The Danang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) 2026 officially opened on the evening of May 30, featuring a visually stunning competition between the host team from Danang and defending champions China.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyen Manh Hung, chairman of the Danang City People's Committee, said the festival reflected the city's ambition to be a dynamic destination connecting culture, tourism, creativity and international cooperation.
Hung also expressed pride that DIFF had been named by Travel + Leisure among the world's nine most worthwhile summer festivals to experience.
“This is recognition from the international community of the appeal, scale, artistic quality and influence of an event that has become a Vietnamese brand,” he said.
Performing under the theme “Nature”, the Danang team opened the competition with a visual story celebrating the beauty of Vietnam’s natural landscapes, from rich heritage regions to messages about environmental protection and a sustainable future.
The display featured continuously shifting colours, combining grand aerial effects with quieter and more emotional moments that guided audiences from admiration of nature’s beauty to reflection on the responsibility of protecting the planet.
Fireworks in vivid colours lit up the Danang sky (Photo: Organising committee).
The combination of improved technical execution and emotional storytelling helped the Danang team deliver what many observers described as one of its most distinctive performances in recent years.
“I have attended DIFF for many years, but I am truly impressed by how much the Danang team has improved this year,” said Hoang Minh, a visitor from Ho Chi Minh City.
“The performance told a compelling story and the technical quality was much stronger. I hope this will lead to the team's first appearance in a DIFF final.”
China, meanwhile, demonstrated why it remains the defending champion with its performance titled Flower of the Orient.
The Chinese team showcased its strengths in choreography, synchronisation between fireworks and music, and the use of advanced low smoke effects.
Spectators were captivated by intricate fireworks designs depicting bamboo stalks, rice plants, dandelions and reed flowers.
Layers of fireworks shifted constantly in shape and colour, transforming the night sky above the Han River into a mesmerising canvas inspired by Eastern artistic traditions.
The opening night set a high standard for the remainder of DIFF 2026, one of Vietnam’s most prominent international tourism and cultural events.
