Hoi An Memories Show

On an island in the middle of the Thu Bon River, a 25,000-square-metre stage was built specifically for Hoi An Memories, a performance that has been compared to an Olympic opening ceremony in its scale and coordination. The show moves through 400 years of Hoi An's history, from its early years as a rural settlement to the peak of the Faifo trading port era, using 500 professional performers, traditional Ao Dai costuming, and a blend of poetry, music, and large-scale choreography.

The performance is designed to be accessible to international audiences without losing the substance of the history, using visual scale and music in place of subtitles or narration to carry the story forward.

Highlights

• River Island Stage at Epic Scale: The performance takes place on a purpose-built 25,000-square-metre outdoor stage on an island in the Thu Bon River, with state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems designed for the open-air setting. The river provides a natural visual frame around the production.
• 400 Years of Hoi An History: The show covers four centuries of the city's development, from its early years as a rural settlement through the Faifo era when the port served as a regional trading hub connecting Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. The historical arc is structured in acts with distinct visual and musical identities.
• 500 Performers in Ao Dai Costume: More than 500 professional actors and performers appear throughout the show dressed in traditional Ao Dai costumes, working with large-scale props to tell stories of daily life, labour, trade, and love from different chapters of Hoi An's past.
• Traditional and Contemporary Artistic Blend: The production combines traditional Vietnamese music and poetry with contemporary choreography and modern sound design, creating a performance that presents cultural heritage in a format that holds the attention of international audiences across the full duration.