Around 8:00 PM, heavy rain began as the concert started. Following singer Hoang Bach's performance of "Ngoi Sao Tren Nguc Ao", the audience chanted, "ready to stay until the end", expressing their support. During the flag-raising ceremony, a children's group and soldiers from the Mausoleum Command and Military Region 7 performed the national anthem. The entire audience rose, singing along amidst the rain.
"It felt sacred standing in the rain, singing Tien Quan Ca. I felt no fear, only empathy for the soldiers on stage", said Bao Tran, 21.
The heavy rain did not dampen the crowd's enthusiasm. With each melody, the audience cheered, waving flags in rhythm. After the flag ceremony, attendees continued to brave the rain, seeking seats. Many groups shared raincoats for shelter. Quynh Lan, 28, and her friends sang "Ho Do Ta Cung Dong Hung" with passion, despite their soaked clothes.
The concert, lasting over two hours, featured more than 20 performances expressing patriotic spirit. Nearly 20 singers from multiple generations performed songs celebrating the homeland, national pride, and the country's progress. Military and police forces joined the artists, creating a solemn, heroic, and emotional atmosphere.
Over an hour before the show, organizers closed check-in gates as the grandstand area reached capacity. Many unable to enter watched the program on screens from nearby cafes.
Beyond the main stage in Van Phuc urban area, approximately 1,000 people gathered on Nguyen Hue walking street to watch "Motherland in My Heart" on a large screen. Around 8:30 PM, heavy rain resumed, yet thousands of attendees, predominantly young people, stayed.
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Audience watches the concert on Nguyen Hue walking street. Photo: Tran Quynh |
A day earlier, singer Tung Duong engaged with fans at a pre-concert event on Nguyen Hue walking street. Simultaneously, thousands of young people queued in Van Phuc urban area to exchange tickets for the main event, which commenced at 7:00 PM on 23/8.
First staged at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi last year, the event ignited a "national concert" trend, reflecting youth's growing appreciation for revolutionary music. The program was a notable art-social phenomenon in 2025, garnering hundreds of millions of views, shares, interactions, and discussions across domestic and international digital platforms. In January, "Motherland in My Heart" earned the Sol Vang award, the highest honor in the political art program category, presented by the Vietnam Musicians' Association.
Departing from typical political art program formats, the concert embraced a modern style to convey themes of patriotism. Music, stage design, performance technology, and visual effects were integrated, creating an immersive emotional experience for the audience.
Tan Cao - Ha Thu
