loaded with durian500 pickup trucksroll down the highway in a convoy—Dak Lak Province in Vietnam's Central Highlands is holding its first province-level durian festival from August 15 to September 2. The 500-vehicle procession will attempt a Guinness World Record, and organizers expect about 300,000 visitors over the run. It's a major event staged by a leading production area for the "king of fruits."
August 15 to September 2, with 17 events staged across the Buon Ma Thuot area
According to Vietnamese outlets (Viet Nam News, VietNamNet and others), the festival runsAugust 15 to September 2までの19日間。17の企画で構成され、会場はブオンマトート、クロンパック、トゥイホアの各エリアにまたがる。開幕式は8月15日にブオンマトートの「3月10日広場」（Quảng trường 10/3、1975年3月10日のブオンマトート解放を記念）で行われ、国営VTV8で中継予定。閉幕は独立記念日の9月2日、フーイエン広場で締めくくる。会期のうち8月15〜23日は、ファンディンジョット通りとダクラク博物館を舞台にした「食のゾーン」が開かれ、数百のブースがドリアン加工品や中部高原の郷土食を並べる。クロンパックでは農家や農園、収穫の様子を伝える写真展も催され、産地の生産現場と食文化を丸ごと見せる設計だ。
A 500-pickup parade for a Guinness record, 100 creative dishes for a national record
This festival is going for two records. One is the convoy carrying durian from Krong Pac to Buon Ma ThuotA parade of 500 pickup trucksaiming for a Guinness World Record. Another is, by local chefs,100 durian dishesの創作で、こちらはベトナム国内記録を目指す。「3月10日広場」には、国内記録を狙う巨大なドリアンタワーも飾られる。
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates | August 15 – September 2, 2026 (19 days) |
| Main venues | Buon Ma Thuot / Krong Pac / Tuy Hoa |
| Parade | 500 pickup trucks (a Guinness World Record attempt) |
| Dish | 100 durian dishes (aiming for a Vietnam national record) |
| Expected attendance | About 300,000 people |
| Opening / closing | 8/15 3月10日広場(VTV8中継)／9/2 フーイエン広場 |
A growing export region for China creates a place to "come and eat"
Dak Lak is one of Vietnam's leading durian-growing regions, and the Krong Pac area in particular is known for intensive cultivation. Behind the province launching its first province-level festival are durian exports growing on the back of demand from China, branding of the growing region, and an aim to link agriculture with tourism. The flashy visual of a 500-truck parade is also a device to spread the event across domestic and international media and social platforms. One of the venues, Tuy Hoa, is a coastal area that was absorbed into Dak Lak Province from the former Phu Yen Province in the 2025 administrative reorganization. With a single province now holding both the mountain highlands and the coast, the festival's scope for touring has broadened. Festivals that combine fruit with nature experiences are popular across the country, and the case in Khanh HoaFruit Picking and Stream Bathing in One Go: The Lam Son Fruit Festival in the Mountains of Khanh Hoa. Dak Lak's festival tops them by a notch in scale and record attempts.
Buon Ma Thuot is reachable by domestic flight; aim for the food zone on August 15–23
Buon Ma Thuot has an airport, reachable by domestic flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Grab works for getting around the city, and since crowds concentrate near the venue on the opening-ceremony and parade days, book lodging early. The sweet spot is the 'food zone' period from August 15 to 23, when you can combine booth-hopping with the photo exhibition. September 2, Independence Day, overlaps with a holiday and crowds are expected, so those who want to feel the energy of the record attempts should aim for around then, while those who prefer a calmer visit should pick weekdays. As in other cities, it works to spend midday in the food zone and mornings and evenings at markets or farms, and pairing a night market with an early-morning floating market isA food festival is on in Can Tho—pair it with the night market and the morning floating market to see it all in one overnight staycovered in detail. August is a season when summer festivals overlap around the country, and on the coast,Nha Trang Sea Festival 2026, a seaside celebration running through August 10is also underway, and linking the Central Highlands with the coast lets you enjoy both mountains and sea in a single trip.
Fresh fruit faces carry-home limits—processed goods are the souvenir option
Durian has a strong smell, and hotels, buses and airplane cabins may restrict bringing it aboard. Eating it as you stroll the festival is no problem, but if you want to take fresh fruit home as a souvenir, sealed packaging or frozen and processed products are the practical choice. The venue's booths also carry processed goods like dried durian, chips and sweets, so there are plenty of options you can take home without worrying about the smell. The projected 300,000 visitors will feed directly into lodging, dining and souvenirs, while the Guinness and national-record buzz raises durian's profile at home and abroad and strengthens the region's brand for exports. Buon Ma Thuot is also known as a coffee hub, so there's a foundation for promoting Central Highlands cuisine with durian and coffee together. The next question is whether they can grow it beyond a one-off record attempt into an annual fixture and establish it as a gateway to agritourism for the region. If you're picking one Vietnamese summer event, arrange your lodging and transport early and come witness this record in the making.
