Arts & Culture - Saigoneer

Scene Incubator #9 @ Úm Ba La

2026-09-11T19:22:37+07:00

Link for tickets here.

Scene Incubator is back for its ninth edition, and if you know us by now, you know what that means. We don't do safe. We don't do tidy. We throw bands together that have no business sharing a stage, crank it past the point of comfort, and dare you to keep up. Alt-rock catharsis, metalcore fury, and pure gleeful noise all under one roof in one night. This is the room where the Saigon underground actually happens. Grab your people, show up loud, and let's make a mess together.

On the bill this time:

My Broken Society an international alternative rock outfit based in Ho Chi Minh City, built from three cities' worth of restless energy. The project traces back to 2014, when vocalist and songwriter Boris Melnikov first started writing its core material, but it only got its name and shape after he moved from Saint Petersburg to Saigon in 2022. He's since become a fixture on the local stage, splitting time across the Meteora Linkin Park Tribute, Mekong Delta Big Band, and NOVA. Alongside him are Russian drummer Yaroslav Andrusyak, who made his own move from Moscow to HCMC in 2022, and Italian guitarist Tommaso Meacci, in the city since 2021 and deep in the circuit with Paracetamore, various blues ensembles, and NOVA. Three backgrounds, one scene, and a cathartic, heavy-hitting sound built around transformation, resilience, and emotional evolution.

Thryv a five-piece metalcore and alternative metal band from Ho Chi Minh City made up of Johnny (rhythm guitar), Ken (drums), Tuấn (lead guitar), Nam (vocals), and Harie (bass). They came up on cafe sessions and a steady diet of Bring Me the Horizon, Bad Omens, Landmvrks, and Spiritbox, with a debut EP now on the way in 2026. They call what they do "angry pop," a new-gen metalcore blend of snappy, aggressive riffs and melodic vocal outbursts, and they mean it as a compliment. Also a founding piece of the soon-to-be DIIICE collective. Not one to miss.

Hanging Judy born in 2025 and made up of Kira, Lee Khangg, Đặng Khánh, and Rook, four names that tell you almost nothing and, honestly, that's the fun of it. What we can say for certain is right there in their own description: they play noise music, and they play it with a wink. Everything else you'll have to find out in the room, which is exactly where a band like this belongs.

As usual, tickets are 200k with one drink included.

20th September 2026

8:00PM

Úm Ba La | 14 Street No. 11, An Khánh Ward, HCMC

Autumn Market @ Freebird Kindergarten

2026-09-11T19:02:26+07:00

This September, we're meeting again for the Autumn Market, on September 19-20 at Hải Âu Bay Kindergarten, 145/8 Nguyễn Đình Chính, Phú Nhuận, HCMC.

This is a seasonal market, held only a few times a year, where gardeners and food makers bring what they grow and make themselves to sell; meeting one another, meeting customers, and taking the opportunity to get things done while in the city. All products at the market are grown without chemicals, or processed using mostly chemical-free ingredients with transparent origins. Products are mainly sold by weight, or in reusable bottles and jars, or wrapped in leaves and paper, with the spirit of reducing waste wherever possible. So, we invite you to take a look at what we're bringing so you can best prepare your own containers and make your market visit smooth and enjoyable!

Vườn nhà Vịt is a small-scale family garden, grown without chemicals, with a diverse range of crops and a focus on food self-sufficiency. The garden will bring its homemade products, including: handmade wooden items, nut butters (cashew, cashew-sesame, peanut), satay (shrimp and vegetarian), sugarcane molasses, caramel sauce, lemon ginger honey, aromatic leaves for bathing and hair washing, mugwort tea, passionflower tea, pickled bamboo shoots, taro, sáp bananas, along with whatever vegetables are ready to harvest; there will also be a cute 2nd-hand stall with friendly prices!

Rừng Om was established with the purpose of regenerating a multi-layered fruit garden using natural farming methods without chemicals. The garden's produce is harvested seasonally. This time, the garden is preparing more carefully for the market, with fresh produce including: xiêm bananas, banana blossoms, dragon fruit, limes, lemongrass and various vegetables... Processed products include: vegetarian seasoning powder without the five pungent spices, fried lemongrass in peanut oil, soapberry enzyme, dried xiêm bananas, adzuki bean tea, mint tea, guava leaf tea, dried carrots, dried cỏ sữa lá lớn, and wild banana seeds. In addition, the garden has propagated some easy-to-grow seedlings such as cúc cổ trà, bạc hà min, hương nhu tía... along with a small stall selling Hội An mót drink made from garden-grown ingredients and a few second-hand books.

Vườn Di Mộc is currently cultivating a garden of more than 3,500 m² and has stopped using chemical fertilizers and pesticides since 2021. The garden is being developed according to natural farming principles with multiple canopy layers, focusing on creating a balanced ecosystem and using microbial compost and organic materials for mulching, moisture retention and soil nourishment. Products presented at the stall include: sáp bananas, xiêm bananas, papaya, wax coconut, seasonal wild and garden vegetables, coconut oil, coconut caramel sauce, and green banana jam with raw sugar.

Vườn Liathia's Home is about to enter the flood season, with plenty of leafy vegetables, but since there are few people at home to harvest them, they'll bring a little of everything for fun: sweet potato shoots, rau sâm, Japanese amaranth, lá lốt, mixed garden greens, some fresh herbs, chùm bao, điên điển flowers, cassava shoots, chili, lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, button eggplant (white-flowered eggplant); boiled water hyacinth shoots, galangal shoots, and various bamboo shoots; banana blossoms, papaya, young jackfruit, coconut, breadfruit, lotus seed pods, pickled figs, some dried medicinal roots and leaves,... Handmade items such as coconut-leaf pot stands, bamboo boxes, cỏ đưng mats,... will also come with us to this season's market.

Vườn nhỏ nhà Sam chooses to grow vegetables without chemicals, on a small scale and with diverse varieties, as a profession and a livelihood for the family. This is not a temporary job, but a path we want to persistently walk together, for the long term and with endurance. At this market, I will bring naturally cultivated, chemical-free vegetables from the garden, bean sprouts hand-grown in pots, and pork lard that I render myself from crossbred black pigs raised through a clean and responsible process without industrial feed or antibiotics; I will bring information about the source and pig processing schedule to the market to connect with anyone interested.

