Hanoi Singing Contest 2025 welcomes international contestants for the first time
The Hanoi Singing Contest has returned for its 2025 season, now open to global contestants, marking a new step in promoting cultural exchange and showcasing Hanoi’s artistic vibrancy.
THE HANOI TIMES — The Hanoi Singing Contest has officially returned after two successful seasons in 2023 and 2024, becoming a global competition that welcomes contestants of all nationalities.
According to the Hanoi Radio and Television, the contest’s organizer, this expansion raises the competition’s profile and attracts singers with diverse techniques and styles.
Nguyen Kim Khiem, General Director and Editor-in-Chief of the Hanoi Radio and Television shares information of the contest on October 15. Photo: Van Tuyen/The Hanoi Times
It also creates opportunities for cultural exchange and helps promote Vietnamese music and Hanoi’s image worldwide, said Nguyen Kim Khiem, General Director and Editor-in-Chief of Hanoi Radio and Television.
“This is an important step in making Hanoi a destination for contemporary art and creative activities,” he said at a press briefing this week.
Khiem noted that many contestants from Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia have expressed interest. The exact number will be confirmed after the registration period closes.
“All international contestants must perform and communicate in Vietnamese during the competition,” he added.
“This requirement honors Vietnamese culture and encourages foreign singers to experience and share the beauty of the Vietnamese language with global audiences,” Khiem said.
This year’s contest introduces new challenges such as improvisational singing, time-limited remixes, live-instrument performances and especially the new game round.
These additions promise greater audience interaction and allow contestants to showcase more than vocal ability. Contestants need to combine vocal power, stage presence, reflexes and personal branding to succeed.
The new “game” round, making up 30% of the total score, brings a more dynamic and viewer-friendly format, while 70% of the score focuses on musical performance.
Singer Khanh Thy is one among young talents discovered from the Hanoi Singing Contest. Photo: Van Tuyen/The Hanoi Times
The 2025 season aims to deliver an energetic and engaging experience, strengthening the contest’s reputation as one of Hanoi’s leading art and entertainment events.
A distinguished panel of judges and advisors will join the competition, including People’s Artists Quang Vinh, Quoc Hung, Ha Thuy, Mai Hoa, Thanh Lam and Tan Minh; singers Anh Tho, Ho Quynh Huong and Khanh Linh and musician Le Minh Son.
Contestants will compete in three categories: Chamber Music, Folk Music and Light Music, through three rounds (Preliminary, Semi-final and Final).
Registration runs until October 25 via the Hanoi On app. The first preliminary round takes place from October 25–30 and the second from November 1–4.
Foreign contestants can submit video entries for the preliminary rounds, which the jury will evaluate remotely. Those who advance will join the semi-finals in Hanoi to compete alongside domestic contestants.
Semi-final rounds will feature Chamber Music on November 14, Light Music on November 15 and Folk Music on November 16. The finals will follow with Chamber Music on November 27, Light Music on November 30 and Folk Music on December 3. The grand finale and awards ceremony will be held on December 9.
The prize structure includes a special prize worth VND600 million (US$22,800) with cash and an electric car, three first prizes of VND100 million ($3,800) each, three second prizes of VND50 million ($1,900) each and three third prizes of VND30 million ($1,140) each.
The Hanoi Singing Contest is an annual artistic competition that first opened in 1994 under the name “Hanoi Radio and Television Singing Contest”. It had been halted from 2020 to 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic before returning successfully in 2023 and 2024.
