BridgeFest 2024 to celebrate social inclusion

The 6th annual BridgeFest will return to Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, for a vibrant music and community festival on November 2.

BridgeFest 2024 promises an exciting lineup of renowned artists from a variety of genres. Photo courtesy of organizer

It will feature a concert stage and interactive space with community organizations that promote equity, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability.

BridgeFest 2024 promises an exciting line-up of renowned artists from various genres, including Phao, Thanh Duy, Ha Le, Buc Tuong (Wall) Band, Minh Toc & Lam, Hanoi Swing Dance, Green Wind Choir, JamBox (international), The Bridge Band (featuring members of the diplomatic corps).

The festival also introduces the audience to talented community music and cultural groups who will enrich the atmosphere with rich performances.

Forty social organizations and enterprises from across Vietnam will showcase their work contributing to the country's sustainable development in areas such as environmental protection, healthcare, education, social inclusion, and gender equality.

BridgeFest is organized by Oxfam in Vietnam, the embassies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the United States, Switzerland, and Canada, and the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and implemented by ECUE, Research for Education and Career Help Institute (REACH) and Hexagon JSC.

Thomas Gass, Ambassador of Switzerland to Vietnam, reminds us that positive change requires collective action: "BridgeFest is an opportunity to remind ourselves that governments and international organizations will not be able to fix this planet and heal our society alone - everyone has a responsibility to participate with their strengths and capacities to ensure that future generations inherit a healthy planet and a cohesive society." 

Thomas Gass, Ambassador of Switzerland to Vietnam speaks at a press briefing on the festival. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times

As a key partner of BridgeFest since 2020, the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism continues to support the festival's mission.

"We have always appreciated the efforts and values that BridgeFest has brought to the community over the years. That is why we are always here to contribute our part to the noble and humanitarian ideas for a more just and better future for all," said Tran Nhat Hoang, Deputy Director General, Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Hoang is the founder of the Bridge Band, a Hanoi-based musical group of international diplomats and Vietnamese government officials that exemplifies the power of music to build bridges. 

"Our band is called Bridge, which means to use music to connect, promote positive values, and share cultural values of different nations. We hope that when different nations understand each other better, we can build a better world together," Hoang said.

This sentiment is echoed by Vietnamese band Buc Tuong, who will be performing at BridgeFest for the third time.

"Coming to BridgeFest for the third time, Buc Tuong is keenly aware that music can do more than just entertain. On the BridgeFest stage, we feel a special energy - a place where we come together to foster values of equality and inclusion, where music serves as a bridge that unites people from all walks of life, bridging gaps of background, gender, and circumstance," said guitarist Tran Tuan Hung.

BridgeFest 2024 is scheduled to welcome the public from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The event will feature a variety of activities, including interactive booths hosted by community organizations from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Music performances by local community groups and bands will fill the afternoon from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The official ceremony will begin at 7:00 p.m., followed by a special night music concert featuring Vietnamese and international artists from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.