Vietnam Green Festival 2026 opens in Ho Chi Minh City, attracting many businesses, beauty queens

Held on Saturday and Sunday, the event features green product booths, recycling-for-gifts activities and interactive experiences aimed at encouraging the public to adopt environmentally friendly lifestyles.

Miss World Vietnam 2024 and Miss World 2026 Top 6 finalist Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc arrived early to prepare the Gen Zero booth, which features an exhibition called 'Forest Tells Stories.'

The booth introduces visitors to three endangered animal species in Vietnam: the Delacour's langur, Edwards's pheasant and pangolin.

Bao Ngoc said Gen Zero hopes to bring stories about forests and endangered wildlife into urban spaces, helping young people better understand conservation challenges and the efforts being made to protect these species.

Miss Cosmo Ho Chi Minh City 2026 Le Nam also expressed her excitement about participating in the festival.

She was particularly interested in environmentally friendly products and recycling-for-gifts activities, saying these initiatives help people understand that environmental protection can begin with simple everyday actions.

Le Nam said she hopes to use her influence to promote green habits, encourage people to reduce single-use plastics and save natural resources.

Miss Cosmo Ho Chi Minh City 2026 runner-up Minh Phuc was also enthusiastic about the festival, particularly its displays of environmentally friendly products and sustainable consumption solutions.

Working in the beauty and fashion industries, she believes that beauty and sustainable living can go hand in hand.

"People can start by avoiding unnecessary shopping and prioritizing quality products that can be used for a long time," she said.

Another runner-up, Nguyen Thi Hong, enjoyed the festival's interactive activities, saying they make environmental protection messages more accessible and easier to put into practice.

As a model and catwalk instructor, she has opportunities to interact with many young people and hopes to encourage them to adopt greener lifestyles.

She said people could start by keeping shared spaces clean, reducing waste and using clothing and other items responsibly to avoid waste.

Nguyen Thanh Phuong Dai, chairwoman of Miss Cosmo Ho Chi Minh City, described the festival as a practical initiative that brings environmental issues closer to the public through hands-on activities, green product displays and sustainable consumption solutions.

She said beauty pageant titles should carry responsibilities beyond image and recognition, including contributing to the community.

Phuong Dai hopes Miss Cosmo Ho Chi Minh City representatives will continue using their voices and influence to promote positive lifestyles and raise environmental awareness.

The festival is also supported by numerous artists and beauty pageant titleholders serving as ambassadors, including Miss Earth Vietnam 2026 Pham Hoang Thu Uyen, Miss Charm Vietnam 2026 Nguyen Ngoc Tra My, Miss Ocean Vietnam 2025 Nguyen Thanh Thao, Miss Asia Vietnam 2018 Kim Nguyen, Man of the Year Vietnam 2026 Pham Thanh An and Mister National Global 2026 Do Gia Hung.

Other participants include male pageant titleholders Tran Tien Dung, Quoc Tri and Duc Quang; beauty queens Quynh Nhu, Huyen Tram, Diem Chau and Khanh Huyen; fashion designer Vo Viet Chung; artisan Nguyen Dinh Phuc; director Hung Tran; creative director Thao Nguyen; and hosts Giang Thai and Thu Hoa.

This year's festival, themed 'Green Transition – Sustainable Efficiency,' features around 50 booths operated by Vietnamese and foreign-invested businesses.

Besides showcasing green, recycled and reusable products, participating businesses are organizing interactive activities and hands-on experiences, with nearly 17,000 environmentally friendly gifts prepared for visitors.

Bringing green solutions closer to consumers

Ashish Joshi, CEO and general director of Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper on Friday that the company would offer various interactive activities to help visitors better understand its sustainability priorities.

At the MIZUIKU booth, visitors can explore the relationship between water and nature through games and quizzes with the support of education specialists.

They can also register for the MIZUIKU 2026 competition at the Tuoi Tre x MIZUIKU booth.

Joshi said the company hopes families can practice a simple action at home after visiting the festival, bringing environmental protection messages into their daily lives.

Meanwhile, Dao Nguyen Khanh, head of sustainability and corporate communications at INSEE Vietnam, said the company would introduce sustainable construction materials and advanced waste treatment and recycling initiatives.

One highlight is INSEE's portfolio of low-carbon cement products, which generate 34-58 percent lower emissions than conventional ordinary Portland cement.

The company will also showcase its Ecocycle waste co-processing service and plans to recycle solid waste from construction materials, contributing to the development of a circular economy.

Visitors can also take part in activities such as tote bag painting, waste sorting and quick environmental quizzes.

Khanh said these experiences would allow visitors not only to learn about products and solutions but also to put green living practices into action.

Strengthening connections across green transition ecosystem

Beyond reaching consumers, the Vietnam Green Festival 2026 provides a platform for businesses to showcase initiatives, share solutions and strengthen connections across circular value chains.

According to a representative of the Vietnam Packaging Recycling Alliance (PRO Vietnam), the festival stands out by combining communication campaigns, hands-on experiences and direct business participation.

Instead of simply receiving messages through media channels, consumers can interact with products and learn about sustainable solutions firsthand, making concepts such as recycling, reuse and the circular economy easier to understand.

Across the festival's two previous editions, PRO Vietnam recorded active participation from member companies and partners through the introduction of initiatives, interactive activities, awareness campaigns, and the collection and sorting of packaging and waste.

The alliance said more businesses were proactively incorporating sustainability into their operations and consumer engagement.

However, it stressed that promoting a circular economy requires expanding participation beyond communications and awareness-raising to establishing substantive connections among different links in the value chain.

By bringing together businesses from various sectors and allowing the public to experience their solutions firsthand, the Vietnam Green Festival aims to promote green consumption and strengthen connections among businesses, consumers and other stakeholders in the circular economy ecosystem.

Vietnam Green Festival 2026: Green transition - sustainable efficiency

The Vietnam Green program was initiated by Tuoi Tre, the Department of Climate Change under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, and PRO Vietnam, in coordination with various partners.

The 2026 program features a year-long series of activities focusing on the circular economy and sustainable development.

These include in-depth news coverage, seminars on waste sorting at source and coordinated infrastructure, green energy transition as a driver of sustainable growth, and developing Can Gio into a new tourism growth hub for Ho Chi Minh City.

Other activities include the Vietnam Green podcast series on extended producer responsibility, green business discovery tours, the future agriculture creation contest and the Vietnam Green Festival 2026.

The program aims to raise public awareness, connect resources and encourage practical environmental action for a sustainable future.