District 1, Ho Chi Minh City,Le Van Tam Park,where, in 2026,from April 23 to 26,the "Vietnam Banh Mi Festival 2026"was held, closed after drawing over200,000visitors in four days. This fourth edition saw167 shopsset up, and the 40-year-old renownedBanh Mi Huynh Hoahad a 20-minute line the whole time, while the affordably pricedTrang Breadsold out over 500 in the morning, a roaring success.VnExpress InternationalBased on the photo report, we organize the full picture of the scene.
Le Van Tam Park drew a wave of 200,000 people over four days
The venue, Le Van Tam Park, is an urban park in central District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City, surrounded by Hai Ba Trung Street, Dien Bien Phu Street, and Vo Thi Sau Street, covering about 6 hectares. Usually a place bustling with morning joggers and weekend families, during the festivalthe crowds never let up from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.The organizers—the city's Food Safety Department in cooperation with the local tourism association—set the theme"Vietnamese Bread: A World Culinary Value – Spreading Across Five Continents."was set as the theme.
The makeup of visitors mixed local residents, domestic tourists, and foreign tourists, withgroup visitors from Korea, Japan, and the Westparticularly noticeable. The venue was divided into four areas—a food-stall zone, a bread-making demonstration zone, a merchandise zone, and a music stage—and the 167 exhibitors each offered their signature products.
Banh Mi Huynh Hoa—a 20-minute line at the 40-year-old renowned shop
The longest line at the venue formed at the booth ofBanh Mi Huynh Hoa, one of Ho Chi Minh City's big three banh mi. A long-established shop of over 40 years, its main store is on Le Thi Rieng Street in District 1. At the festival it offered two types—standard size 78,000 VND (about 460 yen)andand small size 35,000 VND (about 206 yen)—with, all day,a 20-minute waitline that never let up.
The shop's feature is a bold makeup stuffing six or more kinds of house-made ham, pate, and cha lua (Vietnamese-style fish cake) into a single loaf, and it's known among foreign tourists too as "a shop to eat at once when you come to Ho Chi Minh City." At the booth too,the same portions as the main store's recipewere offered, becoming a talking point on social media as "worth the wait."
Trang Bread—sold out in the morning at a discounted price
Another one to watch wasTrang Bread, which rolled out festival-limited pricing. Banh mi it usually sells at around 70,000 VND, it discounted at the festival to25,000 to 45,000 VND (about 147 to 265 yen).The strategy aimed at raising awareness at the venue paid off, andover 500 sold out in the morning of the first day alone.sold out.
The vegetarian-only booth run by Hoang Kim Liensold nearly 1,000 on the first day.Banh mi combining plant-based protein with pickles reminiscent of Kyoto vegetables won support from health-conscious young people and foreign tourists.
Updating a national record with 50 kinds of vegetarian
One of the festival's centerpiece features was a national-record-setting event lining up50 kinds of vegetarian banh miin one place. Variations using jackfruit, lotus root, red cabbage, plant-based pate, tempeh, tofu, and more were displayed, and tourists voted while tasting. This feature became a target for certification by the Vietnam Records Association (Vietkings).
Exhibitor data and price table (yen conversion at 1 JPY = 170 VND)
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Edition | Fourth edition (2026) |
| Dates | April 23 to 26, 2026 (four days) |
| Venue | Le Van Tam Park (District 1) |
| Attendance | Over 200,000 (organizers' announcement) |
| Number of exhibitors | 167 shops |
| Theme | Vietnamese bread spreading across the world (rollout to five continents) |
| Banh Mi Huynh Hoa (standard) | 78,000 VND (about 460 yen) |
| Banh Mi Huynh Hoa (small) | 35,000 VND (about 206 yen) |
| Trang Bread (festival price) | 25,000 to 45,000 VND (about 147 to 265 yen). |
| Vegetarian record | 50 kinds displayed (target for Vietkings certification) |
Reactions on social media and from local diners
"I lined up 20 minutes at Huynh Hoa's booth, but I was very satisfied with portions and flavor on par with the main store. Being able to eat main-store quality at a booth is a miracle." (Paraphrased Facebook post by a woman in her 30s living in Ho Chi Minh City)
"Buying Trang Bread at half price is only at the festival. I arrived in the afternoon and it was sold out, so I cried." (Paraphrased Threads post by a man in his 20s living in District 2, Ho Chi Minh City)
"I didn't know vegetarian banh mi had such a rich variety. The 50-kind display was spectacular." (Paraphrased X post by a travel writer)
On social media,"photos of the line" and "group photos of the 50 kinds of vegetarian"were shared in large numbers, and the Instagram hashtag "#BanhMiFestival2026" topped 10,000 posts in four days.