Vườn Freedom Green Village is a multi-species, multi-layered garden that has been cultivated without chemicals since 2018. With the intention of restoring forests, preserving and nurturing forest areas. Therefore, many of the products are related to medicinal plants; everything is harvested and processed in the garden according to the seasons throughout the year, and whatever the garden can harvest will be made into products to sell or exchange. At this market, there will be: sầu sữa ice cream, avocado ice cream, pepper tea, winter melon tea, avocado fruit oil, tangerines soaked in honey, male papaya flowers soaked in honey, pepper sauce (savory), pepper sauce (vegetarian), mulberry syrup, fermented banana rice drink, lip balm / insect-bite balm made from avocado oil, brown rice, Robusta coffee, and some seasonal fruits/vegetables if available.

Vườn nhà Tép cultivates without chemicals on an existing green-skinned pomelo orchard. For this market, the garden will bring pomelos and some currently available vegetables such as jute mallow, pennywort, water spinach, and fish mint. Processed products include pomelo peel essential oil, and Tép will also have a pomelo juice stall at the market.

Cỏ is a small garden in the sunny, windy and frost-prone highlands of Phú Yên. This time Cỏ will bring to the market (from 8:00AM-11:00AM Saturday) a small amount of wood-roasted macadamia nuts from a 15-year-old macadamia garden. Since they will be sold on-site, Cỏ is very happy to sell them by weight according to the amount you need; please bring a sealed bag/container to hold them when you visit the market.

Xóm nhà Chồ is a small family that has practiced traditional handmade fish sauce production for 3 generations in the coastal village of Phan Rang, Ninh Thuận. In addition to its main fish sauce product, Xóm Nhà Chồ also brings rural Phan Rang specialties made with local chemical-free ingredients to the market, including: first-press black anchovy fish sauce aged for 2 years in white crape-myrtle wooden barrels, salt crystallized from first-press fish sauce, dried sụn seaweed, hổng dân seaweed jam, fish cakes, squid cakes, ground milk crab paste; food offerings always include bánh cuốn and bánh canh.

Bếp Bánh Trong Vườn is a small kitchen hidden within a diverse garden cultivated without chemicals, with the philosophy of making dishes from whatever the garden harvests, combined with carefully selected seasonal local ingredients. At this market, Bếp will offer many types of traditional cakes (bánh da lợn, cassava bánh tằm, baked banana cake, durian bánh pía, apricot blossom pineapple cakes, coconut bánh xà lam), vegan green banana flour cookies, chòi mòi syrup, lemongrass pandan tea, rose tea, banana molasses, and chewy dried bananas.

Phớt Space is a living, learning, and gardening space on the outskirts of Saigon. At this market, the garden will bring the following: nàng tiên bananas and Cavendish bananas, banana cake, bathing and steaming herbal packs made from fresh garden herbs, bread served with cashew sauce and garden herbs, and coffee brewed on-site.

This season, Nhím's small garden in the city doesn't have many resources, so Nhím will bring kombucha and cold brew coffee for refreshments at this market. Hopefully the garden will have a stall of ripening bananas or a few papayas, figs and pineapples, depending on what is available.

hiệu buông is a small kitchen, processing food here and there - sometimes in the garden, sometimes in the city. It keeps only one unchanging principle: "Say it as it is," from the ingredients to the production methods. hiệu buông selects ingredients from familiar sources, based on the reputation of the growers. The ingredients are grown without chemicals. The processing uses no additives. This season, hiệu buông brings to the market: carbonated fermented drinks - refreshing, warming, and "good" for the stomach (commonly known as "ginger beer") made from fruits and herbs - kumquat, apricot, sarsaparilla... and a little mulberry wine remaining in storage, fermented since 2024.

This time, there will also be Đệm cỏ bàng by dì Phượng in Long An, a product handmade from cỏ bàng stems with high durability, breathability and environmental friendliness.

Especially on Sunday morning, Góc Bếp will bring traditional mooncakes to join the festivities.

Góc Bếp is a small family bakery. For every cake, Bếp seeks out ingredients that are grown and raised without chemicals and are as clean and wholesome as possible. And even when making European-style cakes, Góc Bếp will try to Vietnamese-ize them as much as possible to suit people living in Vietnam.

The market will be held from
8:00AM - 5:00PM Saturday, 19/9 & 8:00AM - 12:00PM Sunday, 20/9
At Freebird Kindergarten | 145/8 Nguyễn Đình Chính, Phú Nhuận Ward, HCMC
If you are coming to the market, please park your two-wheeled vehicle at Phú Nhuận District Vocational Education - Continuing Education Center, 164 Nguyễn Đình Chính (100m walk).

See you this September!

19th September - 20th September 2026

8:00AM - 5:00PM (19.09) & 8:00AM - 12:00PM (20.09)

Freebird Kindergarten | 145/8 Nguyễn Đình Chính, Phú Nhuận Ward, HCMC

“mình có đông người” @ Deutsches Haus HCMC

2026-09-11T00:54:35+07:00

“mình có đông người”
Performance Screening & Public Talk with She She Pop

*Free Admission. Register here.

Join us for “mình có đông người” - a special talk and screening with the renowned German performance collective She She Pop. Together, we’ll explore over three decades of their radical theatre practice, from collective creation and intergenerational dialogue to the deep intersections between performance and real life.

The event begins with an exclusive screening of excerpts from "Testament" and "The Rite of Spring" (3:00PM – 3:30PM), followed by a conversation with the artists:

Testament (2010): Drawing inspiration from Shakespeare’s King Lear, She She Pop invited their real-life fathers to join them on stage in “Testament”. The theatre becomes a hearing room for a utopian process: finding equilibrium between generations. The work has won multiple prestigious international awards, including the King Lear Award 2013 (Toronto, Canada), the Dora Award 2013 for "Outstanding Touring Production", the Friedrich-Luft-Preis 2011, and the Goethe-Institut-Preis at the Impulse Festival 2011.

The Rite of Spring (2014): Together with their own mothers, She She Pop staged their version of “The Rite Of Spring” based on Igor Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps. The performance focuses on female sacrifice within the family and society. In this piece, She She Pop consciously superimposes the religious sphere of ritual human sacrifice onto the ethical question of personal self-denial between women and men, as well as mothers and daughters.

