Saigon doesn’t do New Year’s Eve quietly. The Vietnamese new year on the lunar calendar (Tet) gets the big family rituals, but the international Dec 31 countdown is a big night in the city centre, with a street countdown event and a midnight fireworks show.
Here’s how to make the most of it, whether you want the open-air street energy around Nguyen Hue Walking Street and the river, a rooftop bar with a view, or a kid-friendly hotel-balcony countdown that doesn’t require staying out until 1 AM.
Where the Fireworks Are
The city announces its New Year’s Eve plan a few weeks ahead, and the sites can change from year to year. For the 2025-26 changeover, Vietnamese state media reported a 15-minute fireworks show from 00:00 to 00:15 at four sites: three high-altitude launches (near the eastern entrance of the Saigon River Tunnel, the central area of the new urban district around Nguyen Hue, and Tam Thang Square) and one low-altitude display at Dam Sen Cultural Park. Tuoi Tre described the river-tunnel site as opposite Bach Dang Wharf.
A countdown event was held on the evening of December 31 at Nguyen Hue Walking Street, with the programme possibly extending to nearby areas such as Le Loi Street, Lam Son Park and the front of the Municipal Theatre. The same reports expected large crowds. Check the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee announcements in December for the current year’s sites, times and any road closures.
Nguyen Hue Walking Street and the riverfront (free, crowded)
Nguyen Hue Walking Street is the pedestrian boulevard that ran the 2025-26 countdown programme, and Bach Dang Wharf (the riverfront promenade along the Saigon River) is across the water from one of the fireworks sites. Both are free to visit and expect heavy crowds. If you have young children, leave early in the evening, since late-night crowds can be intense.
Rooftop bars and hotel venues
Several hotel rooftop bars have views over central Saigon, among them Saigon Saigon Rooftop Bar at the Caravelle Hotel on Lam Son Square, Chill Skybar at AB Tower on Le Lai Street, and Shri Restaurant & Lounge at Centec Tower on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. Whether a venue holds a New Year’s Eve event, what it charges, and whether it requires a booking or minimum spend is set by each venue and changes every year, so contact them directly before planning around one.
When you ask, useful questions are:
- Is there a New Year’s Eve event or ticket, and what does it include?
- Is there a minimum spend or a set menu?
- Which direction does the terrace face, relative to the fireworks sites?
- Is there a dress code?
Family-Friendly Alternatives
Rooftop bars and street crowds aren’t realistic with younger children because of late hours and noise. Two better options:
Hotel-room-balcony countdown
The easiest answer for families is a high-floor hotel with a balcony or large window facing the river or the city centre. Book well ahead, since New Year’s Eve is a busy night for hotels. Whether a particular room actually sees a fireworks site depends on where the sites are that year, so confirm the room’s direction with the hotel.
Early-evening outing, then home
Take the kids for an early look at the celebrations in the centre, walk them home before the crowds peak, and let the adults watch midnight from the hotel room. Event programmes for malls and parks change every year, so check the current announcements instead of relying on a past schedule.
Food + Drink
Restaurants in busy areas are often fully booked on holiday nights, so reserve a table early and confirm the booking. Street food stalls are a good option earlier in the evening, and many close up as crowds build. Opening hours around midnight vary by venue, so check before you head out.
For drinks, buy your own and keep them in sight. The UK government’s Vietnam safety guidance reports drink spiking in tourist areas, and methanol-contaminated drinks that have caused deaths in licensed venues, noting that even small amounts of methanol can kill and cannot be detected by taste or smell.
January 1 Logistics
Opening hours on January 1 vary by business, museum and attraction, and holiday hours are not guaranteed to match normal ones. Check museums, banks and any attraction you plan to visit directly before relying on them, and keep some cash and a working Grab account as a backup. If you are flying out on January 1, allow extra time for traffic after the night’s celebrations.
Pro Tips
- Book hotels and any venue early. Walk-ins are risky on a night like this.
- Use ride-hailing apps carefully. The UK government advises using Grab or XanhSM rather than hailing unlicensed cabs, booking the whole journey in the app, and being wary of scammers who claim to be from these companies. Expect delays and road closures near the celebrations.
- Watch your belongings in crowds. The UK government reports that bag-snatching by thieves on motorcycles is common, and that petty theft and pickpocketing tend to rise around Christmas and Tet. Carry bags on the side away from traffic.
- Don’t drive a scooter on New Year’s Eve. Drink-driving is a serious offence in Vietnam, with possible fines and imprisonment, and roads are chaotic on busy nights.
- For kids: noise-cancelling earmuffs (like those used at concerts) can help in a fireworks crowd.
TL;DR
Plan A (rooftop) means contacting the venue directly about its New Year’s Eve event, ticket and booking terms. Plan B (free) is Nguyen Hue Walking Street and the riverfront, which drew large crowds for the 2025-26 changeover. Plan C (family) is a river- or city-facing hotel balcony with an early dinner and an early night for the kids. Check the city’s announcement in December for the current year’s fireworks sites and times.
If you have a flight on January 1, choose a later one so you are not leaving straight after a late night.
Photos: Pixabay (free for commercial use).