Fireworks on the evening of May 8 at the opening ceremony of the Red Flamboyant Festival, Haiphong 2026 astonished thousands of visitors who gathered in the city’s political and administrative centre.
One striking moment, when coloured smoke trails and lighting effects combined to create the appearance of a glowing rainbow across the sky, quickly went viral online. Many viewers described the scene as surreal and cinematic.
Speaking to Dantri, photographer Tran Van Trung, also known as Andy Trung, said he spends time every year scouting locations to photograph festival fireworks displays.
“This year, I spent one or two days searching for a suitable spot that could meet several conditions at once, including composition, wind direction and the ability to capture reflections,” he said.
The photographer chose a position near the river to create a reflective composition and heighten the visual effect (Photo: Andy Trung).
Trung eventually selected a location on the northern bank of the Cam River, near the foot of Hoang Van Thu Bridge.
From that angle, he was able to capture the entire political and administrative centre beneath the fireworks, while reflections on the river added to the visual effect.
He said wind direction was crucial for fireworks photography, as smoke could easily obscure the scene if photographers positioned themselves against the wind.
A spectacular fireworks display lights up the Haiphong sky (Photo: Andy Trung).
Despite years of experience photographing fireworks, Trung said this year’s display left a particularly strong impression.
“The coloured smoke fireworks, combined with the sound and lighting effects, created an overwhelming and unusual spectacle,” he said.
The fireworks began at 9.30 pm and lasted about 12 minutes, attracting thousands of spectators along both sides of the river.
Visitor Nha Phuong said it was her first time attending the festival’s fireworks display in person. She arrived at 6.30 pm and described the area around the political and administrative centre as crowded but orderly.
The display drew large crowds of residents and visitors (Photo: Andy Trung).
Around 2,500 high altitude fireworks shells were used during the opening ceremony. It was also the first time Haiphong had incorporated more than 300 coloured smoke fireworks into a major public event.
The Red Flamboyant Festival has been held annually since 2012 and is closely associated with the flamboyant flower, a symbol of Haiphong.
Over the years, the festival has expanded significantly, becoming one of the city’s major cultural and tourism events and attracting large numbers of domestic and international visitors.
