Festival «Saigon International Guitar Festival 2026»

   Five centuries of guitar music — from Renaissance dances to Argentine tango — fit into six evenings in the middle of Ho Chi Minh City. Guitarists from nine countries share the stage with Vietnamese players, and every programme is built as a self-contained journey rather than a slice of one long showcase.

   This is the 10th edition since the festival began in 2014, and the anniversary lands on a round number for the host as well: the conservatory turns 70 (1956–2026), the same span over which classical guitar has been taught and developed there. Guest artists come from Argentina, Poland, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Japan, Korea, Indonesia and Thailand, alongside soloists, faculty and ensembles of the conservatory.

   The essentials — six themed programmes:

• — «Heart, Soul and Passion» — the opening night by conservatory guitarists: guitar ensemble with oboe, the Saigon Guitar Quartet and The Winners Duo;
• — «Renaissance to Modern» — five centuries in one evening, played by artists from Thailand, the Czech Republic and Vietnam;
• — «Roses of SIGF – Asia & Europe» — Asian and European guitar traditions side by side: Vietnam, Korea, Poland;
• — «Guitar & Woodwind Chamber» — chamber pairings of guitar with oboe and flute, Argentine tango included;
• — «The Winners» — the 2024–2025 Saigon International Guitar Competition champions Vương Quốc Anh (Vietnam) and Ricky O. Hermansyah (Indonesia); free admission;
• — «Dances of the Festival» — the closing night of world dances: the Nutcracker suite by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Japanese melodies and tangos by Astor Piazzolla.

   If you play the instrument yourself, these five days cover more schools and techniques than a whole season of one-off recitals. If you don't, the format is easy to navigate: the concerts are independent of one another, and each title tells you what you are getting — early music, chamber combinations or dance rhythms.

   The venue is the concert hall of the conservatory, an institution that traces its history to Trường Quốc gia Âm nhạc Sài Gòn, founded in 1956, and still the city's main academic music school. It stands in District 1, a couple of minutes' walk from Tao Đàn park and under two kilometres from Bến Thành Market.

   Tickets are sold either for a single evening or as a three- or five-night pass, which brings the cost per evening down noticeably. Students with a valid ID get a separate rate, limited to two tickets per person. Tickets are non-refundable.

   Note the schedule on the closing day: it holds two concerts and both run in the afternoon, at 14:00 and 17:00, while the other programmes start in the evening. Doors open an hour before each performance, and the dress code is smart casual.

   The festival is run by the Music Performance Center of the conservatory. An additional booking contact is Ms Nga, 093 7979 759. Seats are reserved through the form: Book tickets.

   Pick the evening that matches your taste, or take the whole run — few weeks in this city put so much guitar repertoire on one stage.