The 9th Tonle Festival, which will be held in Takeo province this weekend, is expected to attract many national and international visitors. This year’s celebrations, themed “The Value of the River: Connecting Culture and Natural Tourism”, will see crowds enjoy artistic performances, music shows, sporting competitions and other exciting recreational activities.

The festival will take place from March 21-23, at the Takoo Lake Garden in Donkeo town.

It will be officially opened by Prime Minister Hun Manet and his wife on March 22, with entertainment set to run from 4am to 10pm.

Takeo provincial governor Vei Samnang believed that by being selected to host the event, the provincial economy will receive a large boost.

“It will serve as a platform to promote local products, boost the tourism industry and advertise the potential of the province's many tourist areas,” he said.

“This is the first time Takeo has hosted the Tonle Festival. It is a proud opportunity for the province to showcase its potential in all sectors to the Cambodian people, as well as international guests. As of March 18, an inter-ministerial committee had completed about 85 per cent of the preparations,” he added.

Samnang urged the public to attend this weekend’s festival, and reminded them to maintain a pleasant environment by disposing of rubbish correctly.

“I appeal to all fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and children attending the festival to help manage waste properly and invite more people to participate to show their support. It will provide a happy opportunity to relax after people finish work,” he said.

The Ministry of Tourism shared that to ensure the 9th Tonle Festival is successful, the inter-ministerial committee will organise major activities, including live performances featuring famous Cambodian artists and famous singers, as well as celebrations of the event.

There will be exhibitions of tourism achievements, a food and beverage fair and exhibitions on trade, agricultural-tourism products, and local products, as well as displays of various development projects from across the province.

There will also be ten sporting competitions, including a 75-kilometre bicycle race from Phnom Penh to Takéo, a fun run with 1,200 participants, a mass tug-of-war, a rice field jumping competition, volleyball, a popular polo game, kayaking, canoeing and Khmer boxing.

The first Tonle Festival was held in Kratie province and has since moved around the Kingdom. Since returning from a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was staged in Kampong Thom in 2023. The most recent edition took place in Siem Reap province last year.