More than 10,000 Attend Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Sports Festival at NovaWorld Phan Thiet

On the evening of August 1, the opening ceremony of the 2026 Sports Festival took place at Bikini Beach Square, NovaWorld Phan Thiet in Tien Thanh Ward, Lam Dong Province, officially launching the peak competition phase of the national multi-sport festival. The event is jointly organized by the Vietnam People's Public Security Sports Association, the Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee, and NovaGroup.

The ceremony was attended by Senior Lieutenant General Le Van Tuyen, Member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Minister of Public Security; Nguyen Danh Hoang Viet, Director General of the Vietnam Sports Authority under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Lieutenant General Nguyen Ngoc Toan, Vice President of the Vietnam People's Public Security Sports Association; ambassadors, consuls general, heads of diplomatic missions, representatives of international organizations, and police delegations from 13 countries and territories.

Representing Lam Dong Province were Ho Van Muoi, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Dang Hong Sy, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Nguyen Thi Thuan Bich, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council; Nguyen Minh, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; together with leaders of provincial departments and agencies.

The event also welcomed more than 7,000 athletes, coaches and referees, along with thousands of residents and visitors.

NovaGroup was represented by Bui Thanh Nhon, Founding Chairman of NovaGroup and a member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam People's Public Security Sports Association.

The ceremony opened with a large-scale artistic performance celebrating the spirit of sport and national pride. Featuring renowned Vietnamese artists including My Linh, Hoang Bach, Pham Anh Khoa, rock band Buc Tuong, vocal group OPlus, and taekwondo champion Chau Tuyet Van, the production combined advanced stage technology, large-scale LED displays and high-powered sound and lighting systems, delivering a spectacular visual experience for the audience.

One of the evening's highlights was the presentation of a Vietnam Record recognizing Sports Festival 2026 as: "The multi-sport festival featuring the largest number of independent national and international competitions held simultaneously in Vietnam and integrated with cultural, community and tourism activities."

The recognition acknowledges both the scale of the event and its innovative model combining elite sports, mass participation, tourism, culture and community engagement.

In his opening address, Lieutenant General Nguyen Ngoc Toan noted that following the success of the inaugural edition, Sports Festival 2026 has expanded significantly. Running from July through September, the festival features 12 sports and is expected to attract approximately 17,000 athletes and guests from Vietnam and abroad.

He emphasized that one of this year's defining features is the participation of police and law enforcement delegations, ambassadors, diplomatic representatives, international organization delegates and athletes from 13 countries and territories.

According to him, the strong international presence demonstrates the festival's growing reputation while strengthening cooperation among law enforcement agencies through sports, cultural exchanges and people-to-people diplomacy.

Chairman Ho Van Muoi said that the partnership between Lam Dong Province, the Vietnam People's Public Security Sports Association and NovaGroup in organizing the 2026 Sports Festival represents a significant milestone for the province, helping promote its image, expand sports tourism and attract investment.

He noted that following the provincial merger, Lam Dong has become Vietnam's largest province by area, encompassing cool highlands, fertile basalt plateaus and an extensive coastline. These diverse natural assets provide a strong foundation for developing distinctive tourism products, with sports tourism identified as a strategic growth sector supporting the province's long-term ambition of achieving double-digit economic growth.

The provincial chairman expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Public Security and the Vietnam People's Public Security Sports Association for selecting Lam Dong as the host of the 2026 Sports Festival. He also acknowledged NovaGroup's investment in sports infrastructure, which has enabled the event to be staged to professional and international standards.

He reaffirmed the provincial government's commitment to ensuring the festival is organized safely, efficiently and successfully.

Looking ahead, Ho Van Muoi expressed hope that Lam Dong will host more large-scale, multi-sport tourism events, further establishing sports tourism as a sustainable pillar of the local economy and strengthening the province's position on Vietnam's and Southeast Asia's sports tourism map.

Chairman Ho Van Muoi wished all coaches and athletes success in the competition, encouraging them to compete with unity, fairness and sportsmanship while contributing memorable performances throughout the 2026 Sports Festival.

NovaGroup representatives said their continued partnership with the Sports Festival aligns with the company's long-term vision of developing an integrated ecosystem of sports, tourism and cultural experiences at NovaWorld Phan Thiet. Following the inaugural edition, this year's expanded program will further maximize existing sports infrastructure while creating new sports tourism products for visitors.

On the occasion, the Organizing Committee donated VND 2 billion (approximately US$76,000) to the "Homes for Border Communities in Lam Dong Province" fund, supporting housing development and improving living conditions for residents in the province's border areas.