Ho Chi Minh City is set to play host to its first-ever international music festival late this year, as municipal authorities increase effort and investment to boost the local culture and entertainment industry.

The inaugural Ho Chi Minh City International Music Festival, or HOZO, is slated to take place from December 13 to 15 at Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in District 1, the municipal administration has announced.

Known in Vietnamese as ‘Ho do 2019,’ the live music fest will boast a variety of music genres from world music, jazz, and pop to traditional music, featuring artists from France, Belgium, Spain, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Greece, Cuba and Vietnam.

A music contest for young, amateur music bands will also be held, with the best contestant selected to perform at the festive nights.

“The event will be a great opportunity to promote Vietnam’s traditional music and culture to the world while bringing international music closer to the Vietnamese audience,” said Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, deputy director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports.

Ho Chi Minh City have been chosen as the venue for several international music festivals, but these were all held by private companies and HOZO will be the first-ever event to be organized by local authorities.

For instance, Ravolution Music Festival, a famous EDM (electronic dance music) event taking place annually in the southern metropolis, is funded by budget airline Jetstar.

“An international music festival is necessary for any city, and a big economic hub with a vibrant music scene as Ho Chi Minh City should not be an exception,” musician Huy Tuan, music director of HOZO, remarked.

“Such an event is where people explore more music genres and artists that they may have never known before, and is a chance for music industry insiders to show off their works to the audience.”

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