The international photography biennale Photo Hanoi ’25 will take place from November 1st to 30th, 2025, throughout the city of Hanoi. Initiated by the French Institute in Vietnam in 2021, the biennale returns this year for its second official edition. The previous edition in 2023 attracted over 170,000 visitors, generated 200 media articles, and garnered more than 5 million interactions on social media.
With the goal of establishing Photo Hanoi as one of the capital's flagship international art events, the People’s Committee of Hanoi issued Plan No. 259/KH-UBND on September 24, 2025, to guide the organization of the 2025 edition. The event is held under the patronage of the People’s Committee of Hanoi and the French Embassy in Vietnam, and co-organized by the French Institute in Vietnam and the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, with support from the UNESCO Office in Hanoi and a wide network of national and international partners.
Towards artistic excellence and global reach
Photo Hanoi ’25 will feature a diverse program of activities spread across more than 20 locations in the capital. Its ambition is to position Hanoi as a creative photography hub in Asia and a compelling destination for visual arts enthusiasts both in Vietnam and abroad.
The 2025 edition will bring together over 170 artists, photographers, curators, and experts from 21 countries, in collaboration with 25 specialized institutions. Over the course of one month, the public will have access to 22 free exhibitions both solo and group shows alongside 29 parallel events, including talks, workshops, art tours, book launches, film screenings, and portfolio reviews.
A Professional gathering for the photography community
Photo Hanoi ’25 is a unique opportunity for the Vietnamese photography community to meet, collaborate, and grow alongside international professionals, right in the heart of Hanoi. The event brings together many renowned figures from the global photography scene, fostering a true space for professional dialogue, knowledge sharing, and networking.
Workshops, talks, art tours, and portfolio reviews provide hands-on support particularly for young photographers looking to build their careers, define their artistic identity, and access regional and international markets. It is also a rare opportunity for photography practitioners to receive direct feedback from curators, experts, and the public, enriching their creative practice and opening doors to new cross-border collaborations.
A visual feast for the general public
Photo Hanoi ’25 is not only for photography professionals - it aims to be a vibrant and emotional visual feast, open to a broad audience, both local and international.
The exhibitions cover a wide range of themes, from historical memory to urban landscapes, and address global issues such as climate change or the relationship between humans and nature.
Parallel events offer immersive and original experiences: handmade photography, the use of vintage-style cameras, wet plate collodion processes from the 19th century, lumen printing workshops, and handmade photobook creation. The public is not just a spectator—they are invited to take part, dive into the creative process, and experience photography as a living, accessible, and culturally integrated art form.
Promoting Hanoi as a Creative Center for Photography
Photography, as a universal language, becomes a powerful tool for intercultural dialogue, collective memory, and identity building in a context of regional and global integration.
Photo Hanoi ’25 invites audiences from all walks of life to explore the diversity of contemporary photography through an accessible and immersive program. Visitors will not only discover works of varied aesthetics and narratives, but also participate in professional exchanges, engage directly with artists, explore photographic creation, and build lasting connections within both the national and international artistic communities.
Through exhibitions, roundtables, guided tours, workshops, portfolio reviews, and film screenings, Photo Hanoi creates a dynamic space for learning, dialogue, practice—and most importantly, for living photography.
About Photo Hanoi ‘25Dates: November 1–30, 2025
Locations: Over 20 exhibition venues across Hanoi
Program: 22 exhibitions, 29 parallel events, featuring over 170 artists, curators, and experts from 21 countries. Official website: photohanoi.com