Anh Trai Vượt Ngàn Chông Gai 2026 Opens With 33 Artists, Flying Boat and Nearly 50,000 Fans

A 200 metre aerial journey above a vast audience

A boat carrying singer Hà An Huy and circus artist Phùng Minh Cương travelled along a zipline stretching more than 200 metres at the opening Anh Trai Vượt Ngàn Chông Gai 2026 concert in Ho Chi Minh City on October 17. Below them was an audience of nearly 50,000, according to organisers, gathered for a programme of about 40 performances featuring all 33 artists.

The aerial spectacle was one part of an evening that moved from electronic music and acrobatics to a cello performance, songs about childhood and a celebration of Vietnamese musical traditions. Singer Hoàng Dũng performed alongside his mother, former chemistry lecturer Hoàng Thị Chiên, while thousands of spectators joined hands during Tiếng Ru Cội Nguồn.

Heavy rain before the concert also brought practical problems. Cheng and Thỏ Da LAB slipped on the wet stage, and Duy Khánh fell during a separate lifting sequence. The performers recovered and continued their performances.

The opening night began a series scheduled for October 17 and 18, with organisers describing a scale of nearly 50,000 spectators per evening. The producer said tickets for both dates had sold out by September 28.

The concert brought the television competition back together just a week after its October 10 finale. Its central challenge was to give 33 performers, drawn from singing, acting, comedy and other fields, room to contribute while keeping a huge audience engaged. Large props supplied the spectacle; family stories and traditional music supplied much of the emotional weight.

The television rivals returned as one cast

All 33 artists appeared in Hỏa Tâm, the programme's theme song, before the Kỳ Tích and Khải Hoàn alliances returned with Ngầu Đét and Thăng Hoa. Those performances recalled the competition's final alliance contest, when Kỳ Tích scored 2,270 audience voting points against Khải Hoàn's 2,070.

The reunion followed the October 10 finale, which selected a collective of 17 performers rather than a single champion. Hà An Huy and Đinh Mạnh Ninh received the individual Chiến tướng của năm honours, while Huỳnh Lập received an award for outstanding leadership despite missing the final 17.

The concert restored the wider cast to the same stage. Buông Tay, Xin Hãy Thứ Tha and Chiến extended the opening energy through combinations of vocals, dance and acting. Thanh Duy described each appearance as an opportunity to explore another side of himself, a theme reflected in the changing roles assigned across the evening.

The main dates leading into the reunion were:

• June 27, 2026: The second television season began airing.
• August 8: The producer announced the two October concerts.
• August 18 and 19: Early ticket sales and general sales were scheduled, respectively.
• September 28: The producer said both concerts had sold out.
• October 10: The television finale confirmed the final 17 performers.
• October 17 and 18: The opening concerts were scheduled in Ho Chi Minh City.

A flying boat, acrobatics and a wet stage

Phùng Minh Cương's circus background helped turn the space above the audience into a performance area. His aerial movements included rotations, acrobatics and a pose resembling surfing. During Trước Khi Em Tồn Tại, an aerial entrance brought a performer from the rear of the audience area towards the main stage.

Em Chỉ Im Lặng used the suspended boat carrying Phùng Minh Cương and Hà An Huy. Pressurised water jets supplied another moving element, creating patterns timed to the music. Together, the aerial route, large props and water effects expanded the show beyond the main platform.

Rain arrived before the opening, with spectators already waiting from about 5 p.m. The wet surface caused Cheng and Thỏ Da LAB to lose their footing while moving or performing. Duy Khánh fell near the beginning of Tiếng Ru Cội Nguồn during a lifting sequence.

The evening also drew criticism over sightlines. Performances spread across aerial routes and several stage positions gave different audience areas moments of proximity, but spectators farther away sometimes relied on the large screens to follow the action. For a production of this size, where a performance happens can matter almost as much as how it is staged.

Childhood songs led to a story of loss

Nhỏ Xíu Nhỏ Xiu, Nhong Nhong Nhong, Em Tôi and Cơm Nhà shifted attention from scale to familiar memories. Mew Amazing introduced the childhood theme with a request for a ticket back to childhood, followed by Huỳnh Lập appearing with keepsake tickets for the audience.