Impact on Japanese tourists and practical information
The Banh Mi Festival, held once a year, isone of Vietnam's largest street-food festivals,and for Japanese tourists too it's highly valuable as "a place to try Ho Chi Minh City's flavors all at once." The venue, Le Van Tam Park, isa standard venue for food events on par with the Saigon Pho Festival,and with good access,a 15-to-20-minute walk from major District 1 hotels.the access is good too.
The 2026 edition has already ended, but at Banh Mi Huynh Hoa and Trang Bread you canenjoy the same flavor year-round at the main stores.Huynh Hoa's main store is on Le Thi Rieng Street in District 1, and Trang Bread has stores throughout Ho Chi Minh City. When Japanese travelers visit Ho Chi Minh City, building a "festival-exhibitor-shop tour" by touring the main stores is one idea.
Ripple effects on the industry and society
This festival, which drew 200,000 people, is also a tailwind for the national strategy the Vietnamese government is promoting,"making Vietnamese cuisine a World Heritage."Banh mi was officially registered in the Oxford English Dictionary as "banh mi" in 2011, and specialty shops have spread to cities across the world's five continents.Alongside the Korean presidential couple's visit to a pho shop,moves recognizing Vietnamese food culture on the international stage are happening in succession.
The Ho Chi Minh City tourism authority commented, "We'll expand the festival further from next year on and make it a pillar of attracting inbound tourism from overseas." Expanding the exhibitor slots to a 200-shop scale is being considered for 2027.
Practical information to grasp before visiting
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Venue | Le Van Tam Park, District 1 |
| Main store: Banh Mi Huynh Hoa | 26 Le Thi Rieng, District 1 (open: 15:00 to 23:00) |
| Main store: Trang Bread | Multiple stores in Ho Chi Minh City (check official social media) |
| Vegetarian specialty | Similar products at several vegetarian-buffet-style places in the city |
| Payment | Cash (VND), some QR code accepted |
| Next edition forecast | Spring 2027 (late April) |
| Best access | A 15-to-20-minute walk from Ben Thanh Market and the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee |
Summary: banh mi as "world food" that 167 shops and 200,000 people show
Mobilizing 200,000 people over four days, a 20-minute line at Huynh Hoa, Trang Bread sold out in the morning, a national record with 50 kinds of vegetarian—the festival's numbers symbolize banh mi's positionas "no longer just a national dish, but world food."The makeup where everything from a 40-year-old renowned shop to an emerging vegetarian brand lines up in the same venue showed the breadth of Vietnamese food culture at home and abroad.
The 2026 edition has ended, but many of the shops that exhibited have permanent main stores within Ho Chi Minh City, where you can check the flavor year-round. When travelers from Japan next visit Ho Chi Minh City, they'll want to start by trying the "banh mi worth lining up for" at the Huynh Hoa main store first.
Source
- VnExpress International｜Crowds flock to Ho Chi Minh City Banh Mi Festival
- Vietnam Plus｜Banh mi festival returns, celebrating Vietnam’s global street food icon
- Tuoi Tre News｜Vietnamese Banh Mi Festival 2026 draws flock of visitors in Ho Chi Minh City
- Vietnam News｜Banh mi festival opens with global ambitions
