s cultural industry.
On the international stage, Vietnamese music also gained recognition when singer Duc Phuc and other artists won the First Prize at the 2025 Intervision International Music Competition (Moscow, Russia).
- For the first time, the “Vietnam Happy Fest” was organized as a continuous series of meaningful activities. The event marked a new cultural milestone, affirming that Vietnam is becoming a destination of peace, happiness, and humanity in the eyes of the international community.
The collective wedding of 80 couples with the theme “A Day for Couples – Love is Happiness” symbolized the 80-year journey of “Independence – Freedom – Happiness.” Photo by: Tran Huan
The “Vietnam Happy Fest 2025” is not only a cultural and artistic festival but also a declaration that Vietnam’s happiness is built on peace, love, solidarity, and the simplest, most ordinary things.
With the event’s success, Vietnam aims to establish an annual “Vietnam Happy Day” – a new cultural hallmark, positioning Vietnam as a destination of peace, happiness, and humanity in the eyes of international friends.
- The 24th Vietnam Film Festival and the impact of the film “Mua Do” demonstrate the outstanding contribution of the cinema industry to the development of cultural industries; the 3rd Da Nang Asia Film Festival (DANAFF III) featured many new highlights.
Poster of the film “Mua Do.”
The 24th Vietnam Film Festival (November 21-25, 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City) continued to affirm its position as an important forum promoting the Vietnamese film industry towards sustainability and international integration.
The film “Mua Do” became a phenomenon by setting a record revenue of over VND 700 billion – the highest in history for the war-history genre. The film’s tremendous success demonstrated the appeal of Vietnamese cinema when seriously invested in, helping to activate the creative market, improve production quality, and increase social investment in filmmaking.
Held from June 29 to July 5, 2025, under the theme “DANAFF – Asia’s Bridge,” DANAFF III achieved significant development in scale, duration, and program content, with many new highlights.
On the international stage, at the Vietnam Film Week in Paris from December 5-12, 2025, 17 Vietnamese films – including feature films, documentaries, and short films – produced over the past half-century were presented to the French and international public for the first time. The event welcomed more than 6,000 guests from over 20 countries, alongside numerous professional meetings and meaningful exchanges. The warm reception from the French and international audiences contributed to creating a significant mark of Vietnamese cinema on the global map.
- The Vietnam U22 team performed excellently, winning the Gold Medal at the SEA Games for the third time.
Vietnam U22 won the men’s football Gold Medal at SEA Games 33. Photo by: VFF
At the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 33) in 2025, the Vietnam Sports Delegation, despite ranking only sixth in the number of athletes, overcoming difficulties in manpower and the reduction of many sports and key events, managed to finish third in the overall medal table through the efforts of athletes and coaches.
The most remarkable achievements of Vietnamese sports at the regional level this year came from Olympic disciplines such as athletics, swimming, rowing, canoeing, and gymnastics. In the two core Olympic sports representing the development of a sports system – athletics and swimming – Vietnamese athletes performed successfully, winning numerous Gold Medals. In athletics, the team won 12 Gold Medals, achieving their target before departure. The Vietnamese swimming team also performed well, winning 6 Gold Medals and meeting their objectives.
Additionally, Vietnamese football had a successful Games. The U22 Vietnam team became champions on the rival Thailand’s home ground, winning the Gold Medal for the third time after 2019 and 2022; the national women’s futsal team, for the first time in history, won the Gold Medal after 18 years and 5 previous Games finishing only as runner-up.
- Vietnam’s tourism achieved the world’s most impressive growth according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), surpassing 20 million international visitors for the first time, with over 130 million domestic visitors.
Reporters from various media agencies voted for the 10 most outstanding cultural, sports, and tourism events of 2025.
According to data compiled by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), Japan and Vietnam recorded the highest international visitor growth (21%), followed by Morocco (19%), South Korea (15%), and Malaysia and Indonesia (both 9%).
Thanks to the Government’s issuance of favorable visa policies and the tourism sector’s strong promotional activities, Vietnam welcomed over 20 million international visitors in 2025 for the first time, far surpassing the record of 18 million in 2019 (pre-Covid-19).
Domestic tourism continued to play a central role in the industry’s growth, with over 130 million domestic visitors in 2025. Vietnam was honored as Asia’s leading destination in 2025 and Asia’s leading heritage destination in 2025 at the World Travel Awards. In 2025, Vietnam was also voted the best golf destination in Asia, marking the ninth consecutive year receiving this prestigious international award. Many other international awards and recognitions were also given to Vietnam’s destinations and services. In 2025, two Vietnamese tourism villages – Lo Lo Chai (Tuyen Quang) and Quynh Son (Lang Son) – were recognized by UN Tourism as the Best Tourism Villages.
Ngoc Tu
10 Typical Cultural, Sports, and Tourism Events of 2025