Featured Guests:

She She Pop: A Berlin-based performance collective with over 30 years of co-creating and performing together.
Theatre director/playwright Trà Nguyễn as moderator.

Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026

Agenda:

2:30PM: Check-in
3:00PM - 3:30PM: Screening of "Testament" and "The Rite of Spring" excerpts
3:30PM - 5:00PM: Public Talk with She She Pop

Venue: Deutsches Haus HCMC | 33 Lê Duẩn, Saigon Ward, HCMC
Language: English – Vietnamese (Simultaneous interpretation provided)
*Accessibility: Sign language interpretation available

Limited seating available. Registration will close as soon as all spots are filled.

Contact:
The Run: hello@therun.vn
MORUA: hello@morua.vn

19th September 2026

3:00PM - 5:00PM

Deutsches Haus HCMC | 33 Lê Duẩn, Saigon Ward, HCMC

Tâm Tử / Inner Death @ Eclipse Theatre

2026-09-11T00:45:25+07:00

ONLY 3 PERFORMANCES IN HO CHI MINH CITY BEFORE SOUTH KOREA!

BOOK TICKETS: https://forms.gle/nJio2BmXXkQhfoRB7

Tâm Tử / Inner Death is an original Physical Theatre / Dance Theatre production by Eclipse Theatre, developed and created in Hồ Chí Minh City.

Over 60 minutes, the audience follows a married couple after a profound loss. They have lived through the same event, yet respond to it in very different ways. As one tries to bring the other back toward life, those differences begin to reshape their relationship.

WHAT WILL YOU EXPERIENCE?

Inner Death uses minimal spoken dialogue. Its story is built through performance, movement, contemporary dance, lighting, sound and clown imagery.

The two characters appear with clown-painted faces — but this is not a comedy about two clowns.

In Inner Death, the clown face becomes a social mask: the face we continue to present while smiling, communicating, working and caring for others, even when we are carrying far more inside than we allow others to see.

Inner Death examines the distance between what a person is living through and what they allow the outside world to see.

Inner Death is not about death — it is about how we continue living with loss.

WHY THIS RETURN MATTERS

Tâm Tử / Inner Death premiered in December 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City, with multiple sold-out performances and strong responses from both Vietnamese and international audiences.

One year later, DaiSee and Dante return to roles they have had more time to understand, rehearse and develop. Rather than simply repeating the previous production, this return gives both performers the opportunity to go further into the relationship and inner lives of the two characters.

This return includes only three Ho Chi Minh City performances: September 18, 19 and 20, 2026.

Immediately afterwards, the production will travel to South Korea. Tâm Tử / Inner Death has been officially selected to perform at The 17th Daejeon International Small Theater Festival 2026, with two performances in Daejeon on September 29 and 30, 2026.

CREATIVE TEAM

Created & Directed by: John Andrew Cunnington
Choreography: Sabra Johnson — EVA Dance Company
Performers: DaiSee & Dante
Executive Producers: John Andrew Cunnington, Lang Thanh Nhi
Produced by: Eclipse × Secret Code Entertainment
Sponsors: Moving Art Atelier, Dancenter

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
18 · 19 · 20.09.2026
Eclipse Theatre | 1 Trương Đình Hợi, Xóm Chiếu Ward, HCMC

7:30PM — Doors open & Check-in
8:00PM — Performance begins
9:00PM — Performance ends
Running time: approximately 60 minutes.

Recommended age: 13+

TICKET INFORMATION

EARLY BIRD — until 10.09.2026
Regular: 300.000 VNĐ
VIP: 400.000 VNĐ

STUDENT: 250.000 VNĐ
A valid student ID must be presented at check-in.

GROUP BOOKING — BUY 5, GET 1 FREE
Also available during the Early Bird period.

FROM SEPTEMBER 11 — STANDARD PRICE
Regular: 400.000 VNĐ / VND 400,000
VIP: 500.000 VNĐ / VND 500,000

AT THE DOOR — subject to availability
Regular: 450.000 VNĐ
VIP: 550.000 VNĐ

SEATING
Each performance has 120 seats: 30 VIP and 90 Regular.
Seats are not individually numbered. Each ticket category has its designated area, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis within that category.

18th September - 20th September 2026

7:30PM

Eclipse Theatre | 1 Trương Đình Hợi, Xóm Chiếu Ward, HCMC

Vũ Lân Khai Hội @ Annam Gallery

2026-09-11T00:31:30+07:00

Over time, many customs, traditional crafts, and visual symbols once inseparable from Mid-Autumn celebrations have gradually faded from everyday life. Paper lanterns, handcrafted lion heads, ceremonial trays of mooncakes and festive delicacies, and the carefully made toys of earlier generations are more than seasonal objects, they are enduring testimonies to a rich body of folk knowledge and cultural traditions.

Drawing upon carefully researched collections of artefacts, archival materials, and immersive exhibition spaces, “Vu Lan Khai Hoi | The Gathering of Lions” recreates the vibrant world of the Mid-Autumn Festival as it once flourished in Vietnamese society. Visitors are invited to explore traditional craftsmanship, lantern processions, lion dance culture, mooncake making, and the customs of tea appreciation. These objects reveal not only the remarkable skills of their makers, but also the traces of a society, a way of life, and an aesthetic tradition shaped over generations. Each artifact preserves the memory of a craft, a community, and countless seasons of reunion.

At a time when many traditional cultural symbols are becoming increasingly unfamiliar, “Vu Lan Khai Hoi” invites visitors to discover, within these artifacts, not only the history of a beloved festival, but also a part of the cultural memory that continues to quietly endure within us all.

Opening Reception: Friday, September 4, 2026 | 3:00PM – 8:00PM
Exhibition Dates: September 5 – October 4, 2026
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday | 9:00AM – 8:00PM
Venue: Annam Gallery | 371/4 Hai Bà Trưng, Xuân Hòa Ward, HCMC
Admission: VND 50,000/person
Exhibition Gift Collection: https://forms.gle/nywfysA1uEiAKy7s8

4th September - 4th October 2026

9:00AM - 8:00PM

Annam Gallery | 371/4 Hai Bà Trưng, Xuân Hòa Ward, HCMC

Arte Fare @ Chillala - House of Art

2026-09-11T00:26:12+07:00

Chillala House of Art officially announces a special rotating exhibition program titled Arte Fare, under the artistic direction of Trọng Gia Nguyễn. The exhibition takes the popular art fair model as a premise for an experiment and structural reconstruction. At Chillala's central space, the exhibition area is designed as four booths arranged in the shape of a swastika (卐) - an ancient Buddhist symbol representing good fortune and cyclical rebirth. Every 05 days, four new exhibitors will take over the space, install their works, present them to the public, and then hand the space over to the next group of four. The entire transition process takes place within 01 day before a new cycle begins.

