Ho Chi Minh City leader moves to scale back public events on Le Loi Boulevard

Speaking at a conference on Friday reviewing the city’s support during the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday and assessing its socio-economic performance in February, the city leader addressed the growing strain caused by frequent public events in downtown Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnamese people enjoyed the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday, or Tet, which ran from February 14 to 22.

At the conference, deputy director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports Nguyen Minh Nhut noted that a high concentration of events along Le Loi Boulevard and Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street has led to overcrowding and pressure on public spaces.

The development of pedestrian streets, book streets, and cultural activities in the city center has helped shape a distinctive urban identity and enhance residents’ quality of life.

However, without careful planning, such events can disrupt daily routines and generate excessive noise, said the official.

Nhut emphasized the need to better regulate the frequency and timing of events, particularly before and after Tet, in order to improve quality and ensure more effective use of public spaces.

In his concluding remarks, Duoc said that while Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street remains a designated venue for cultural and public events, their scale and frequency should be reduced.

As for Le Loi, he urged relevant units to reduce events to a minimum, even halt them, warning against overuse that could lead to traffic jams, noise pollution and a loss of pedestrian space.

The chairman recounted receiving complaints about severe congestion on Le Loi and Nguyen Hue during major events.

He himself had experienced being stuck in traffic in the downtown area and was once forced to walk to his office due to gridlock.

Although public events can contribute additional revenue to the city budget, Duoc argued that the financial benefits are negligible compared to the frustration and inconvenience faced by residents.

The central area, including Nguyen Hue and Le Loi, was among the first pedestrian-friendly zones in Vietnam and frequently hosts large-scale cultural programs.

“Close to Tet, people needed to travel and move about, yet this area was repeatedly gridlocked,” he said.

It is vital to end the organization of events on Le Loi, except for highly specialized events that are permitted by the municipal administration, Duoc said.