The inaugural Ho Chi Minh City International Music Festival, or HOZO, kicked off at Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in District 1 on Friday evening.

Known in Vietnamese as ‘Ho do 2019,’ the event, which lasts from December 13 to 15, is part of the municipal authorities' effort and investment to boost the local culture and entertainment industry.

This fest is the first to ever be organized by local authorities, despite many others having been held by the private sector.

In its opening night, visitors to the iconic walking street downtown the southern metropolis were treated to a 3.5-hour party of music, which featured celebrated artists from Vietnam and foreign countries such as Japan, Spain, and Russia.

The opening night of the festival was a show set with lots of interesting genres of music mixed between modern and ethnic rhythms.

Some of the international artists even blended in with the crowd while going on with their performances.

“I feel excited and emotional that Ho Chi Minh City plays host to such a truly international music festival as ‘Ho do.’ I've had a chilling experience tonight,” said Tran Nhat Minh, the conductor of the Vietnamese orchestra Saigon Pop Orchestra.

“The festival is an opportunity for the artists to showcase their works to the audience,” Minh added.

In addition to the performances, some information booths also offer visitors to the event experiences with new music technologies and applications, as well as chances to interact with the artists.

The second and last performance days of the festival continue to take place on Saturday and Sunday from the morning until evening, with the main festive performances from nearly 20 more artists starting from 5:00 pm.

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