Arte Fare was initiated from a core question: How can art fairs operate more effectively and foster greater connection? The art fair model is often regarded as a purely commercial "art shopping mall" - a place considered detached from higher artistic values. However, Arte Fare sees it as an underestimated structure that still holds significant unexplored potential.

At Arte Fare, the traditional booth model is handed over entirely to artists without being constrained by commercial thinking or conventional sales pressure. The role traditionally held by gallerists is now actively taken on by the artists themselves. Notably, each exhibition cycle features a gallery or independent art space as a guest participant. This participation aims to share and expand the scope of the community, creating a deeper network of connections between three independent artists, the Chillala space, and the public. Confirmed participating art spaces include: AirHue, 22 Gallery, Gallery Medium, and Vin Gallery.

Trọng Gia Nguyễn - who has organized more than 30 international exhibitions and was the curator of the landmark opening exhibition TechNophobe (2016) at The Factory (Vietnam's first contemporary art center) - will serve as the "Fair Director" throughout the project. He will coordinate directly between the booths, assess progress, accompany the artists, and maintain the operational rhythm of the entire exhibition.

Throughout Arte Fare, the curator will flexibly apply various exhibition strategies and experiential programs in collaboration with art professionals. The public may experience fair days without the presence of artists, with an art advisor instead serving as the connector; or days when each booth unexpectedly transforms into an impromptu silent auction.

In addition, after each rotation, curator Trọng Gia Nguyễn will select representative works to be displayed again on the main walls surrounding the Chillala space for the remainder of Arte Fare. This process of "selection within selection" creates a vivid cumulative diary of the exhibition's journey, serving as a form of archival note that marks its progress and plants seeds for future exhibitions.

List of Participating Artists:

Chinbo Collective, Chinh Ba, Cù Rú, Devon Nguyen, Diane Giraud, Đỗ Hương, Florian Sông Nguyễn, Hoàng Anh, Hoang Hue Phuong, Le Brothers, Lê Quý Tông, Lê Thế Lãm, Lê Thuý, Linh Phan, Nguyễn Đức Đạt, Nguyễn Đức Tú, Nguyễn Kim Tố Lan, Nguyễn Phương Thảo, Nguyễn Quốc Dũng, Nguyễn Duy Anh, Nguyễn Văn Đủ, Nguyễn Vân-Nhi, Nguyễn Việt Anh, Noah Spivak, Quỳnh Lâm, Richard Streitmatter Tran, Rodney Dickson, Sao La Collective, Son Dang, Tôn Tôn Bo, Trần Lê Quỳnh Anh, Tran Trong Vu.

Group 1: 03 – 06/09/2026
Vin Gallery (Group show)
Devon Nguyễn
Nguyễn Văn Đủ
Noah Spivak (Australia)

Group 2: 08 – 11/09/2026
AirHue
Cù Rú
Nguyễn Đức Tú
Sao La

Group 3: 13 – 16/09/2026
Gallery Medium
Chinbo Collective
Diane Giraud
Lê Quý Tông

Group 4: 18 – 21/09/2026
22 Gallery
Chinh Ba
Rodney Dickson
Trần Lê Quỳnh Anh

Group 5: 23 – 26/09/2026
Wiking Salon
Florian Song Nguyễn
Le Brothers
Quỳnh Lâm

Special Collaboration between Arte Fare and Dat Bike.

Alongside Chillala's regular sponsors Tatler, L’Officiel and Luxuo, Arte Fare also introduces an exciting VIP Program in collaboration with Dat Bike. This "made in Vietnam" electric motorcycle company will donate two models, the Quantum S and Era, for renowned artist Hà Mạnh Thắng and exhibition curator Trong Gia Nguyen to hand-paint directly on the bikes. These two bikes will be offered through a silent auction as part of Arte Fare, with a portion of the proceeds contributed to the AirHue project.

Arte Fare was conceived by Trong Gia Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American artist, curator, designer, and writer living and working between Brussels, Belgium and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

With a curatorial practice that prioritizes experimentation and sustainability for artists, Trong has organized over 30 exhibitions at museums, galleries, and alternative spaces internationally, including Boca Raton Museum of Art, Freies Museum Berlin, Residency Unlimited (New York), and Zabriskie Gallery.

Trong currently serves as Chief Judge (Vietnam) for the 2026 UOB Painting of the Year Prize and has sat on the advisory boards of Fashion in Film Festival, Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, and Florence Artist in Residence (FAiR). He has also guest-lectured and participated on panels at Art Stage Singapore, Review Los Angeles, CUE Foundation (New York), School of Visual Arts (New York), Columbia University (New York), Catalyst Foundation (Washington, DC), Reykjavik Art Academy (Iceland), Riga Center for Contemporary Art (Latvia), and Goethe Institute (Hanoi), among others.

As an artist, he has received prominent awards and exhibited extensively, with works in significant public and private collections.

3rd September - 26th September 2026

9:00AM - 9:00PM

Chillala - House of Art | 72 Xuân Thuỷ, An Khánh Ward, HCMC

ViCo Course: The Art of the Pitch - Selling Your Ideas So People Say Yes @ Mangrove Coffee & Tea

2026-09-11T00:15:09+07:00

Every day, people pitch, a new way of working to your manager, a budget request to finance, a solution to a client, a change to your team. Most of us were never taught how, and then wonder why a good idea didn't get picked up. This workshop makes the craft salespeople learn useful for everyone: not scripts or tricks, but a practical way to structure your idea, connect it to what the other person cares about, and ask clearly for what you want.

