A Vietnamese singer who was slated to commemorate his 19 years in showbiz through two live concerts in Hanoi this weekend thought it was a joke when people told him the performance venue was damaged in a predawn fire on the show day.

Quang Ha, 38, was all ready for his live show ‘Khong The Thay The’ (Irreplaceable) tonight, September 28, at the Hanoi Cultural Palace in the Vietnamese capital, when the venue caught fire early in the morning.

The blaze broke out at around 5:30 am and was only put under control at 8:40 am, as six fire trucks and dozens of firefighters were dispatched to the scene.

The fire appeared to have started on the third floor of the multi-story building, before the flames licked to lower floors and destroyed the main stage of the palace, where Quang Ha had been eager to meet his fans at the two-night live concert on Saturday and Sunday.

Roll-up banners with information about the live show of Quang Ha are seen in front of the Hanoi Cultural Palace on September 28, 2019. Photo: Danh Trong / Tuoi Tre

The singer had reportedly been preparing for the live show for six months, with a huge amount of money invested.

A representative of the singer said the incident caused him financial damage of up to VND8 billion (US$345,000).

Quang Ha spoke to local press in the afternoon the same day, before a statement was posted on his Facebook account, saying the show on Saturday night was relocated to the JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi and rescheduled to 2:00 pm.

The performance on Sunday has been called off.

Quang Ha (right) and Tuan Ngoc, a guest singer in his live show, are seen during a rehearsal in this supplied photo.

Located in Hoan Kiem District, the Hanoi Cultural Palace, also known as the Viet - Xo Labor, Culture and Friendship Palace, was constructed in 1978 and put into use in September 1985. The palace was designed and funded by the former Soviet Union, hence its name, which is short for 'Vietnam - Soviet.'

Quang Ha started to perform in Vietnamese show business in 2000, and is known for his ability to sing different genres of music. He has so far released nine albums and has many hit songs.

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