International Jazz Festival «Hanoi Jazztival 2026»

   For three days in mid-September, jazz spills out of the concert hall and onto the streets of central Hanoi: the city's first-ever international jazz festival runs on stages from the Opera House garden to the Hoàn Kiếm Lake walking street. Most venues sit within strolling distance of the lake, so one evening can easily take in more than one stage.

   The festival's theme is «Jazz Hà Nội – Giai điệu không biên giới» (Jazz Hanoi — melodies without borders). The line-up brings together musicians from the USA, France, South Korea and Japan alongside Vietnam's own jazz names: saxophonist Quyen Van Minh (Quyền Văn Minh), Quyen Thien Dac (Quyền Thiện Đắc) and the Longwaits Ensemble. Composer Dương Cầm serves as music director.

   The three-day programme:

   — 17.09: opening night «Thanh âm Jazz Hà Nội» at the Opera House music garden (Vườn âm nhạc Nhà hát Lớn), the «Jazz & Phố» exhibition at Nhà hát Ca múa nhạc Thăng Long and the «Woman in Jazz» programme at Bảo tàng Phụ nữ Việt Nam (Vietnam Women's Museum)
— 18.09: international forum «Hà Nội và nhạc Jazz», a workshop on jazz in Vietnamese traditional music, the «Jazz không biên giới» evening and jam sessions in the city's jazz clubs
— 19.09: Street Jazz on the Hồ Gươm walking street, «Jazz và Di sản» (Jazz and Heritage) at the 22 Hàng Buồm arts centre, and a closing gala at the Nhà Bát Giác pavilion blending contemporary jazz with Vietnamese traditional music

   Hanoi's jazz scene was built the hard way. In 1997 saxophonist Quyen Van Minh opened Vietnam's first jazz club in the Giảng Võ area — it lost its premises after just three months. His Bình Minh Jazz Club then wandered across several addresses before settling on Tràng Tiền street, where for years it remained practically the only room in the city with live jazz every night; jazz legend Herbie Hancock once dropped in during a visit to Vietnam. Those same clubs are now official festival venues.

   Whether you are a long-time listener or simply curious, the format meets you halfway: ticketed-style evening shows for full sets, street performances and exhibitions for anyone passing by. The city intends to make Jazztival an annual event and put Hanoi on the international festival map — which means you are looking at edition number one of a new tradition.

   September in Hanoi has found its soundtrack — come hear it live.