Ho Chi Minh City: The 2025 New Year Book Street Festival is set to take place along Le Loi street in Ho Chi Minh City from January 27 to February 2. The festival will showcase an impressive collection of nearly 68,000 book titles, as announced by the municipal Department of Information and Communications.
According to Lao News Agency, the festival is themed ‘Non song gam hoa, vui xuan thai hoa’ (Beauty of nation, enjoying peaceful spring) and is expected to attract 22 exhibitors. A special highlight of the event will be a dedicated space featuring New Year poems and articles by late President Ho Chi Minh, as well as documents and works by late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. The festival will also display photos and publications commemorating significant historical anniversaries such as the 95th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution, and the 50th anniversary of Southern Liberation and National Reunification Day.
The event will host more than 160 exchange programmes, interactive sessions, recreational activities, and hands-on experiences. A particular focus will be on a series of events featuring reading culture ambassadors and award-winning authors from the 2024 National Book Awards. Additionally, about 20,000 books will be distributed for free in a ‘lucky books’ programme, serving as a gesture of gratitude and good wishes from the organisers and participating publishers. The festival will also display a large collection of rare, valuable, and special edition books in a light technology exhibition hall.
The festival’s cultural and artistic spaces are creatively designed to blend tradition with modernity, offering a unique and engaging experience for visitors. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the festival, which has become a key cultural and artistic event in HCM City to celebrate the Lunar New Year.