Ho Chi Minh City, April 19, 2025 – The Europe Today: Deputy Foreign Minister Lê Thị Thu Hằng today announced that more than 20 international delegations have confirmed their attendance at Vietnam’s 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification, to be marked on April 30 in Ho Chi Minh City.
Addressing a press conference convened by the Central Steering Committee on Major Holidays and Historical Events (2023–2025), Deputy Minister Lê Thị Thu Hằng highlighted that the list of foreign participants includes three state-level delegations, four ministerial-level groups, and over 15 political parties from across the globe.
For the first time, the official parade will feature a delegation of outstanding overseas Vietnamese—more than 120 participants representing over 25 countries and territories, including veterans of the independence struggle as well as young intellectuals, entrepreneurs, and artists.
The event has also generated significant international media interest, with over 140 foreign journalists registered to cover the ceremonies, among them former war correspondents and seven overseas-Vietnamese reporters based in the United States and Europe.
Vice Chairwoman of the HCM City People’s Committee Trần Thị Diệu Thúy outlined plans for the national commemorative ceremony, which will commence at 6:30 a.m. on April 30 along Lê Duẩn Street and other central thoroughfares in District 1. The centerpiece will be a grand military parade, organized by the Ministry of National Defence, featuring four ceremonial formations, 36 military units, and 12 civilian marching contingents. Military delegations from Laos and Cambodia are also expected to participate.
On April 29, the city will conduct solemn tributes at multiple sites honoring fallen heroes, including the City Martyrs Cemetery, Lạc Cảnh City Cemetery, Bến Dược Memorial Temple, Củ Chi Martyrs Cemetery, Củ Chi Policy Cemetery, and the Ngã Ba Giồng national historic site. Leading officials will also lay wreaths at the memorials of President Hồ Chí Minh and President Tôn Đức Thắng.
A month-long festival of public events runs April 19–30, headlined by the Colours of Uncle Hồ’s City Festival featuring 3D mapping projections and orchestral performances on the façade of City Hall. On the evening of April 19, a drone and fireworks show will launch 2,000 drones over the skyline.
A film exhibition, “Echoes of the Great Spring Victory of 1975,” will display 300 historical photographs and host open-air screenings at the Nguyễn Huệ–Ngô Đức Kế stage on April 27–28. Several high-profile cultural programs will follow, including the Outdoor Art Show ‘A Nation’s Joy’ on April 20, the ‘Symphony of Peace’ Concert at the City Theatre on April 21, and the nationally televised ‘Festival of National Reunification’ from the Independence Palace on the evening of April 30.
Additionally, a special cultural performance—coordinated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and HCM City—will take place on April 29, and a mounted parade and brass band display will be held on April 30 along Lê Lợi Street and the Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian zone under the auspices of the Ministry of Public Security.
These commemorations underscore Vietnam’s commitment to honoring its history while opening a new chapter of international friendship and cultural exchange on this landmark golden jubilee.