Em Tôi took the emotional turn further. Cheng played a younger brother who sacrifices himself while rescuing others, in a story involving family separation and loss caused by natural disaster. Đinh Mạnh Ninh, Thanh Duy, Thỏ Da LAB, Hoàng Tôn and 14 Casper joined him in the performance, with several visibly moved to tears.

Television host Anh Tuấn accompanied the song on cello while seated on a rooftop set and wearing military clothing. His appearance drew on substantial musical training: he studied for 17 years at the Hanoi Conservatory and graduated at the top of his cello class before becoming widely known as a presenter.

Đinh Mạnh Ninh explained that the song connected affection for relatives with love of home and country. The staging linked a private family tragedy to a broader feeling of shared belonging, preparing the transition towards the cultural chapter.

Mothers became part of the performance

Cơm Nhà brought an actual meal setting onto the stage. Performers appeared as ordinary workers, including a factory worker, a soldier and a drinks server. The mothers of It's Charles, Thái VG, Thơm and Toki Thành Thỏ sat around a wooden table, making the family theme visible rather than leaving it entirely in the lyrics.

Toki Thành Thỏ acknowledged the mothers supporting the programme alongside its other fan communities. Thơm, representing Da LAB, thanked the mothers in the stands and described family as a source of support that allows artists to keep working.

Hoàng Dũng's collaboration with his mother, Associate Professor Dr Hoàng Thị Chiên, carried that idea into Tích Tịch Tình Tang. Born in 1960, she previously taught chemistry at Thai Nguyen University of Education. After retirement, she devoted time to traditional performance with the Suối Ngàn Then group.

Hoàng Thị Chiên said appearing with her son was a special and happy experience, and thanked the audience for its warm reception. Their shared performance connected two generations through Then singing and the đàn tính, a traditional string instrument, within a contemporary arrangement.

Traditional music had a detailed place in the programme

The cultural chapter was divided into Lễ and Hội, meaning ceremony and festival. Trên Đất Mình opened the ceremonial portion with Đại Nghĩa, Jun Phạm, Mew Amazing and BB Trần. Its arrangement combined southern Vietnamese folk influences and cải lương with hip-hop.

Cải lương is a form of southern Vietnamese musical theatre. Vọng cổ, a song form closely associated with it, and chèo, a northern theatrical singing tradition, also appeared among the concert's musical materials. These were distinct styles placed within arrangements built for a large contemporary stage.

Đại Khải Hoàn combined rock, rap and folk elements before the programme continued through Chim Sáo Ngày Xưa, Lý Ngựa Ô and Tích Tịch Tình Tang. Chim Sáo Ngày Xưa included water puppetry, while Lý Ngựa Ô drew on the musical character of Huế.

Tích Tịch Tình Tang used Then singing and đàn tính associated with the Tày people. Performers wore indigo clothing and traditional headwear, with Then practitioners appearing behind them. Hoàng Thị Chiên's presence placed someone actively involved in that tradition alongside the younger concert cast.

Tiếng Ru Cội Nguồn closed the chapter with northern lullaby material, flute sounds associated with the northwest and a later shift into hip-hop. Hà An Huy sang a passage developed from chèo. Thousands of spectators held hands, turning the song's theme of community into a shared action across the audience.

Solo singing and familiar hits changed the pace

Hà An Huy had the evening's only solo performance with Nhức Tiềm Thức, a song he wrote himself. Spectators sang along as the programme moved into a sequence centred more closely on individual voices, romantic memories and separation.

His appearances in Nợ Em Cả Bầu Trời, Nhức Tiềm Thức and Vỡ Tan followed in quick succession. Vỡ Tan paired him with Thỏ and Trịnh Thăng Bình. Other songs in this stretch included Dạt Vào Tim Em, Mời Buồn Sang Chơi, Quá Khứ Còn Lại Gì, Người Về Nơi Đâu and Ánh Sáng Của Đời Tôi.

