At 8 PM on 20/8, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Hanoi Opera House, along Le Thanh Tong Street and Trang Tien Alley. Compared to that morning, the queue was more orderly. Fans brought fans, water, snacks, and raincoats, to wait until 9 AM the next day – when the organizers would start distributing tickets. After a few hours, the number of people queuing grew, reaching thousands by midnight on 21/8. During the night, it rained several times, but the crowd barely moved. Some people brought tarps and rested on the spot.
Those queuing were mainly young people. Some had been there since the morning but hadn't received tickets. They said they didn't want to miss the opportunity to see a major, free "national concert." The concert will take place on 26/8 in Dong Anh, Hanoi, featuring singers like Soobin, Hoa Minzy, Duc Phuc, and Erik.
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A group of fans in front of the Hanoi Opera House. Photo: Nguyen Linh |
A group of fans in front of the Hanoi Opera House. Photo: Nguyen Linh
The organizers initially planned to distribute 9,000 tickets over three days, 3,000 tickets per day. However, on the first morning, they paused distribution after 1,000 tickets due to the chaotic crowd pushing and shoving, which caused several people to faint.
Following the incident, the organizers announced adjustments to the process and added more security personnel. They said they arranged five ticket booths at the main entrance of the Hanoi Opera House and designated separate entry and exit routes. The entrances were separated by mobile barriers. The organizers will check original ID cards to avoid duplicate information and ensure each fan receives the correct number of tickets.
On social media, many people who secured the first tickets are reselling them for about 1.5 million VND each. Some fans who queued unsuccessfully decided to spend millions of VND to secure a spot at the concert.
Despite the difficult and time-consuming ticket hunt, hundreds of thousands of fans still yearn for a ticket, especially after the success of the "Homeland in My Heart" art show, which attracted 50,000 people. They are exchanging and buying tickets from various sources. A survey by VnExpress shows that since 10/8, dozens of groups for reselling free art show tickets have been created, attracting tens of thousands of members.
From now until National Day on 2/9, many programs are highly anticipated by fans: 80 Years of Vietnamese Pride (morning of 30/8 at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square), Vietnam in My Heart (evening of 26/8 in Dong Anh, Hanoi), Hanoi - Forever Aspiring Vietnam (evening of 30/8 in Co Loa, Hanoi), Forever Resounding Victory Song (evening of 2/9 in Ha Dong, Hanoi), 80 Years of Independence - Freedom - Happiness (evening of 1/9), and Under the Golden Star (evening of 2/9 at My Dinh National Stadium).
Ha Thu