What we do:

Bring a real pitch. Participants come with an idea they genuinely need someone to say yes to, and work on that idea for the full three hours.
Map the person you need to convince. Work out what actually drives their decision, then rewrite your idea in their language and their priorities.
Build the pitch. Apply a simple, repeatable structure — hook, problem, idea, proof, ask — to your own case, and sharpen it down to one clear message.
Pitch it out loud. Short pitching rounds in pairs and small groups, with structured peer and facilitator feedback on both content and delivery.
Handle the pushback. Live practice with real objections, hesitation, and tough questions — including how to tell a "no" from a "not yet".
Re-pitch and commit. A final round with everything applied, and a concrete plan for who you'll pitch to and when.

Outcome:
Participants leave with a clear, tested pitch for a real idea of their own, and a repeatable structure they can use the next time they need someone to say yes.

Event Details
9:00AM - 12:00PM | Saturday, September 26, 2026
Location: Mangrove Coffee & Tea (29A Cao Thắng, Bàn Cờ Ward, HCMC)
Instructor: Thijs van Loon (Founder & CEO, Betterworks Asia, +20 years training experience for Apple, Google, Amazon, ...)

Pricing

Students: 100,000 VND
ViCo member: 200,000 VND
Non-member: 400,000 VND

GRAB YOUR SPOT HERE!

26th September 2026

9:00AM - 12:00PM

Mangrove Coffee & Tea | 29A Cao Thắng, Bàn Cờ Ward, HCMC

ViCo PizzaMovie: There Will Be Blood @ 419.Cocktails & Cine Bar

2026-09-10T16:23:41+07:00

Where you can come to enjoy remarkable movies, discuss about it, learn some new things, meet great people and eat some delicious pizza.

After the movie, we can stay a little bit longer to discuss, share thoughts, and exchange ideas about it.

Movie: There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood is a searing deconstruction of the American Dream. The film uses oil prospector Daniel Plainview to explore how greed, capitalism, and religion can act as hollow, monstrous forces. It shows a man who achieves absolute wealth and power, only to lose his humanity and end up utterly isolated.

Paul Thomas Anderson made this film as a study of appetite. What happens when ambition has no ceiling and no rival strong enough to check it? What does capitalism do to a man who has nothing left to believe in but his own success? And can a person build something enormous without being consumed by it?

Watch for how every relationship in the film is a transaction: father and son, oilman and preacher, partner and rival. And ask yourself: when does ambition stop building a life, and start hollowing one out?

Event details
Time: Thursday, September 24, 2026 | 7:00PM - 9:30PM
Location: 419.Cocktails & Cine Bar| 158/6 Nguyễn Công Trứ, Bến Thành Ward, HCMC

Ticket fee
ViCo members: 80,000 VND
Non-members: 140,000 VND

Ticket comes with pizzas. Come and join us for a night!!

GRAB YOUR SPOT HERE!

24th September 2026

7:00PM - 9:30PM

419.Cocktails & Cine Bar | 158/6 Nguyễn Công Trứ, Bến Thành Ward, HCMC

ViCo Seminar: Powering Vietnam @ Earth Venture Capital

2026-09-09T14:52:11+07:00

Price

Non-members: 300,000 VND
ViCo members & students: 200,000 VND
ViCo pro-members: Complementary

GRAB YOUR SPOT HERE!

Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing manufacturing hubs, demanding an immense supply of reliable power towards its short-term 2030 and long-term net-zero goals for 2050. While the country saw an unprecedented boom in solar and wind capacity; it has reverted to fire-coal production (54.5%) of energy production to subsidise the hydro-electric production shortfall in 2026 due to the drought and increased domestic usage. Where do the opportunities and obstacles lie for Vietnam in relation to grid capacity, transmission infrastructure and bankability?

The discussion will center on the clear high-level ambitions outlined in the PDP8, DDPA and JETP* towards market liberalisation and regulation for Vietnam's transition to net-zero by 2050. Another central focus will be the baseload stability in relation to established renewable energy production leaders such as solar, wind power and hydro power. These will be placed against the new viability of nuclear and the often left behind geothermal. Ultimately the session will aim to outline the actionable pathways that will align immediate grid stability, market reforms and the opportunities for Vietnam on its decarbonisation journey in 2026.

What we offer:

For Attendees: Unpacks the reality behind Vietnam's energy targets beyond policy and headlines and explains reality of the current landscape of feasibility, buildability and operationalisation of Vietnam's Energy Transition.
For Panelists: Help bridge the knowledge gap between key actors that often work in Silos.
Investors/lenders can gain clarity on regulatory risk and market mechanisms (DDPA).
Developers gain insight into grid constraints, energy storage (BESS), new opportunities in the market (Geo, Nuclear)
Policy & Tech gain direct insight into structural bottlenecks and insight into capital landscape.

All stakeholders gain insight into actionable solutions from varied viewpoints as well as obstacles.

24th September 2026

4:00PM - 6:00PM

Earth Venture Capital | 102 Nguyễn Văn Hưởng, An Khánh Ward, HCMC

Play: Giờ Của Quỷ [Demon's Hour]

2026-09-08T14:07:08+07:00

The death of a young girl causes domestic upheaval in the life of an artist's family

As people attempt to uncover the identity of the deceased girl and seek out her killer, conflicts emerge between husband and wife and brother and sister. Seemingly peaceful relationships are pushed to the point of rupture, revealing dark truths and painful pasts. The darkness that false happiness masks can only be contained for so long.

Beloved Vietnamese filmmaker Việt Linh adapted the script for "Demon's Hour" from the French novel À cloche-coeur by Catherine Arley. Directed by Đinh Mạnh Phúc and featuring Lê Chi Na, Đinh Mạnh Phúc, Ky Thao, Hoàng Trung Anh, Tú Anh and Châu Mai, the play will be performed in Vietnamese with English subtitles.

7:30PM, Wednesday (16.09.2026)
HCMC Children's House | 36 Lê Quý Đôn, Xuân Hoà Ward, HCMC

Play with English subtitles
Ticket booking form: https://forms.gle/9Z8U8mWeXy1gRV3c8
Zalo ticket hotline: 0868 051 068
Seating chart: https://shorturl.at/K3ARy
30% discount for students (applicable to ticket categories of 250,000 VND, 200,000 VND, and 150,000 VND)

16th September 2026

7:30PM

HCMC Children's House | 36 Lê Quý Đôn, Xuân Hoà Ward, HCMC

Exhibition: Now // Hiện Tại @ Quang San Art Museum

2026-09-08T11:50:51+07:00

SUBY ONE — NOW / HIỆN TẠI

Suby One presents NOW / Hiện Tại, his first solo museum exhibition in a decade, at Quang San Art Museum. Fourteen large-scale works trace three decades of practice — from graffiti tags sprayed at age 12 in Paris to a fully realized painterly language developed across Saigon's urban art scene.

