March in áo dài: Ho Chi Minh City Áo Dài Festival 2027

Every March, Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian street comes alive with áo dài: white ones on schoolgirls, brocade ones on artisans, floral ones on the mass performance troupes from wards and communes across the city. That is when the Ho Chi Minh City Áo Dài Festival reaches its peak, tied to International Women's Day on 8 March. If you plan to visit the city in March 2027, here is what you can look forward to, along with a few suggestions for where to see and photograph áo dài.

From "Áo dài and Flowers" at Đầm Sen to a festival for the whole city

The Ho Chi Minh City Áo Dài Festival was first held on 8 and 9 March 2014 at Đầm Sen Cultural Park under the theme "Áo dài and Flowers" (Áo dài và hoa), co-organised by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. That first edition already featured exhibitions, talks, competitions and one small but charming perk: visitors wearing an áo dài got in free.

Since then, the festival has become an annual city event, held in March and peaking around 8 March. Taking its cue from the festival as early as 2014, the Southern Women's Museum (Bảo tàng Phụ nữ Nam Bộ) began collecting áo dài and building a dedicated exhibition space for them. By 2026 the festival had reached its 12th edition, spread across the whole of the new Ho Chi Minh City formed by the recent merger.

Looking back at the 2026 festival

The 12th Ho Chi Minh City Áo Dài Festival, organised by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism and the Ho Chi Minh City Women's Union, took the theme "Sợi tơ vàng son: Dệt nên khát vọng" ("Golden Silk Threads: Weaving Aspirations"). The programme ran from 1 to 31 March 2026 with 17 main activities, peaking from 6 to 8 March. Some highlights of the season:

• The opening night on 6 March on Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian street, a programme in three chapters that combined áo dài collection showcases with music and modern staging. The 2026 season brought together 37 designers, around 600 performers and models, and 37 image ambassadors.
• An áo dài art night on the evening of 7 March and the final of the "Duyên dáng Áo dài TP.HCM" contest (Graceful Áo Dài of Ho Chi Minh City) on the evening of 8 March, with teams from the Women's Unions of the city's wards and communes and of Côn Đảo Special Zone.
• Mass folk dances and áo dài parades from 8 a.m. on 8 March at many sites, including the President Hồ Chí Minh Monument Park, Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian street, the Tam Thắng Tower area (Vũng Tàu Ward) and the Administrative Centre in Bình Dương Ward. According to press reports, more than 58,000 people wore áo dài for the mass performances across the city, around 3,000 of them on Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian street alone.
• Áo dài on the metro: display and interactive spaces about the áo dài were set up on Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian street and at the Bến Thành and Opera House (Nhà hát Thành phố) stations of Metro Line 1.
• Free áo dài try-ons at the showroom at 92 to 96 Nguyễn Huệ (Sài Gòn Ward), with souvenir photos and a look at the history of the garment.

There was also an online áo dài photo contest, an áo dài drawing contest for children, talks and a series of supporting programmes at tourist sites and landmarks across the city.

What does a festival season usually include?

Although the theme changes every year, the March calendar usually revolves around a few familiar groups of activities. Things kick off with an opening night of designer collections. The high point is the morning of 8 March, when women from the wards and communes put on áo dài for mass performances and parades in the centre and at many other sites. In between come photo exhibitions, displays of áo dài old and new, talks, contests and check-in photo corners set up in public spaces.

Perks for áo dài wearers are also part of the festival, but each venue announces its own. In March 2025, for example, the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens (Thảo Cầm Viên Sài Gòn) gave visitors in áo dài 50% off the ticket price and let them in free on 8 March. Tour operators, hotels and tailors often join in with discounts too. The list of offers changes from year to year, so check each venue's announcements before you go.

The áo dài is also part of the city's everyday life, not just something seen on stage. Walk along the streets near schools in the morning and you will still easily spot schoolgirls in white áo dài, an image that has been tied to Saigon for generations.

Where to see and photograph áo dài

Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian street and the Monument Park

This has been the festival's main stage in recent years. The backdrop is the City People's Committee Head Office, flanked by old and new buildings, so áo dài photos here have both a heritage feel and an urban edge. Early morning and late afternoon bring soft light and fewer people.

Southern Women's Museum

The museum at 202 Võ Thị Sáu (Xuân Hòa Ward) has a dedicated áo dài gallery. According to VOH, the collection holds more than 200 artefacts, including the áo dài Madame Nguyễn Thị Bình wore when signing the Paris Peace Accords and the one actress Bảy Nam wore in the cải lương play Lá sầu riêng.

Ho Chi Minh City Women's Cultural House

Every year around 8 March, the Women's Cultural House usually hosts áo dài exhibitions and meet-ups. Its Campus 1 has been under reconstruction since October 2025 (due for completion in 2027), so in March 2026 the exhibitions were held at Campus 2, 02 Nguyễn Đổng Chi (Tân Mỹ Ward), among them the photo exhibition "Áo dài Việt Nam: Cảm xúc và Tự hào" ("Vietnamese Áo Dài: Emotion and Pride") with 50 works.

Áo Dài Museum

If you have an extra half day, you can head further out to the Áo Dài Museum in Long Phước Ward (formerly Thủ Đức City). Built by designer Sỹ Hoàng and opened in 2014, the museum sits in a garden of about 20,000 m², with a main exhibition hall in the style of a long timber-framed house under a roof of interlocking yin-yang tiles. The museum charges admission; opening hours and ticket prices have changed over the years, so get in touch before you visit.

The 2027 schedule and tips for attending

At the time of writing (November 2026), the organisers have not yet announced the theme, dates or detailed programme of the Ho Chi Minh City Áo Dài Festival 2027. By tradition, the festival will take place in March 2027, peaking around Monday, 8 March 2027. In the 2026 season, the detailed programme was announced in early March; Visit HCMC will update the 2027 schedule as soon as information is available.

• What to wear: if you want to enjoy the perks or soak up the atmosphere, bring an áo dài. March in Ho Chi Minh City is the height of the dry season, sunny and hot, so choose breathable fabrics and carry water.
• Getting there: the Opera House and Bến Thành stations on Metro Line 1 are right next to Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian street. At the festival's busiest times, traffic in the centre is usually diverted.
• Keep an eye on the schedule: the official programme and the list of venues offering perks are usually announced by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism and the Ho Chi Minh City Women's Union ahead of the festival season.

March in Ho Chi Minh City is a lovely time to slip on an áo dài and stroll the streets. Follow Visit HCMC for updates on the 2027 Áo Dài Festival schedule and ideas for exploring the city in spring.