The 2025 National Cheo Festival, one of the country’s most anticipated traditional theatre events, is back with a rich line-up of performances showcasing both artistic heritage and fresh creative energy.

Artists of Bac Ninh Cheo Theatre prepare the play “Thien Menh” for the festival.

This year’s festival, from October 20 to November 2, will bring together nearly 900 artists, actors and musicians from 11 professional cheo troupes representing provinces and cities across the country.

Audiences will enjoy 21 elaborately staged productions that reflect today’s social life, celebrate the homeland and honour the moral and humanistic values rooted in Vietnamese culture.

Participating units include the Vietnam National Traditional Theatre, Hanoi Cheo Theatre, Military Cheo Theatre, Ninh Binh provincial Art Theatre, Hai Phòng Traditional Theatre, Hung Yen Cheo Theatre, Lam Son Art Theatre of Thanh Hoa, Lac Hong Theatre of Phu Tho, Bac Ninh Cheo Theatre, Quang Ninh Art Troupe and Thai Nguyen Ethnic Art Troupe.

Held every three years by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the festival serves as an important platform to review and assess the creativity, staging and performance quality of cheo across the country.

It is also an opportunity to honour groups and individuals who have made significant contributions to preserving and revitalising this art form.

More than just a competition, the event creates space for directors, musicians, choreographers, stage designers and performers to exchange experiences, connect across generations and explore new expressions while staying grounded in tradition.

The festival reaffirms the place of cheo within Vietnam’s performing arts as the country continues to integrate and develop.

The Ministry has assigned the Department of Performing Arts to coordinate with the Vietnam Stage Artists Association and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bac Ninh province to host the festival in Bac Ninh city.

According to the organisers, choosing Bac Ninh - a cradle of traditional arts and cultural identity - as the host is expected to promote tourism, cultural exchange and the province’s image to both domestic and international visitors.

From Bac Ninh, where artistic heritage runs deep, the melodies of cheo continue to nurture Vietnamese identity, carry forward heritage and inspire contemporary creativity.

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