Each canvas holds two forces in tension: dense, gestural noise — color, spray, drips, the restless static of daily life — and a single recurring motif, a painted white void the artist calls the NOW. Never collaged, always present, the void interrupts the noise without erasing it: a sudden, sharp moment of presence inside the chaos.

Grounded in the speed and physical urgency of graffiti, filtered through Color Field and Abstract Expressionist influence, and in quiet dialogue with the spatial logic of Vietnamese lacquer painting, the exhibition asks a simple question with a difficult answer: why are we so rarely here when it's happening?

10th September - 11th October 2026

9:00AM - 5:00PM

Quang San Art Museum | 189B/3 Nguyễn Văn Hưởng, An Khánh Ward, HCMC

Heirloom: Nguyen Thuy Duong @ Vin Gallery

2026-09-04T15:10:07+07:00

Working across sculpture, moving image and installation, Vietnamese artist Duong Thuy Nguyen presents Heirloom, her first solo exhibition, opening at Vin Gallery, Ho Chi Minh City, from 16 September to 20 November 2026.

Developed through research and material experimentation, Heirloom examines the enduring afterlives of Agent Orange, known in Vietnam as chất độc màu da cam.

Bringing together newly commissioned artworks with military maps, declassified documents, archival film and oral histories, the exhibition considers how histories of chemical warfare continue to shape landscapes, bodies and cultural memory decades after the Vietnam War.

Rather than treating the archive as a historical record to be illustrated, Nguyen approaches it as a material to be worked through. Developed through research at the Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive at Texas Tech University, Heirloom explores fragments, absences and material traces, asking how memory is inherited, transformed and carried across generations.

Born in Hà Nội, Nguyen’s interdisciplinary practice investigates the intersections of environmental change, cultural memory and material transformation. Her work combines archival research with sculptural processes to explore how histories persist beyond official documentation, remaining embedded within landscapes, objects and the body.

At the centre of the exhibition is Songs for the Unremembered, a newly commissioned moving-image work that imagines the journey of Agent Orange – from its manufacture and transportation in striped barrels to its dispersal across Vietnam’s forests and its enduring presence within ecological and human systems.

Blending documentary research with speculative storytelling, the work reflects on the invisible and ongoing consequences of chemical warfare while questioning how histories are remembered, forgotten and retold.

Rather than reconstructing the past, Heirloom proposes memory as something living: continually carried, transformed and inherited. Through sculpture, moving image and installation, the exhibition asks what remains after conflict, and how contemporary art might make visible histories that continue to unfold long after they disappear from public attention.
Duong Thuy Nguyen said:
“Heirloom began with a question about what it means to inherit a history that happened before you, but continues to live through bodies, landscapes and family memory. Through my research into Agent Orange, I became interested not only in what the archive records, but also in what it cannot hold: the absences, fragments and forms of memory that are carried across generations. The exhibition is my way of staying with those traces, rather than trying to resolve them.”

Speaking about Songs for the Unremembered, Gioj De Marco, co-founder and co-director of Prospect Art said: “The work is moving and unnerving; powerful in its subtle ghastly connectivity – your ghosts, my ghosts, all the ghosts of all the wars that indeed, we’ve inherited subconsciously. We will be sitting with these thoughts for a while.”

Vin gallery: “Presenting these materials in Vietnam requires close attention to historical specificity and to the uneven ways their consequences are lived. Vin Gallery has approached the exhibition on those terms. Injury is not made into spectacle, and archival visibility is not mistaken for resolution. What the exhibition establishes is not the recovery of a closed past, but a way of approaching one that remains active in the present.

Heirloom reflects Vin Gallery’s commitment to practices in which research does not sit outside the work as explanation; it participates in the work’s form. The exhibition brings into focus Nguyen’s recent engagement with archives, material, and moving image. Its title also loses its familiar warmth: what is passed on is not a cherished object, but a material legacy no one chose to inherit.”

About Vin Gallery

Since its founding in 2012 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Vin Gallery has been committed to building a contemporary art platform that reaches beyond geographical and cultural boundaries, exploring how artistic practices take shape and evolve in a post-globalisation context.

As a key connector between Southeast Asia and the global art ecosystem, Vin Gallery develops a decentralised artistic network through a distinct curatorial approach. Representing artists from diverse cultural backgrounds, the gallery actively reconsiders the linear narrative of traditional art history and focuses on practices formed within cultural intersections and cross-cultural experiences—works that often show strong vitality and experimentation as they move beyond established frameworks.

19th September - 6th November 2026

Vin Gallery | 35/8 Nguyễn Văn Đậu Street, Bình Lợi Trung Ward, HCMC

Musicaland Festival 2026

2026-08-31T14:47:03+07:00

THE FIRE WE HOLD - MUSICALAND FESTIVAL 2026

Everyone has a fire of their own. And at Musicaland, those fires come together through music, art, encounters, and unexpected discoveries throughout a full day of festivities.

A space to listen, play, explore, and keep the flame alive together.

Latest Line-up Update: THE FLOB, THE CASSETTE, TRUANT FU, THEMÈO, NGHỊCH, RPT ORIJINN, CIGGARATS, HEPIHEPI, DISTRICT105, MINH, MEYI, CHIPANDCOD, INTO THE AIR, TAMLIN., IIRENIC, 4567.

TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE AT CTicket (Limited quantity)

Musicaland Festival 2026
THE FIRE WE HOLD
A multi-genre music festival with a spirit of active exploration.
26.09.2026 | 8889 STATION - No.3 Street 10, Vạn Phúc City, Hiệp Bình Ward, HCMC

26th September 2026

12:00PM

8889 Station | No.3 Street 10, Vạn Phúc City, Hiệp Bình Ward, HCMC

X-Metal : Golden Blood @ Blue Monkey Saigon

2026-08-31T14:26:49+07:00

X-metal Group has always been concerned, together with Bloody Chunks Records, about how Vietnamese metal can develop. That question is sometimes partly answered by fierce music powerful enough to heat up the crowd. The rest, admin thinks, lies in the lyrics. Coming to X-Metal: Golden Blood, Máu Đỏ Da Vàng this time will be 4 names playing Extreme Metal in Vietnamese.

