DIFF 2026 officially launched, opening one of the most eagerly awaited and appealing festival seasons in its history

On the evening of 30 May, the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF 2026), organised by the Da Nang City People’s Committee in collaboration with Sun Group, was officially opened to the cheers of tens of thousands of spectators, ahead of the spectacular competition between the teams from Da Nang (Vietnam) and China, the reigning champions.

Putting the theme of “Nature” in the spotlight on the opening night of DIFF 2026 kicked off a series of six fireworks evenings, from 30 May to 11 July 2026. The performances by the host team, Da Nang (Vietnam), and by China, the reigning champions, painted a vibrant picture of life, of the beauty of our planet and of the longing to reconnect humanity with nature, taking the audience on a sublime journey through masterpieces of light, music and art.

The show put on by the host city, Da Nang (Vietnam), on the opening night painted a vibrant picture of life, of the beauty of our planet and of the longing to reconnect humanity with nature.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Nguyen Manh Hung, Chairman of the Da Nang City People’s Committee, said: “DIFF 2026, held under the theme ‘Da Nang – Connecting horizons’, reflects the city’s determination to forge a dynamic image for itself, as a meeting place for culture, tourism, creativity and international cooperation.”

He also expressed Da Nang’s pride at seeing DIFF chosen by the prestigious travel magazine Travel + Leisure as one of the nine most interesting summer festivals in the world. “This is recognition from the international community of the appeal, scale, artistic quality and reach of an event that proudly flies the flag for Vietnam,” Mr Hung stressed.

The DIFF 2026 stands, with a capacity of more than 10,000 seats, were full, and the roads along the Han River as well as the bridges were also packed with spectators.

The city wishes to thank Sun Group and its partners for their unfailing support in the successful organisation of the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival over the years. Their contribution has led to the creation of world-renowned tourism and cultural projects and products, thereby enhancing the appeal and prestige of tourism in Da Nang.

Almost twenty years on, thanks to the sponsorship and organisation of Sun Group, DIFF continues to shine, with packed stands and the roads along the Han River and the bridges equally crowded. After a year of waiting, the people of Da Nang and tourists from all over the world were once again able to admire the sky above the Han River lit up by thousands of magnificent, magical fireworks.

Da Nang team makes a breakthrough, reigning champions China show “formidable” strength

Regarded as a highlight of every DIFF season, the opening-night pyrotechnic show once again demonstrated its international excellence. Although both teams explored the theme of “Nature”, they chose two radically different narrative approaches in the skies over Da Nang.

The outstanding performance by China, the reigning champions

The Da Nang team opened the show with a story celebrating the beauty of Vietnamese nature, from its regions rich in heritage to a message about protecting the environment and building a green future. The fireworks, with their shifting colours, alternated grandiose displays with deeply emotional moments, inviting the audience to move from admiring the beauty of nature to reflecting on our responsibility to protect our planet.

The combination of innovative and ever more refined techniques with emotional elements enabled the Da Nang team to deliver one of its most memorable performances in recent years.

“I’ve been following DIFF for years, but I’m really impressed by the Da Nang team’s progress this year. Their performance was full of emotion and their technique much better. I have high hopes for their very first final,” said Hoang Minh, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, enthusiastically.

For its part, the Chinese team confirmed its status as reigning champion with its show “Flower of the Orient”. It demonstrated its mastery of staging, its ability to synchronise fireworks with music and the high quality of its smokeless pyrotechnic effects. The audience marvelled at the sophistication of the effects, notably the bamboo and rice motifs… The graceful, dense layers of fireworks, with their changing shapes and colours, turned the sky over the Han River into a spellbinding oriental painting.

The performance of the song “Quintessence of Vietnam” made a particular impression. The familiar sounds of Vietnam rang out like a warm welcome to the participating teams. In particular, the finale, with its pyrotechnic effect imitating the howl of a wolf and hundreds of fireworks exploding continuously, thrilled the audience, who exclaimed: “That was simply spectacular!” The show was warmly applauded and made an impression right from the start of DIFF 2026.

A great artistic feast on the biggest stage in DIFF history.

“I think it’s hard to find a fireworks festival as well organised as DIFF. For example, the famous Montreal International Fireworks Competition doesn’t have stands or a stage as impressive as those in Da Nang,” said Ms Nadia Shakira Wong.

The CEO of Global2000, a leading international fireworks consultancy, stated:

DIFF was chosen by the prestigious magazine Travel + Leisure as one of the 9 most interesting festivals in the world.

DIFF is one of the few festivals, not only in Vietnam but also in the region, to keep modernising its infrastructure and audience experience. This year, for the first time, the DIFF stage was fitted with a giant mechanical dome more than 40 metres wide and 10 metres high, the largest in the festival’s history. Thanks to a host of cutting-edge technologies, such as high-power lasers, a 3D LED matrix, an amber retro lighting system and a multi-layer translucent LED system, the DIFF stage allowed the exceptional artistic performances of the opening night to shine in all their brilliance.

With the show “Dance of the Wind – Colours of the Wind”, Hoang Hai, Ha Nhi and hundreds of dancers transported the audience into a magical natural world. The artistic journey continued with “Riding the Sky”, performed by Nguyen Tran Trung Quan, recreating the image of a national hero, a symbol of Vietnam’s strength, aspirations and spirit of ascent in this new era.

The high point of the programme was the appearance of Ho Ngoc Ha and her dance troupe, performing a medley of “Destiny – The Magic Lamp – Dawn”, electrifying the audience with modern, explosive energy. Just before the Chinese team’s performance, the famous song “The Moonlight Speaks My Heart”, accompanied by an elaborately choreographed Chinese dance, added a captivating touch of East Asia, building an artistic bridge between cultures.

On a stage equipped with moving mechanical arches, LEDs, lasers and multi-layer lighting, the performances continuously transformed the stage space, offering a true visual feast in which music, art and fireworks merged into a complete festive experience on the banks of the Han River.

This year, DIFF is enriching the stage experience and, for the first time, offering personalised “digital gifts” created with artificial intelligence (AI) via the Sun Paradise Land app. In just a few clicks, visitors can immortalise the moments they spent watching the fireworks as vintage postage stamps or create digital postcards to send to their loved ones. These new experiences extend the excitement after the show and let every spectator take home a unique souvenir of the 2026 DIFF season.

After the opening night, the competitions will take place every Saturday evening.

6 June: France – Z121 Vina Pyrotech, Vietnam – Theme: Heritage

13 June: Japan – Italy – Theme: Culture

20 June: Germany – Macao (China) – Theme: Creativity

27 June: Australia – Portugal – Theme: Vision

11 July: Grand Final

Source and photos: DIFF