On the morning of April 18th 2026, at its second session, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council passed a resolution to halt the investment plan for the Symphony, Music and Opera House project in An Khanh Ward, Thu Thiem New Urban Area (commonly known as the Thu Thiem Symphony Theater).

This project received investment approval from the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council in 2018 with a total budget of over 1.500 billion VND from the state budget, and is expected to be implemented in the period 2018 - 2022.

A rendering of the theater located near the former Ba Son Bridge. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Department of Planning and Architecture.

Perspective view of the theater's cross-section. Image source: https://www.studiomilou.sg/

By 2021, the relevant units proposed adjusting the capital upwards to approximately 2.000 billion VND, while extending the implementation period to 2024. However, to date, the project has not been implemented in practice  

According to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, the decision to halt the investment stems from adjustments to the planning and investment methods in the Thu Thiem area  

The City Party Committee has unanimously agreed on the principle of implementing the Political-Administrative Center project combined with a central lake and green park area using the public-private partnership (PPP) method, specifically a Build-Transfer (BT) contract with land use rights as payment 

To ensure space for the political and administrative center reaches international standards, the city has determined that it is necessary to adjust the location of some ongoing and upcoming projects, including the Thu Thiem Symphony Theatre.

According to the revised planning scheme, the construction site of the Thu Thiem Symphony Theatre has been moved from the area at the beginning of the Ba Son bridge to the land adjacent to the new political and administrative center in Thu Thiem.

The land previously designated for the theater will be repurposed into a green park, plaza, and other public facilities funded by the investor  

The Symphony, Opera, and Ballet Theatre will be relocated from the Ba Son Bridge to the area adjacent to the new administrative center in Thu Thiem.

Currently, there are investors proposing to invest in the City Center Square and Administrative-Political Center project using the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) and BT (Build-Transfer) contract methods.

This project includes a convention and performance center with a capacity of approximately 2,000 seats, meeting the needs for organizing large-scale political, economic, and cultural events  

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee assessed that halting the investment plan for the project under the public investment model was necessary to ensure compliance with the approved planning, adhere to legal regulations, and avoid duplication in investment.

This is also an important step for Ho Chi Minh City to focus on implementing the Political-Administrative Center project as directed by the City Party Committee, while simultaneously restructuring the urban space of the Thu Thiem area in a synchronized and modern direction.