Before stepping onto the stage for the crucial final night, the atmosphere backstage at Live Show 4 of the 2026 Sao Mai Singing Contest is more heated than ever. With the theme "Timeless Melodies," the top 10 contestants are striving to perfect every detail of their performances, aiming to create a strong personal mark while preserving the essence of timeless classics.
The pressure to reinvent timeless songs.
The theme "Timeless Melodies" presented a significant challenge for young singers, requiring them to perform musical pieces deeply ingrained in the hearts of generations of Vietnamese music lovers. Contestant Mai Thu Huong chose "The Girl Sharpening Bamboo Stakes" by composer Hoang Hiep, set to a poem by Mo Lo Y Choi. To prepare for the performance, the singer spent time researching the context of the composition, the cultural life of the Central Highlands people, and practiced with the band for a week.