"Balade en France" gastronomic festival returns to Hanoi in April

Continuing the success of previous events in 2018, 2020 and 2023, the gastronomic festival “Balade en France” will be held in Hanoi for a fourth time between 5-7 of April. 

The festival, jointly organized by the French Embassy in Vietnam and Hanoi’s People’s Committee, will take place at Reunification park and will be the biggest one of its kind so far, featuring more than 70 booths that cover an area of around 12,000 sqm.

Speaking at the press conference announcing the 4th Balade en France festival on March 27, French Ambassador Olivier Brochet stated that the surrounding theme of this year's festival will be “gastronomic festival, Olympic form”, celebrating French cuisine in all aspects while promoting the upcoming Paris Olympics and Paralympics. 

After the opening ceremony on April 5, the festival will be open to the public for free during the next two days. Organizers hope to attract around 500,000 visitors to this year’s event.

Festival goers will get to experience typical French dishes, agricultural products as well as witness demonstrations of French and fusion cuisine.

The event will also feature a 300 sqm sporting village that aims to promote the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics in Paris. Visitors to this area can try their hand at a number of Olympic sports such as basketball, archery and ping pong. 

A number of notable faces such as members of the Thang Long Warrior basketball club and Céline Nha Nguyen - the first Vietnamese woman to summit mount Everest - will also appear at the festival.