On 4 September, Laos opened the Lao Gold Festival 2026 in Vientiane, with Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone presiding over the official ceremony.
The three-day event aims to push the Lao gold sector toward international standards and closer integration with regional markets.
The festival carries the slogan “Lao Gold to the World,” with a theme of “Connecting, Building Trust, Growing Together.”
The Lao Bullion Bank (LBB) organized the event in collaboration with relevant sectors, positioning it as a platform to advance standardization, transparency, reliability, and sustainable market integration for the Lao gold industry.
The organizing committee said it expects the Lao Gold Festival 2026 to mark a significant milestone for the country’s gold sector, raise the international profile of the country, and lay the groundwork for Laos to become a standardized hub for gold trading, services, and investment within ASEAN.
Four key objectives for the festival: creating a space to exchange knowledge, experience, and innovation in the gold sector; promoting investment and business cooperation; improving production quality, design, branding, and marketing; and preserving Lao gold heritage, craftsmanship, and traditional wisdom.
Chanthone Sitthixay, Director General of LBB, delivered a report on the festival’s background, objectives, and targets during the ceremony.
He described the event as more than a gold or jewelry exhibition, calling it a platform to connect the Lao gold market with the global gold market and to bring together the public sector, private sector, financial institutions, manufacturers, artisans, designers, investors, and international partners for dialogue, cooperation, and trade, guiding Lao gold toward international standards built on quality, transparency, and sustainable mutual growth.
The festival showcases gold bullion, manufactured gold products, gold jewelry, Lao handicrafts, and financial and investment innovations from leading domestic and international entrepreneurs.
Organizers also scheduled seminars and panel discussions on topics such as Laos’s emergence as a regional gold hub, the future of the Lao bullion industry, gold’s role in family security and ASEAN culture, and gold investment in the digital era.
The event also aims to expand partner networks and connect manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and investors to strengthen the gold industry ecosystem.
