Vietnam Happy Fest 2025 to turn central Hanoi into happiness hub next month

Visitors will be able to try being a happiness broadcaster, mark places associated with their happiest memories on a map, write unspoken wishes and hopes to hang on a happiness tree, watch a mass wedding or even join it as one of 80 couples.

The festival is organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in coordination with the Hanoi People’s Committee, Vietnam Television, and the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists.

Organizers expect the festival to draw 200,000-300,000 visitors and millions of online interactions.

Happiness-centered activities

At a press briefing in Hanoi on Thursday, Pham Anh Tuan, head of the Authority of Grassroots Information and Foreign Information, said 2025 marks a special milestone as Vietnam climbed eight places to rank 46th globally in the 2025 World Happiness Report released in March.

He said this figure reflects the country’s aspiration to build a fair, prosperous, and compassionate society.

Those values will be conveyed through the Vietnam Happy Fest 2025.

Tuan said the festival will stretch along the streets of Le Thai To, Hang Khay, Dinh Tien Hoang, and Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square, featuring 13 activities centered on happiness.

The Happy Vietnam exhibition will open the festival with a showcase of everyday Vietnamese life presented through light, color, and emotion.

A Happiness Tree near the Ly Thai To statue will collect messages of gratitude, kindness, and well wishes. Each note will symbolize a seed of goodwill. 

Organizers will offer 80,000 souvenirs to residents and visitors to the tree.

A Happiness Map will highlight places that inspire joy within the community. Each visitor can mark their personal happiness point where they have felt love or peace.

The Send Happiness to Tomorrow corner will allow people to write heartfelt messages to family or friends and place them into a Happy Vietnam mailbox.

A Sharing Happiness space will collect donations for people in central Vietnam affected by natural disasters.

The Happy Broadcaster booth will recreate the experience of early morning loudspeaker broadcasts familiar to Hanoi, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in a quintessentially Vietnamese atmosphere.

On December 6, the Happy Vietnam 2025 awards ceremony will honor the best photo and video works from a contest of human rights communication.

The next day will see the Bach Hoa Bo Hanh parade, where about 800 people in traditional attire will walk through the Hanoi Old Quarter, aiming to set a record for the largest parade featuring Vietnamese traditional costumes.

The closing night on December 7 at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square will feature performances by young artists including Lam Bao Ngoc, Bui Cong Nam, and Bridge Band.

Mass wedding of 80 couples

A highlight of the festival will be a mass wedding of 80 couples under the theme of 'Ngay Chung Doi - Yeu La Hanh Phuc' (A Day for Two - Love is Happiness).

The wedding ceremony on the morning of December 6 will welcome not only young couples but also pairs celebrating decades together, including couples marking 15, 30 or 50 years of marriage.

Their bonds will be honored as enduring symbols of love and understanding.

The mass wedding event can be registered here.