On Vietnam's largest island, a theatre designed to outsize Hollywood's Dolby Theatre is rising fast. Sun Group's APEC Phú Quốc Multi-purpose Performance Hall, the centrepiece of a new convention complex, is just over a year into construction and already past the hard structural stage: more than 98 per cent of the reinforced-concrete frame is done, foundations are fully complete, and crews are now hoisting 35 steel roof modules weighing around 1,140 tonnes.
The numbers are striking. The hall spans 54,680 square metres of floor space under a 17,250-square-metre roof, arranged over six above-ground floors plus a basement, with seating for 4,030 people — a larger capacity than the Dolby Theatre, where the Academy Awards are held. The circular theatre block, a nod to heaven symbolism in Eastern cosmology, has had roughly 3,000 tonnes of steel trusses and support frames installed.
The design leans hard into Vietnamese identity. Fifty columns wrap the exterior, drawn from the Dragon and Fairy legend — the 50 children who followed the Great Father Lạc Long Quân to the sea — woven together to suggest a bamboo grove standing by the shore, a symbol of resilience. Architect Trương Hoàng Hải, Sun Group's design manager for the project, says interiors will include a pearl-vaulted lobby, a diplomatic VIP lounge, a premium bar and a royal-toned main auditorium. Landscaping started early so trees can establish themselves during construction and form a green shell around the finished building.
Why it matters for travellers: the venue will host the opening and closing ceremonies of APEC 2027, bringing leaders from 21 member economies to Phú Quốc, and it is targeted for exterior completion in the fourth quarter of 2026. Crucially, Sun Group doesn't want a white elephant sitting idle after the summit. Plans are in motion to partner with international show developers on circus, acrobatics and music productions, positioning the hall as a year-round arts and tourism draw for the island.
The wider island is gearing up too. An Giang province, which administers Phú Quốc, is consolidating its APEC steering committee, running security crackdowns with police, military and border guards, and training staff in languages, hospitality and conference services ahead of Vietnam's APEC Year 2027.
For holidaymakers, the takeaway is that Phú Quốc — already known for beaches, night squid fishing and duty-free status — is about to add a large-scale live entertainment venue to its repertoire. If the post-APEC programming lands as planned, it could give the island a reason to visit beyond the sand. Travellers with flexibility might time a trip for late 2027 or after, when the first shows should be running and the construction dust has settled.
