A flag-raising ceremony at Cần Thạnh Park in Cần Giờ, Ho Chi Minh City, opened the 2026 Nghinh Ông Festival on the morning of September 24. The opening featured a children’s drum and brass performance, lion and dragon dances, and a martial arts performance.
The festival is rooted in the local fishing community’s whale-worship tradition. Its wider program lists traditional rites and cultural, sports and food activities that highlight Cần Giờ’s coastal culture.