April 12, 2025 is already circled on the calendars of many U40 and U50 Hanoians — a night of reunion, dancing, and memories. It’s not just a Gala. It’s a night where some might even hope to find an old flame from 30 years ago.
Because in Hanoi, everyone was once a student.
But back in the early 1990s, the student galas looked very different. They weren’t held in nightclubs, massive bars, or stadiums where the crowd just watched. The Hanoi Student Galas of the 90s were more like fairs — the place where people didn’t just listen to their favorite bands, but also swayed to the music, danced freely, and maybe found a soulmate.
In a city just stepping out of the old bureaucratic subsidy regime and into a new “open-door” era, these gatherings meant everything. For the class of 1970, these were rare but meaningful events — places where you could break free from the stiff lecture hall routines and just be.
Most students studying in Hanoi then were actually from Hanoi. And almost every university had its own ”Beatles” tribute band, with John and Paul devotees playing music both spontaneously and seriously. Among the most famous: the band from the University of Construction, followed closely by the five-school cluster in Thanh Xuân — the University of Foreign Languages, University of General Sciences, University of Architecture, Security High School, and Tue Tinh Medical School.
John Lennon’s birthdays and memorial dates sparked all-night parties where students from across the capital would gather. Later, Bức Tường took over the stage, dominating the student music scene for the next two decades.
In 2022, the Capital Student Gala was revived — from 5PM to 1AM — and the success was overwhelming. This year, the gala returns bigger and better: more bands, longer rehearsal time, and a whole new generation. Most of those once-young students now have children who are students themselves.
And on the night of April 12 — or maybe the morning of the 13th — they’ll dance again. Enjoy the Gala, may the music be loud, the hugs warm, and the memories sweeter than ever to you!