WỪU: A veteran Grind band known for satirical lyrics that directly call out the bad habits and flaws of modern society through 3 released buffet feasts: 888, Hoang Tưởng and Sét Đánh Vô Đầu. This time, the band will appear with a solid 4-member lineup!
THÁNH DỰC: Loyal to death metal - diligent and consistently present at key extreme shows over the years with anthems about the most battle-hardened army in the Nation's History. A past of flesh, blood and sacrifice without regret through the EP Pháo Đài Bay.
DELETION: Captivating melodies mixed with raw riffs over rough, heavily thrash metal-influenced drums and the powerful vocals of Melodic Death. Following the recently released debut album Hư Vô, at this show the band will perform new compositions from their next album - Mê Cung.
MUNDANE: Ruthless old-school death riffs blending Deicide and Six Feet Under, set against a thick, horrifying atmosphere of brutal lyrics about the terror of cold-blooded killers. A touch of the gentleness of Buddhist karma woven throughout gives listeners something to reflect on after 2 albums Hồi Đầu Thị Ngạn and Nại Hà.

From this show onward, the organizers would like to make some changes to the ticketing format and offer attractive benefits for fans attending the monthly program.

Pre-sale Ticket: 250.000VNĐ

Please transfer to account: Vietcombank 1027191726, account holder Nguyễn Văn Trung. The transfer content is simply your phone number. Based on the amount, admin will know the number of tickets, and because each phone number is unique, you only need to provide your phone number at the show to receive your ticket. No worries about confusion or overlap with upcoming club shows in other provinces and cities. Sincerely thank you!

At Door Ticket: 320.000VNĐ

Both ticket types include 1 drink redeemable at the bar, and you will also receive 1 random original CD worth 200K at the check-in entrance of Blue Monkey Saigon, where the show takes place. Bloody Chunks Records hopes that the lost form of music exchange through physical CDs can be revived through this gesture. Years of practice, many difficult months of recording, and the final result is sometimes simply the small CD you hold in your hand.

In addition, the phone numbers used to purchase tickets will be randomly drawn during the show, and the winner will receive a prize of 1 electric guitar from 134 Guitar & Bass! - A wish to support the young Riff-Soldier generation for the future.

Sincerely announced and Stay Metal!

19th September 2026

8:00PM

Blue Monkey Saigon | 199M Nguyễn Văn Hưởng, An Khánh Ward, HCMC

Chốn Ta Về Album Release Show @ Rêvons Studio

2026-08-31T14:06:01+07:00

Saigon Soul Revival is back in full force to celebrate the release of their new album, Chốn Ta Về, with an explosive live performance!

After several international tours and cooking in the studio, Saigon Soul Revival has been refining their sound and elevating their performances to new heights. Now with the release of their 3rd full length album and invigorated energy, the band is ready to take their audience on an unforgettable journey across time and space!

Don't miss Saigon Soul Revival's BIGGEST show yet! Featuring an extended lineup of guest musicians, a fresh set of new tunes and a major production in a new space, this will be one for the books!

Let your hair down and put your dancing shoes on to let loose with SSR before they embark on their world tour!

Support Act: DJs Style D & Thien G (Soul Side Crew) will mix a fresh vinyl selection of deep Vietnamese grooves, funk and disco to warm up the vibes and keep the party going into the night!

SATURDAY ~ 19 SEPTEMBER
VENUE: Rêvons Studio | 1B Hoàng Diệu, Xóm Chiếu Ward, HCMC

EVENT SCHEDULE:
7:00PM - Doors open
7:30PM - DJs Style D & Thien G
9:00PM - Saigon Soul Revival
10:30PM - DJs Style D & Thien G
00:00AM - Doors close

TICKETS: https://www.codong.net/events/saigon-soul-revival-chon-ta-ve-album-release-show-hcmc
Early bird (Limited to 150) - 400k
General - 500k
At the door - 550k

19th September 2026

7:00PM - 11:45PM

Rêvons Studio | 1B Hoàng Diệu, Xóm Chiếu Ward, HCMC

Monthly Petanque Tournament @ Le Café des Stagiaires

2026-08-31T13:22:37+07:00

Calling All Boules Champions! Join the CS Pétanque Tournament!
Get ready for the MONTHLY Pétanque Tournament of 2025 at your favorite local bar!

Date: Second Sunday of the month
Time: from 4:00PM

Prepare to unleash your inner pétanque superstar and show off those mad boules skills! This is your chance to prove you've got what it takes to conquer the pétanque world, one throw at a time.

Up to 8 teams of 3 players, a sun-soaked afternoon, refreshing drinks and EXTENDED HAPPY HOUR!, and the thrill of friendly competition in the air.

The winning team will be crowned the Pétanque Legends of CS! Prepare for glory, epic celebrations!

Of course, you won't be leaving empty-handed:

1st Team: 1 bottle of Ricard & medals
2nd Team: 1 round of Ricard

To secure your team's spot, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/N6rwR6qAnjdLot1M6
Hurry up, as spots are disappearing fast, only 8 teams of 3 players - first come first registered!

FREE REGISTRATION.

Pétanque Tournament Main Rules

You can only play in one team!
AGE: above 10 year old
TO WIN: Be the first team to reach a magnificent 13 points to claim victory in 30 minutes!

Let's get those balls rolling!

Hotline: 0979 722 264
Reservation: Facebook Messenger / Instagram
Address: No.8-10 Street 54, An Khánh Ward, HCMC

13th September 2026

4:00PM - 8:00PM

Le Café des Stagiaires | No.8-10 Street 54, An Khánh Ward, HCMC

Ồ ẠT Oh Art 2026 | Tổ khúc Người Văn-Nghệ

2026-08-31T12:36:55+07:00

Ồ Ạt Oh Art 2026 | Tổ khúc Người Văn-Nghệ
6:00PM – 8:00PM, Thursday 03/09/2026
1982 Studio | 500 Nguyễn Tất Thành, Xóm Chiếu Ward, HCMC

Registration link: https://forms.gle/CYpkL6u5TDrWDgEA9

Information from the organizers:

Tổ khúc Người Văn-Nghệ began with the poetry collection Đồng ca Lũ Người Điên by Nam Thi, written about creative practitioners and the extreme states of artistic life. Through the first collaboration between Nam Thi and choreographer Lyon Nguyễn, the poetry is transformed into a performance combining movement and dance.

