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For the past month Doanh Pham Huyen Ngoc, 25, a specialist at a software company, has spent her evenings practicing at a nearby dance studio starting at 6 p.m.

To prepare for a six-minute performance at their company’s year-end party, Ngoc and 30 colleagues rehearsed for three hours a day. Some of them live as far as 20 km away from the office but attended practice even on weekends.

They have spent VND35 million (US$1,300) on choreography, costumes, props, and rehearsal venue, four times the allowance provided by the company.

Ngoc paid VND5 million out of her own pocket for a custom-made costume.

Their performance, staged on the evening of Jan. 16, drew more than two million views on TikTok. Ngoc said the chance to perform on stage was worth the expense.

“I spent the whole year behind a computer screen. I just want to be a princess on stage for once,” she said.

Hoang Thi Phuong Linh, 28, of Hanoi, helmed a team responsible for organizing a year-end party at her company.

A graduate of the Vietnam Military University of Culture and Arts, Linh took charge of choreographing a performance for 26 colleagues.

For two months, her team spent lunch breaks and after-work hours rehearsing. With a “professional artist” standard in mind, Linh asked everyone to record their vocals at a studio.

They spent nearly VND30 million on music production and costumes, far exceeding the company’s budget of VND10 million.

“The hardest part was persuading colleagues who are uncomfortable with crowds. There were arguments and everyone was exhausted but the biggest reward was when 27 people, who were used to office desks, gave it their all together,” Linh said. The team later won a special prize worth VND20 million.

Instead of traditional dinner parties with compulsory drinking, many companies are now turning year-end events into concert-style performances. Hashtags to year-end parties are viral on social media, leading to thousands of carefully produced videos and drawing wide attention.

Duy Hung, owner of a costume rental and event organization business in Hanoi, said demand from office workers has skyrocketed over the past two months.

“They are willing to spend tens to hundreds of millions of dong on costumes and concert-standard lighting rigs,” he said.

Nguyen Thi Hai Van, vice chairwoman of the FPT Software Trade Union, said most employees at FPT Group are used to spending long hours at computers so performances help encourage physical activities. She said managers at her company also participate in the events and offer on-the-spot rewards to motivate staff.

Office workers turn year-end party into ‘million-view’ concert

Doan Thi Thu Trang, a representative of internal communications at Bao Kim E-commerce JSC, said her company offers free monthly dance classes to help employees unwind and gain confidence, particularly toward the end of the year.

“To get your employees to ‘go all out,’ HR needs to understand and encourage individuals with potential who are hesitant, rather than forcing participation,” she said.

Bui Doan Chung, founder of the Vietnam Human Resources Community, said the trend marks a shift toward employer branding through employee experience.

“Each viral clip featuring employees online is worth far more than many expensive marketing campaigns. Employees are the real brand ambassadors,” he said.

He advised companies to organize a range of activities other than singing and dancing, such as fashion shows or talent contests, to avoid placing pressure on staff.

“At the end of the year, everyone is under work pressure. They need a platform to express themselves but also need proper rest,” Chung said.

Kim Trang, 29, of HCMC, said she previously disliked year-end parties because she thought they were time-consuming. This year, she changed her view when she took part in a dance performance after her company offered employees free dance classes to relieve stress.

“I never thought I could stand in front of a crowd and receive cheers from thousands of people like that,” she said.