Tet 2012 in Ho Chi Minh City: An event list

Below is an updated list of events that will take place in Ho Chi Minh City before, during, and after the Tet holiday in 2025.

At District 1

1. Nguyen Hue Flower Street: This year, the flower street is themed “Vietnam – My Homeland,” held from 7 p.m. January 19th to 10 p.m. January 25th, 2025. Combined with street lighting decorations along four main streets of the city (Dong Khoi, Le Loi, Nguyen Hue, and Le Duan), from December 26th, 2024, to February 3rd, 2025, the center of Ho Chi Minh City will be transformed into a spectacular exhibition of flowers and lights.

2. Door Shows - Window Shows: These shows will take place from January 19th to January 25th, 2025, at Saigontourist properties, including the Rex, Majestic, Continental, Grand, Sheraton, Caravelle, Bông Sen, Palace, Kim Đô, and Oscar. The shows will feature drum performances, dragon dances, outdoor concerts, model performances, pantomimes, magic tricks, juggling, flamenco music, classical music performances, comics, puppet shows, circus acts, vaudeville, folk games, and more.

3. Street Book Festival: Themed “Tradition – Present - Future,” the festival will celebrate the Tet holiday season from January 19 to 25, 2025. This book festival will be held along key city streets, including Mac Thi Buoi, Nguyen Hue, and Ngo Duc Ke in District 1.

4. New Year Countdown – Music Show on Lunar New Year's Eve: From 10:00 p.m. to midnight on January 21st, 2025, this music show, named “Viet Nam Ngày Mới” (Vietnam’s New Day), will take place in front of the Reunification Palace. Fireworks will be displayed at six major locations at midnight, including Thu Thiem Tunnel, Go Vap Cultural Park, Ben Duoc Memorial Temple, National Culture and History Park, Can Gio District Football Ground, and Dam Sen Cultural Park.

5. Tet Cake Making Contest: From January 16th to January 20th, 2025, Tet cake-making contests will be held across all districts of the city, with 10,000 Tet cakes donated to charity on January 20th, 2025, at Dam Sen Cultural Park.

6. Vietnamese Tet Festival: Held at the HCMC Youth Culture House from January 12th to January 27th, this festival will feature exhibitions reflecting the city’s changes and developments, Saigon's Tet celebrations, as well as cai luong performances and calligraphy events at 4 Pham Ngoc Thach St., District 1.

At Suoi Tien Theme Park

7. During Tet, Suoi Tien Theme Park will host the “Century Fairy Dragon Festival,” featuring special programs like Unicorn, Lion, and Dragon dances welcoming the New Year at Golden Unicorn Mountain, a “Jade and Gem Fairy Festival” parade, impressive music performances, and a variety show on three large stages. The event will also showcase the “Son Tinh - Thuy Tinh” (Mountain God and Sea God) performance at Water Dragonish Turtle, along with exciting folk games.

Flower Festival

8. Tet Lunar New Year Flower Festival 2025: This event will take place from January 18th to January 28th at Cong truong Quoc te, known as Turtle Lake in District 3, and at Tao Dan Park in District 1. The festival will feature bonsai displays, floral arrangements, artistic rocks, and aquariums from artisans across the country. Additionally, various cultural and artistic activities including traditional performances, folk games, human chess contests, calligraphy, and food stalls will be included.

9. Additionally, four flower markets will be set up at September 23 Park, Gia Dinh Park, Le Van Tam Park, and an area along the canal and Phu Dinh Port in District 8, featuring approximately 1,400 booths and 56 other flower spots across the city. These markets, where residents shop for flowers and decorations for the New Year, will open from January 16th until midnight on January 22nd, 2025.

Restaurants Open During Tet Holiday

Many restaurants close during the Tet holiday and will not reopen until January 26th. However, many in District 1 and larger chains will remain open, providing plenty of dining options in Ho Chi Minh City.

1. New York Steakhouse & Winery (25 - 27 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, District 1) - Open from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 6:00 p.m. until midnight.

2. Cuc Gach Quan (10 Dang Tat, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1) - Open daily, closed only on January 21st.

3. Pho 24 - Open daily, with the following branches closed: 25 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, Binh Thanh District; 23-25 Tran Nhat Duat, District 1; 399 Su Van Hanh, District 10; Vinatex ½ Lanh Binh Thang, District 11; and 9C No Trang Long, Binh Thanh District.

4. Barbecue Garden Restaurant (135A Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, District 1) will be open and serving guests healthy Vietnamese food choices.

5. Pizza Inn Restaurants - Open from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

6. Al Fresco and Pepperonis Restaurants - Open as follows: January 23rd, 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.; January 24th to January 30th, 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

From January 24th, more restaurants will reopen, including Pendolasco (24 Nguyen Hue, District 1) and Ngoc Suong Marina Restaurants (11 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan District; 106 Suong Nguyet Anh, District 1; 172 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, District 1).

Most restaurants will be open by January 26th, including Hoa Tuc (74/7 Hai Ba Trung, District 10), Au Parc (23 Han Thuyen, District 1), Temple Club (29-31 Ton That Thiep, District 1), Villa Romaine (197 Nguyen Van Huong, District 2), and Au Manoir de Khai (251 Dien Bien Phu, District 3), among others. From January 27th, operations will return to normal, although public services may not resume until January 29th.

Read more about Tet in Vietnam and Tips for Traveling to Ho Chi Minh City During Tet.