Energize your weekend: Saigon's burst of music and artistic vibes

BridgeFest 2023

The fifth BridgeFest Music and Community Connection Festival is happening this Saturday in Ho Chi Minh City. With a track record of success in Hanoi and Da Nang, this year's free and open-to-the-public festival features diverse musical acts, from international performers to local artists.

The audiences dance to the performing artists at a BridgeFest show. Photo courtesy of BridgeFest

Co-organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the U.S. Consulate General, Swiss Embassy, Oxfam Vietnam, Canadian Embassy, and the U.K. Embassy, BridgeFest 2023 focuses on "Togetherness towards Human Economy," promoting collaboration among embassies, social organizations, and the public for positive societal change.

Attendees can check out booths by social organizations for activities and information on study abroad and cultural exchange programs, all available at the embassies and consulates' experience booths.

The fifth BridgeFest Music and Community Connection Festival is scheduled for Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Nguyen Hue Walking Street, located in the center of District 1.

Saigon Urban Street Fest

The Saigon Urban Street Fest by ArtLIVE E2023 will take place this weekend at the Saigon Central Post Office. This event features a blend of ao dai, a traditional Vietnamese outfit characterized by a long tunic worn over wide-legged trousers, with street art, attempting to make this art form more accessible.

"Saigon Urban Street Fest" poster. Photo courtesy of ArtLive

Activities include live graffiti demonstrations, a collaborative doodle project, free tastings, and a performance area with live music, street dance, and contemporary circus acts.

The Saigon Urban Street Fest will be held at the Saigon Central Post Office, at number 2, Paris Commune Square, District 1, from Dec. 8 to 10, 2023, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. during these days.

A Caffeinated Christmas Romcom

Bakes Thao Dien is teaming up with Loi Loi to present the "A Caffeinated Christmas Romcom," an all-day event that invites food enthusiasts to enjoy coffee, food, culture, and community. The event features two main sessions, which are "Breakfast Club" and "Sunset Club."

"A Caffeinated Christmas Romcom" poster. Photo courtesy of Bakes

The morning session, "Breakfast Club" from 9 a.m. to noon, promises a morning with coffee and breakfast from Bakes. Attendees can engage in Christmas-themed activities like decorating gingerbread cookies, drawing ornaments, and making mistletoe.

Transitioning into the evening, the "Sunset Club" from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. evolves into a Christmas party featuring snacks, drinks, a DJ, special guests, and karaoke.

Early bird tickets are priced at VND555,000 ($22) each, covering one drink, one scone, and activities for the Breakfast Club, or two drinks, snacks, and one dessert for the Sunset Club. Attendees also have the option to purchase a combined ticket for both sessions for VND1,000,000.

The event is scheduled for Dec. 9 at Bakes Thao Dien, located at 16 Thao Dien Street, District 2.

Interested attendees can sign up for the event through the Bakes fanpage.

French movie ‘Lemmy contra Alphaville’ (Alphaville)

French cinema Rendez-vous is a weekly event introducing the richness and diversity of French cinema by screening a variety of very different films. Screenings are held by French Cinema Rendez-vous and Institut Français de HCMV.

A poster for "Lemmy contra Alphaville". Photo courtesy of Institut français de HCMV

"Alphaville" is a French science fiction film directed by Jean-Luc Godard, one of the key figures in the French New Wave movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Set in a futuristic city, Alphaville, it follows a secret agent named Lemmy Caution as he investigates a mysterious and controlling computer system named Alpha 60.

"Alphaville" will be screened at 7 p.m. on Dec. 9 at DCiné Cinema, 6 Mac Dinh Chi Street, District 1. Tickets cost VND60,000 ($2.50).

Sunday Roast - All You Can Eat

Every Sunday, the Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon invites diners to savor their "Sunday Roast All You Can Eat" experience.

"Sunday Roast All You Can Eat". Photo courtesy of Viet Kitchen

The menu features a wide range of roasted dishes, featuring pork belly, whole beef rib, chicken, legs of lamb, and seabass. These dishes are accompanied by an assortment of gravies, sauces, Yorkshire pudding, and other side dishes.

Priced at VND700,000 ($28) per guest, exclusive of beverages, the menu is available from noon to 2:30 p.m. The venue is Viet Kitchen, located on the G Floor of the Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon, at 8-15 Ton Duc Thang Street, District 1.