Choreographer: Lyon Nguyễn
Performance: Nam Thi (poetry) and 03 dancers

Event details: https://hanoigrapevine.com/vi/2026/08/o-at-oh-art-2026-to-khuc-nguoi-van-nghe/

3th September 2026

6:00PM - 8:00PM

1982 Studio | 500 Nguyễn Tất Thành, Xóm Chiếu Ward, HCMC

David Alfie Ward & Friends @ Yoko Cafe

2026-08-28T15:48:09+07:00

David Alfie Ward is a British comedian who has performed in UK, mainland Europe, South Africa, South East Asia, the Middle East, the USA and Australia.

He has featured on TalkSPORT, Capital FM, ITV, The Metro, BBC 5 Live, BT Sport and LADbible in the UK. He has hosted The Stand Up Sketch Show, done TV warm up for Mo Gilligan and Harry and Jamie Redknapp, and opened for Jamali Maddix, Darren Harriott and Michelle Wolf.

Joining him on stage is feature act Shahqil Shah from Singapore, our very own favourite Matt Tran & Paul Villanova, hosted by resident host Ankita Ghosh.

September 11, Friday, 8 pm doors, 8.30 pm show.
Tickets Bundle*: 2 for 300k, 3 for 450k (*Only online booking)
Regular tickets: 200k (online pre-sale), 250k (walk-in)

At Yoko Cafe, 22A Nguyễn Thị Diệu, Xuân Hòa, Hồ Chí Minh.

Tickets on megatix.

11th September 2026

8:30PM - 10:30PM

Yoko Cafe | 22A Nguyễn Thị Diệu, Xuân Hoà Ward, HCMC

Opera Madama Butterfly – Concert Version In 2 Acts @ HCMC Opera House

2026-08-28T15:42:45+07:00

PREMIERE OF OPERA MASTERPIECE "MADAMA BUTTERFLY" IN HCMC – CONCERT VERÉION

To mark the 33rd anniversary of its establishment and development, the HCMC Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO), in collaboration with the Consulate General of Italy in HCMC, proudly presents the opera masterpiece Madama Butterfly by composer Giacomo Puccini. The performance promises to deliver a world-class artistic space where the heritage of Italian opera meets the creative excellence of HBSO artists and distinguished international guests.

Madama Butterfly tells the tragic love story of Cio-Cio San, a young Japanese girl who devotes her heart and unwavering faith to the American naval officer Pinkerton. Through timeless lyrical melodies, most notably the iconic aria "Un bel dì, vedremo", Puccini delicately explores profound emotions surrounding love, sacrifice, honor, and human dignity.

Staged as a Concert Version in 2 Acts (3 Parts), the performance focuses intensely on vocal power and original dramatic structure. The production brings together an extraordinary creative team under the Artistic Direction of Dr. Conductor Le Ha My, Music Director & Conductor Roberto Fiore from Italy, Chorus Master Tran Nhat Minh, along with exquisite costume design by Nova Sinfonietta Shanghai.

A major artistic highlight of the production is the presence of two acclaimed Italian artists — Conductor Roberto Fiore and Tenor Marco Miglietta (in the role of Pinkerton, who trained under opera legends Raina Kabaivanska and Renata Scotto). Their participation connects authentic Italian opera traditions with HBSO's stellar cast, featuring Meritorious Artist Pham Khanh Ngoc (Cio-Cio San), Dao Mac (Sharpless), Phan Hong Diu (Suzuki), Pham Trang (Goro), Vo Nguyen Thanh Tam (Il Commissario Imperiale), Tran Thanh Nam (Il Principe Yamadori), Nguyen Vu Uyen Di (Kate Pinkerton), Bui Danh Hung (Zio Bonzo), alongside the HBSO Choir and Symphony Orchestra.

This September, HBSO is honored to welcome distinguished audiences to immerse themselves in the rich heritage of Italian art and the timeless melodies of Madama Butterfly.

Online Booking: https://ticketbox.vn/madama-butterfly-26504
Booking & Delivery: 0989874517 (Ms. Hương), 0903604539 (Zalo)

SHOW DETAILS
8:00PM on 11/09-12/09/2026, at HCMC Opera House.
Admissions: 1.100.000 - 950.000 - 800.000 - 650.000VND

11th September - 12th September 2026

8:00PM

HCMC Opera House | 7 Lam Sơn Square, Saigon Ward, HCMC

Ồ ẠT Oh Art 2026 | Open Studio with Hà Thúy Hằng & the Work 'Máy làm đau'

2026-08-28T15:23:41+07:00

Ồ ẠT Oh Art 2026 | Open Studio with Hà Thúy Hằng & the Work 'Máy làm đau'
6:00PM – 8:00PM, 05 & 06/09/2026
7th Floor, Amanaki Thảo Điền | 10 Nguyễn Đăng Giai, An Khánh Ward, HCMC

Registration link: https://forms.gle/CYpkL6u5TDrWDgEA9

Information from the organizers:

Máy Làm Đau is a new multimedia performance work by Hà Thúy Hằng, developed and presented as part of Ồ ẠT Oh Art Festival 2026. The work combines video, sound, objects, and audience participation, emerging from the artist’s reflections on the erosion of trust and the mechanisms through which people can hurt one another. Máy Làm Đau remains a work that can continue to be developed into performance and installation versions across different contexts and spaces. The sessions on 05 & 06/09 mark the first time the work is introduced to the public. Audiences may choose to attend one or both sessions.

Detailed event information: https://hanoigrapevine.com/vi/2026/08/o-at-oh-art-2026-mo-xuong-ha-thuy-hang-tac-pham-may-lam-dau/

5th September - 6th September 2026

6:00PM - 8:00PM

Amanaki Thảo Điền | 10 Nguyễn Đăng Giai, An Khánh Ward, HCMC