The Cổ Loa Festival – Spring 2026 is held to pay tribute to and commemorate the merits of our forebears, while preserving and promoting the distinctive cultural traditions of the local community. The festival also serves to introduce and promote the history, culture, revolutionary traditions, local identity and people of Cổ Loa.
Time: 21–22 February 2026 (the 5th and 6th days of the first lunar month in the Year of Bính Ngọ).
Venue: Cổ Loa Special National Relic Site.
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME 1. Saturday, 21 February 2026 (the 5th day of the first lunar month)Ceremonial activities
- 08:00–11:00: Joint sacrificial ceremony of the Eight Communes (Bát xã giáp tế) at the Lower Ceremonial Courtyard (sân rồng hạ) of the Temple of An Dương Vương.
Festive activities
- 08:00–11:30 and 13:30–17:00:
+ Men's volleyball at the Mít Hamlet Cultural House grounds.
+ Crossbow shooting competition at the Không gian Việt crossbow experience area and the open ground beside Tờ chỉ, west of the stele pavilion at the Temple of An Dương Vương.
+ Raditional wrestling competitions for men and women, human chess and bamboo swing activities at the entrance courtyard of Ngự Triều Di Quy Communal House and the central sports ground of the relic site.
- 09:30–11:30: Quan họ folk singing at Giếng Ngọc Lake.
- 09:30–10:30: Water puppetry performance at the crossroads pond within the relic site.
- 10:00–12:00: Traditional tuồng (classical Vietnamese opera) performance at the central stage of the relic site.
2. Sunday, 22 February 2026 (the 6th day of the first lunar month)Ceremonial activities
- 06:30–07:00: Welcoming Anh cả Quậy and representatives of the Eight Communes at the Festival Organising Committee's headquarters.
- 07:30–08:30: Anh cả Quậy and representatives of the Eight Communes proceed to the Lower Ceremonial Courtyard of the Temple of An Dương Vương to present offerings to the King.
- 08:30–08:50: Opening ceremony of the Cổ Loa Festival – Spring 2026.
- 08:50–09:00: Anh cả Quậy performs the ritual reading of the sacred confidential text (mật khẩn).
- 09:00–10:00: Communal sacrificial ceremony of the Eight Communes.
* Festive activities
- 08:00–12:00 and 13:30–17:00:
+ Men's volleyball at the Mít Hamlet Cultural House grounds.
+ Crossbow shooting competition at the Không gian Việt crossbow experience area and the open ground beside Tờ chỉ, west of the stele pavilion at the Temple of An Dương Vương.
+ Traditional wrestling competitions for men and women, human chess and bamboo swing activities at the entrance courtyard of Ngự Triều Di Quy Communal House and the central sports ground of the relic site.
+ Traditional folk games and activities, including crossbow shooting, còn ball throwing and bamboo dancing, at the cultural space of the experience area.
- 09:30–11:30: Quan họ folk singing at Giếng Ngọc Lake.
- 09:30–10:30: Water puppetry performance at the crossroads pond within the relic site.
- 10:00–11:00: Traditional tuồng (classical Vietnamese opera) performance at the central stage of the relic site.
- 19:30–22:30: Community cultural and artistic performances at the central stage of the relic site.
The Cổ Loa Festival embodies the historical values associated with the land, its people and their settlement, as well as the wealth of traditional folk knowledge relating to agricultural practices, spiritual beliefs, customs and the annual festive calendar of the Cổ Loa community. Each festival season provides an opportunity for the people of Cổ Loa and the villages of the Eight Communes to reflect on the historical period of nation-building and resistance against foreign invaders, while rekindling their sense of national pride.
Local residents and visitors from near and far are warmly invited to attend the Cổ Loa Festival – Spring 2026.
CO LOA HISTORIC SITE MANAGEMENT BOARD
