From August 6 to 9, Bien Dong Park, on Da Nang's waterfront, turned entirely Korean. More than 90 booths introducing food, tourism, and local products from both countries lined the venue for the '2026 Vietnam-Korea Festival in Da Nang,' with seven Korean cities — Daegu, Pyeongtaek, Yongin, Osan, Gwangyang, Yeongam, and Gurye — taking part. The park that served as the stage for these four days is normally a free, 24-hour public promenade. A Vietnam-Korea cooking contest and K-pop stages transformed the whole feel of the area. For Da Nang residents and Japanese travelers planning a visit, here's what happened over these four days, and what's still there now that the festival is over.
More Than 90 Booths at Bien Dong Park: What Seven Korean Cities Brought With Them
The main venue, Bien Dong Park, sits on the waterfront in An Hai ward where Vo Nguyen Giap Street meets Pham Van Dong Street. Right across from My Khe Beach, it's a spot that catches the sea breeze come evening. Here, 'more than 90 booths introduced the culture, cuisine, tourism products, local goods, and services of Vietnam and Korea,' according to the organizer, the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Center.
Food took center stage among the booths. On the Korean side, each of the seven cities brought its own regional character, while Vietnam responded with central Vietnamese dishes and local products. The venue was designed as a space for hands-on experience and exchange open to all ages, with areas set aside for traditional art displays and cooperative-project showcases as well. On the festival's opening day, August 6, the venue was open from 16:00 to 22:00, and the contrast between the glowing food stalls and the dark sea created the atmosphere of a night market.
For comparison, a food festival held in Can Tho that same year, 2026, had about 40 booths.Can Tho's "Huong Sac Tay Do" is also known for its lively night-market atmosphere,but Da Nang's count of over 90 booths ranks among the largest for a regional-city festival.
The Vietnam-Korea Cooking Contest and K-Pop: What Happened Over Four Nights on Stage
Each night over the four days, artists from both countries took turns on stage. A K-pop team from Gwangyang and art troupes from Daegu and Yeongam performed, mixing samulnori (traditional Korean percussion), Korean sogo dance, Vietnamese bamboo dance, and audience-participation K-pop random dance. The finals of one of the stage programs, the "Vietnam-Korea Talent Contest: K-pop Dance," were also held at this venue.
The culinary highlight was the "Vietnam-Korea Cooking Contest," where chefs from both countries competed side by side. The sight of kimchi and Korean-style braised dishes lined up alongside central Vietnamese seafood and noodle dishes was a distinctly local Vietnam-Korea mashup. Events spread beyond the main venue too: a Korean film screening series, "Korean Film Days," was held at CGV Vincom; an educational exchange program brought together around 20 Korean universities; there was a joint taekwondo and Vovinam (Vietnamese martial art) demonstration; and even a soccer exchange featuring former Korean national team players and a diplomatic friendship golf tournament were arranged. The opening ceremony was formally held at Bien Dong Park on the evening of August 7, and the festival closed with a closing ceremony on the 9th.
Why Da Nang? A City Where Koreans Account for 35% of Air Arrivals
There's a reason this festival works in Da Nang. Korea is now Da Nang's largest source of visitors, accounting for more than 35% of the city's international flights. On August 1, 2025, the number of Korean tourists Da Nang had welcomed that year reached one million. Across Vietnam as a whole, Korean travelers number more than 4 million a year, putting Korea ahead of Thailand and the Philippines as the top Southeast Asian destination for Korean tourists. For Koreans, Da Nang's sea and food are already "a nearby, affordable resort."
Da Nang, for its part, is also trying to add more facets beyond its single identity as a beach resort.A city that welcomed former Bond girl Jane Seymour for an Asian film festival,this time brought in an entire neighboring country's food culture instead. Launched in 2022, this festival has grown into an event drawing more than 40,000 people a year and has become an established channel for exchange in investment, trade, tourism, and culture. For Japanese travelers, it was a once-a-year overlap where a trip to Da Nang also let them experience the food culture of neighboring Korea all in one go.
The Festival Ends, but Bien Dong Park Stays — How to Enjoy It Year-Round and Plan for Next Time
This year's festival ended on August 9, but Bien Dong Park itself, the stage for the event, can be enjoyed year-round. Admission is free, it's open 24 hours, and it's right next to My Khe Beach. Motorbike and car parking runs around 15,000 dong (about 90 yen at 10,000 dong ≒ 60 yen), making it a good spot for an evening stroll or catching the sunset. Even outside festival season, the park's promenade and seaside night views are a popular go-to spot for residents.
If you're planning ahead, this festival has been held in early August every year. It's likely to return to the Bien Dong Park area around the same time next year, so if you're after the Korean food stalls and stage shows, plan a Da Nang stay for early August. Central Vietnam's festival season runs long — from spring'sHue Festival's palace light-upthrough to the summer Vietnam-Korea Festival, you can build a trip that hits different cities by staggering the timing. From Da Nang, Hue is about a two-hour drive.
Four Days That Made the Reality of Korea as Da Nang's Biggest Visitor Group Visible on the Waterfront
More than 90 booths, seven Korean cities, a Vietnam-Korea cooking contest, and four nights of K-pop. The 2026 Vietnam-Korea Festival in Da Nang was four days that laid bare, right there in a beachfront park, the reality that Korea has become Da Nang's biggest visitor group. Bien Dong Park, the venue, is free and open year-round, so missing the festival isn't a real loss. Come early August next year, the same lights should line up again next to My Khe Beach.
Sources
- Danang Fantasticity (official Da Nang tourism site), "2026 Viet Nam – Korea Festival in Da Nang" https://danangfantasticity.com/en/news/2026-viet-nam-korea-festival-in-da-nang
- Báo Quốc Tế「Da Nang bustles with the vibrant colours of Vietnam-Korea culture」 https://en.baoquocte.vn/da-nang-bustles-with-the-vibrant-colours-of-vietnam-korea-culture-429117.html
- Danang Fantasticity「Da Nang Welcomes the 1 Millionth Korean Visitor in 2025」 https://danangfantasticity.com/en/highlight-post/da-nang-welcomes-the-1-millionth-korean-visitor-in-2025
