Vietnam Food Festival: two days of pho, banh mi and V-pop in central Tokyo
What this festival actually is
Vietnam Food Festival 2026 is an embassy-backed outdoor event, not a private food fair. The executive committee is chaired by Pham Quang Hieu, Vietnam’s ambassador to Japan, with Yoichiro Aoyagi, a former member of the House of Representatives, as co-chair, and it is supported by Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Vietnam Airlines is the main partner.
That matters for what you get on the day. Alongside the 40 booths there is a programme built around explaining Vietnamese food rather than just selling it, including a delegation from Hanoi’s heritage management department and a talk show on culinary tradition. Around 80,000 visitors are expected across the two days, so this is a proper city-scale event.
| Event | Vietnam Food Festival 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates | Saturday 24 October, 10:00-20:00 Sunday 25 October, 10:00-19:00 |
| Venue | Tokyo Metropolitan Shiba Park, No. 4 open space (都立芝公園 4号地広場) 3-2 Shibakoen, Minato City, Tokyo |
| Entry | Free |
| Booths | 40 planned (20 food, 20 retail and exhibition) |
| Weather | Held in rain, cancelled in severe weather |
| Organisers | Embassy of Vietnam in Japan / Vietnam Food Festival 2026 Executive Committee |
Dates, venue and getting there
The two days do not finish at the same time: Saturday runs an hour later than Sunday. If you want the evening atmosphere with the stage and the lights, Saturday is the one to pick.
| Station | Line | Walk |
|---|---|---|
| Onarimon (御成門), exit A6 | Toei subway | 1 minute |
| Kamiyacho (神谷町), exit 3 | Tokyo Metro | About 10 minutes |
Shiba Park sits directly under Tokyo Tower, so it is easy to combine with sightseeing if friends or family are visiting. Making a full day of it in the city? A cheap way to finish is a bathhouse – Tokyo runs a coupon that drops the entry fee at hundreds of public baths, and we cover how it works in our guide to the Tokyo sento half-price coupon.
The food: 20 booths, pho to banh xeo
Half of the 40 booths are food. The names announced so far are the ones most people already know – pho, banh mi and banh xeo – plus a wider mix of Vietnamese dishes from the participating restaurants. Specific menus and prices per booth have not been published, and the shop list is being released gradually through the festival’s own social accounts.
Two contests you join just by eating
Rather than a separate ticketed programme, the ways to take part are tied to what you buy. Ordering is the entry.
Vietnamese cuisine grand prix
The booth with the highest sales takes the title, so every plate you buy is effectively a vote for that shop.
Banh mi tasting contest
Each participating shop brings its own take on the sandwich, and visitors compare them side by side. If you only eat one thing at the festival, this is the category where the variation between booths will be most obvious.
Stage and culture: MIN, V-pop and Hanoi heritage
The headline booking is MIN, one of Vietnam’s best known V-pop singers, who flies in for a special stage. Her latest album, Dear Min, passed 30 million total plays within about a month of release and was nominated in categories including album of the year and female vocalist at major music awards. A separate Vietnamese artist concert is also planned, bringing over performers to showcase the current music scene.
On the culture side, Hanoi’s heritage management department is travelling to Tokyo to present the ingredients, cooking methods and history behind the dishes, and a talk show with well known chefs covers the same ground. Set times for the stage and the talks have not been announced yet, so check the official channels in the week before the event if you are coming for a specific performance.
Ordering from your phone with KOTORI
This edition introduces a mobile ordering system called KOTORI for the first time. You scan a QR code at the venue, order on your phone and pay without cash, which is aimed squarely at cutting the queues that normally form at outdoor food events around lunchtime.
The organisers haven’t made public which payment brands KOTORI accepts, so do not assume your usual QR app or card will work. Carry some cash as a fallback, at least until the organisers publish the details.
How to plan the day
- Go early or go late. With roughly 80,000 people expected over two days and 20 food booths, the middle of the day will be the worst of it. Saturday’s extra hour until 20:00 is the quietest-looking window on paper.
- Bring a group. The banh mi comparison only works if you can split several sandwiches between you.
- Nothing indoors. It is a park lawn, so dress for late October evenings and bring something to sit on.
- Coming from outside Tokyo? Long-distance fares eat the savings from a free-entry event fast. Discounted shinkansen tickets such as JR East’s half-price Tokudane fares or a flat-rate local train pass like the Aki no Norihodai Pass are worth checking before you book, and if you need a hotel night, the current Marriott Bonvoy points promotion covers stays of two nights or more.
Questions people ask
- Q. How much does it cost to get in?
- Entry is free. Food, drinks and goods are paid separately, and no prices have been announced, so check the official site before you go.
- Q. What happens if it rains?
- The festival goes ahead in rain but will be cancelled in severe weather. Check the official channels on the morning of your visit.
- Q. Can I pay by card or QR code?
- A mobile ordering system called KOTORI is being introduced, which lets you order from a QR code on your phone and pay cashless. Which payment methods are accepted has not been announced, so bring cash as a backup.
- Q. Which station is closest?
- Onarimon Station on the Toei subway, exit A6, is a one-minute walk. Kamiyacho Station on the Tokyo Metro, exit 3, is about ten minutes away.
- Q. What time should I arrive?
- Both days open at 10:00, Saturday closes at 20:00 and Sunday at 19:00. Around 80,000 visitors are expected in total, so arriving early gives you the best shot at the popular booths.
Official sources
- Official website – programme, booth list and any schedule changes
- Instagram / Facebook / X – day-of updates
- Press release – the announcement this article is based on