Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – The second edition of the political-art programme “To quoc trong tim” (The Fatherland in Our Hearts) is scheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City on August 23, bringing together artists and soldiers from across Vietnam and featuring modern performance technology to inspire patriotism, national pride and the aspiration to contribute to the nation.
At a press conference to announce the event on August 17, Le Quoc Minh, member of the Party Central Committee, Vice Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Publicity, President of the Vietnam Journalists Association and Editor-in-Chief of the Nhan Dan (People) Newspaper, said the programme’s first edition, held in Hanoi on August 10 last year, created a strong social impact.
Content related to the 2025 concert garnered about 2.5 billion views on various platforms within a week, Minh said, noting that the results encouraged the organisers to bring the second edition to Ho Chi Minh City this year.
Jointly organised by the Nhan Dan Newspaper and the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee at the Van Phuc urban area, the show is expected to attract around 40,000 spectators. Performances will also be expanded into public spaces, allowing more people to watch and interact with the event.
Organisers said that while the programme has been renewed in terms of scale, content and technology, “To Quoc Trong Tim” continues to preserve five defining elements: an patriotic concert for audiences of all generations, the message that the Fatherland is not far away but lives in every heart, the iconic V-shaped stage, the powerful sight and sound of tens of thousands of people singing the national anthem “Tien Quan Ca” (Song of Marching Troops) and other songs in unison, and the image of the national flag presented throughout the programme.
It will comprise three chapters – “Non song mot dai” (A unified land) highlighting key milestones in the nation’s history, “Sac do tu hao” (A proud shade of red) with the national flag at the centre of the artistic narrative, and “To quoc trong tim” (The Fatherland in Our Hearts) highlighting how love for the country inspires action among today’s generations.
Revolutionary songs and other works that have stood the time will be given contemporary arrangements while preserving their original spirit and values. The organisers aim to create a musical bridge between generations, particularly enabling young people to connect with familiar songs of previous generations.
A flag-raising ceremony before the national anthem singing will be another highlight, with the participation of the Vietnam People's Army and People's Public Security forces. Male and female service members will appear in performances depicting the nation's historical journey. Artists from northern, central and southern Vietnam, ranging from veteran performers to young artists and children, will also take part.
Musician Nguyen Van Chung, who attended the 2025 programme in Hanoi, said the sight of tens of thousands of people singing together left a strong impression on him and inspired his desire to contribute to this year's concert in Ho Chi Minh City.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports, said the city is coordinating with the Nhan Dan Newspaper and relevant agencies to ensure security, traffic, fire prevention, health care, environmental sanitation and other conditions for the event.
The programme will also be broadcast and connected through online platforms, reaching audiences across Vietnam, Vietnamese communities overseas and international friends, with the organisers hoping to turn musical emotions into greater awareness of each person's responsibility and contribution to the country./.
