Ho Chi Minh City eyes int’l circus festival after $53.5mn venue opens

Le Hong Son, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Arts Center, told reporters on Wednesday that the center was working with relevant agencies to make the festival a reality.

Son and circus artists from the center recently attended the fourth Minsk International Festival of Circus Arts held from September 17 to 20 in Belarus, where Vietnamese artists Hien Phuoc and Thanh Hoa won the silver award.

Son served as a judge alongside experts from Belarus, Russia, France, Italy, and Turkey.

He used the opportunity to build partnerships aimed at bringing a world-class circus festival to Ho Chi Minh City.

The idea of an international circus festival has been nurtured for years by leaders of the former Phuong Nam Art Theater, now merged into the Ho Chi Minh City Arts Center.

Ho Chi Minh City has a large audience base, with past international circus galas during Tet holidays drawing packed crowds.

Vietnamese circus has strong ties with global performers, with many artists trained in Russia and competing across Europe and Asia.

The main obstacle was the lack of a venue meeting international standards.

That could now change with the completion of the Phu Tho Circus and Multi-Purpose Performance Theater, which has been described as the world's ninth-largest circus venue by scale, making an international circus festival feasible.

Son added that organizing such an event requires significant funding, as seen at the Minsk International Festival of Circus Arts where organizers covered travel expenses for around 150 performers.

If Ho Chi Minh City plans to hold the festival next year, organizers will need to develop a detailed plan well in advance, including a funding structure combining state support, sponsorships, and ticket sales.

They will also need to select high-quality acts to enhance the festival’s reputation and prepare plans to welcome international artists and delegations, he said.

At the Minsk festival, Hien Phuoc and Thanh Hoa performed their aerial act ‘Moment of Love.’

Despite Thanh Hoa’s recent return after childbirth and strong competition from Belarusian performers, they won the silver award among 31 acts from 21 countries.

Their teacher, People’s Artist Luu Thi Bich Lien, said the award was a proud achievement given the intense competition.

Several countries have since invited the duo to perform at their festivals.

Lien said that the center's leaders will consider which invitations best suit their schedule and artistic goals.