Party Hard in HCMC: Free Metro Rides on New Year's Day 2026!
Ho Chi Minh City's Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien) is making it easy to celebrate New Year's Day 2026 with free rides for all passengers on January 1st. No more worrying about fares – just hop on and enjoy the festivities!
Free Rides on New Year's Day: How It Works
The Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway 1 Company (HURC1) has announced full fare waivers for everyone using Metro Line 1 on 1/1/2026, approved by the HCMC People's Committee. To get your free ride, pick one of these three simple methods:
- Scan your chip-embedded ID card (Thẻ căn cước công dân gắn chip) directly at the fare gate.
- Use the "QR Vươn Mình" code from the HCMC Metro HURC app – download it, generate your QR code, and scan at the gate. This feature launches on January 1st and works only that day.
- Grab a free QR paper ticket from automatic kiosks at stations like Ben Thanh, National University, and Suoi Tien Bus Station.
Important note: Stick to these methods for free entry. Buying regular tickets that day means you'll pay full price with no refunds.
Extended Hours on New Year's Eve
Plan to ring in the new year? Metro Line 1 will run until 2:00 AM on New Year's Eve to get everyone home safely after the countdown.
Other Awesome Deals Right Now
Besides New Year's freebies, check out these ongoing promotions:
- Free rides with Vikki card: Scan directly at gates from December 16 to December 31, 2025.
- 100% cashback via VPBank "Tap & Go": Use the HCMC Metro HURC app from December 17, 2025, to March 17, 2026 (max 100,000 VND/month or 300,000 VND total per passenger).
- Sacombank Mastercard Metro Pass: Full refund on fares until December 31, 2025.
Starting January 1, 2026, paper QR tickets won't be sold at counters anymore – switch to apps, machines, bank cards, e-wallets, or direct gate payments.
Metro Line 1's Big Year in Review
After one year of operation (as of December 15, 2025), the line has run 78,194 safe train trips, serving nearly 19 million passengers – exceeding targets by over 114%. That's about 52,000 riders per day on average, spiking to 110,000+ on holidays. More reason to ditch the traffic and ride the rails!
Extra trips are planned for Christmas and New Year's to handle the holiday rush. Have a blast in HCMC – the metro's got your back!
