Vietnam’s biggest music fest opens this week

More than 20 foreign artists and music bands from 13 countries and territories around the world will perform at the Monsoon Music Festival (MMF) – Vietnam’s biggest international music festival.

The opening night, slated on October 14 at the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square by Hoan Kiem lake, will feature performances by bands Galaxy Express from the Republic of Korea, Club Mild from Singapore, singer Dolly Ave from the US, alongside Vietnamese bands The Cassette, Meow Lac, and Phao.

The six-day music week entitled “Pho Hang Nhac” (Street of Music), inspired by traditional street names in Hanoi’s Old Quarter where each street sells a different type of goods, dozens of concerts and performances will be held at several locations in the area.

Music lovers can enjoy a diverse range of music programs staged by artists from Vietnam, India, the UK, Italy, Thailand, France, Sweden, and the Czech Republic.

Most of the bands and artists performing during the festival were selectedt hrough a submission process, held at the MMF for the first time.

“This year, we have pioneered in opening applications for both Vietnamese and foreign artists who wish to participate in the MMF. A total of more than 200 applications from nearly 20 countries were submitted to the organising board,” the founder and director of the MMF, music producer Quoc Trung, said.

Their performances will take place simultaneously at different venues in the Old Quarter area, including the Centre for Art and Culture at 22 Hang Buom street, the Old Quarter Culture Exchange Centre at 50 Dao Duy Tu street, the Chuong Vang Theatre at 72 Hang Bac street, the 1900 Le Théâtre at 8B Ta Hien street, and the Nguy Nhu Kon Tum auditorium at 19 Le Thanh Tong street.

The lineup of artists performing at the festival also consists of winners of Live Space Vietnam – a music contest launched in 2021 by L’Espace in collaboration with the MMF aiming to discover talented local singers and music bands, helping them to develop their music career. The winning bands include Nhung Dua Tre (The Children), Meow Lac, Lope Dope, and Limebócx.

MMF founder Trung will join Xinh Xo – a Vietnamese-American electroacoustic/electronic composer and improviser, to deliver two concerts entitled “The Field of Heritage” on October 15 and 16 at the Centre for Art and Culture at 22 Hang Buom street.

Two gala nights, which are expected to draw up to an audience of 20,000, will be held on October 21 and 22 at the former Imperial Citadel of Thang Long – a significant historical heritage site of the city.

The first gala night will feature “Vietnam’s Queen of Hip-hop” – singer and songwriter Suboi, and rock band Buc Tuong (The Wall). Foreign bands, including Mongdoll from the RoK, Sunset Rollercoaster from Taiwan, and Fergessen from France, will also be on stage that same night.

The closing night’s repertoire will present performances by one of Vietnam’s most beloved indie artists – Vu who is dubbed by Billboard magazine as the “Prince of Vietnamese Indie Music”, and the Ngot band. The night will also feature Goodluck from South Africa, Lydmor from Denmark, and Forgotten Future from the US.

Alongside concerts and music performances, the MMF 2023’s agenda also includes three workshops on October 20 and 21. The workshops will centre on topics such as policies for cultural projects in Hanoi; health and safety issues in the performing arts industry; and guidance for young artists and bands in finding their own market.

The MMF and Techcombank have joined hands to establish the "Inspire Your Next Fund" to further support young and talented Vietnamese artists.

With the financial support from the fund, young artists will have a chance to participate in short-term training courses and relevant workshops that can help them to develop their profession.

Furthermore, through the fund, the MMF will introduce and connect the artists with recording companies, communication management brands and music producers. This aims to offer them more opportunities to shine in Vietnam’s music industry.

VNA