Quá Khứ Còn Lại Gì brought a rock sound, while Chuyện Chàng Cô Đơn, Xinh and Những Năm Tháng Ấy restored a more buoyant mood. The final section continued with Move On, Let Me Go, Khắp Chốn Thiên Hà and Một Đêm Duy Nhất.

Move On brought Hoàng Tôn, OSAD and Thái Lê Minh Hiếu together in a performance built around alternating vocals, rap and a memorable chorus. Khắp Chốn Thiên Hà used Arabic pop influences and featured Đông Hùng's vocal work. All 33 artists then returned for Hỏa Tâm, repeating the opening song to close the evening.

A tighter schedule brought mixed reactions

The concert finished at about 11 p.m., earlier than previous editions that had continued until midnight or 1 a.m. Its duration was described as about three and a half hours in performance coverage and four hours in other coverage. The programme devoted less time to extended conversations between artists and fans.

Some spectators welcomed the brisk sequence of performances and the predictable finish. Others wanted longer exchanges with the cast. The difference reflects two attractions of a television concert reunion: hearing the songs in a large live setting and spending time with personalities followed throughout a season.

The programme's structure also attracted conflicting assessments. Its chapters linked collective effort, childhood, family, cultural roots and romantic loss. Criticism focused on a long run of folk influenced numbers, abrupt transitions and moments when elaborate staging competed with a clear musical flow.

Vocal consistency was another point of criticism, particularly in group numbers that placed actors and comedians beside experienced singers. Hà An Huy, Hoàng Dũng, Thanh Duy, Hoàng Tôn, Đinh Mạnh Ninh and Thái VG received praise for their singing or rap performances. The cast's range of skills gave the show variety while making some differences in vocal strength more audible.

Ticket prices and a crowded concert economy

Published ticket listings ranged from VND1 million to VND10 million, with S-VIP places at the top and a designated area for spectators with disabilities priced at VND1.5 million. The highest listed price was 25% above the approximately VND8 million charged for the most expensive tickets at the first concert of the 2024 season.

Audience member Trịnh Minh Anh, 36, paid VND2.5 million and considered the sound, lighting and atmosphere worth the expense. Across the city, eight concerts and music events on October 17 and 18 were expected to attract more than 200,000 attendances, including at least 150,000 across four Anh Trai Vượt Ngàn Chông Gai and Tinh Hà Say Hi concerts.

Trip.com figures showed flight bookings to Ho Chi Minh City for October 16 to 19 rising 77% from a year earlier, while hotel bookings for October 16 and 17 rose 621%. Those booking periods covered several major events. City culture official Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thúy called for closer connections between performances, transport, accommodation, food and audience services.

Hồng Nhung, founder and chief executive of Đông Nam Investment and Communications, said concert finances depend on production costs and income from merchandise, sponsorship, broadcasting and intellectual property, meaning rights to use and sell entertainment content. She recalled losing money on an Asia Artist Awards event at Mỹ Đình despite its international cast.

Lê Anh Tú, a public relations and communications lecturer at the University of Economics and Finance in Ho Chi Minh City, said demand for concerts had developed over five to six years, with financial results varying between events. YeaH1 deputy general director Đỗ Mai Vy similarly described concerts as part of a longer business chain involving content rights, products connected with artists and fan communities.

The second concert was scheduled for October 18, with Huỳnh Lập saying further surprises had been prepared. Venue information was inconsistent: advance listings placed the first night at Phú Long–Bình Trưng and the second at The Global City, while coverage of the opening placed it at The Global City. The exact programme changes for the second night had not been announced.

Key Points

• Organisers put the opening audience at nearly 50,000 for about 40 performances by 33 artists.
• A zipline longer than 200 metres and a suspended boat were among the main staging features.
• Rain made the stage slippery, with several performers falling and then continuing.
• Anh Tuấn played cello in Em Tôi, while Hoàng Dũng performed with his mother, Hoàng Thị Chiên.
• The cultural chapter combined Vietnamese theatrical and folk traditions with contemporary arrangements.
• The concert ended at about 11 p.m., drawing praise for efficiency and requests for more artist interaction.
• The second night was scheduled for October 18 in Ho Chi Minh City.