Throughout entertainment spots from the city center to neighboring districts, everywhere is brilliant with flags and flowers, jubilant with cultural and sports activities, creating an exciting start to the new year.

Right from the night of Dec 31, the atmosphere at Mường Thanh Walking Street (Điện Biên Phủ ward) heated up with an arts program and an emotional countdown organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. By the morning of Jan 1, the street had changed into a new coat, bustling with cultural and sports exchange activities to welcome the new year.

Musical performances praising the homeland and country were sung, bringing a bustling spring vibe to viewers. The atmosphere was even more vibrant at the competition and experience areas for folk and modern sports such as pa pao throwing, tug of war, tung còn (throwing a fabric ball), and basketball, with the participation of hundreds of athletes from localities, units, and clubs inside and outside the province, attracting a large audience to cheer.

An emotional highlight at the walking street was the space recreating traditional Tết: wrapping bánh chưng (square sticky rice cakes), calligraphy, giving letters, and selling parallel sentences... where many families stopped to experience familiar cultural values together.

Lê Tiến Quân (Điện Biên Phủ Ward), accompanying his grandmother and mother to visit the walking street, was excited to wrap bánh chưng with his own hands for the first time. Quân shared: “Being able to experience the traditional Tết atmosphere amidst the crowded space of the walking street, I am very happy. I hope to participate like this every year.”

Sharing the excitement, Lò Thị Lanh (Thanh An commune) said: “The New Year is so crowded and bustling! My family and I came here early and saw many activities suitable for both the elderly and children. My whole family is going out, and everyone feels excited, welcoming the new year with even more buzz.”

Also in Điện Biên Phủ Ward, there was another attractive location during the holiday: the 3rd Him Lam Spring Festival held at Him Lam resort. The spring festival space was organized on a large scale with diverse cultural, artistic, entertainment, experiential, and culinary activities. A standout highlight was the culinary area with over 100 stalls introducing signature dishes of Điện Biên and many regions across the country. Parallel to that were experiential areas such as mega popcorn, spring-themed check-in zones, and play areas for children, creating a bustling and vibrant festival atmosphere day and night.

Taking her children on a spring outing, Trần Việt Hà (Mường Thanh ward) said the children were very eager to play, take photos, and enjoy music and food. “On the first day of the new year, my family chose Him Lam Spring Festival for our spring outing. This year, there are many large-scale entertainment spots in the area, so the family has planned to visit the walking street, historical sites, and Mường Phăng Flower Island throughout the holiday.”

These days, it is just as bustling in Mường Lay. Today, tourists from all over have begun flocking to Mường Lay to await the 11th Swallow-Tail Boat Racing Festival with the theme “Return to the Đà river,” taking place from Jan 2 - 4. This is also a unique highlight in the province’s series of New Year welcoming activities. The festival not only holds sporting and cultural significance but also demonstrates the aspiration to connect the community, honor identity, and affirm the local river tourism development potential.

Not only featuring dramatic and exciting swallow-tail boat racing, the festival also promises a series of attractive sports activities such as: paragliding, jet skiing, kayaking, mountain biking, tug of war... Interspersed with modern sports are familiar folk games: tung còn, stick pushing, tó mak lẹ, bamboo dancing, cockfighting, stilt walking... contributing to preserving community life rich in identity. Across the province, many New Year entertainment spots attracted interest, such as: museums, historical sites, Mường Phăng Flower Island, Pha Đin Tourist Area...

Ending the first day of the holiday, the New Year atmosphere in Điện Biên continues to spread. The chain of rich entertainment and festival activities during the New Year 2026 holiday has brought Điện Biên a bustling, joyful new year atmosphere, multiplying the excitement among the People. This is not only an occasion for people to rest and enjoy the spring but also contributes to promoting the image of a dynamic, identity-rich, friendly, and attractive Điện Biên in the eyes of tourists near and far.