What's in store for the opening night of DIFF 2026 - one of the top 9 most worthwhile festivals to visit on the planet?

On the evening of May 30th, the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival - DIFF 2026 officially opened amidst the overwhelming emotions of tens of thousands of spectators before the spectacular competition between the Da Nang (Vietnam) fireworks team and the reigning champion, China.

With the theme "Nature," the opening night of DIFF 2026 officially kicked off a series of six fireworks displays running from May 30th to July 11th, 2026. The performances by host city Da Nang (Vietnam) and defending champion China painted a vibrant picture of life, the beauty of the green planet, and the aspiration for connection between humanity and nature, taking the audience on a sublime journey through masterpieces of light, music , and art.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Chairman of the Da Nang City People's Committee, delivered the opening speech at DIFF 2026.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Chairman of the Da Nang City People's Committee, affirmed: "DIFF 2026, themed 'Da Nang - Connecting Horizons,' reflects the city's desire for a dynamic image, a place connecting culture, tourism , creativity, and international cooperation."

The Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee also expressed Da Nang's pride that DIFF has been selected by the prestigious travel magazine Travel + Leisure as one of the 9 most worthwhile summer festivals on the planet. "This is recognition from the international community for the attractiveness, scale, artistry, and reach of an event bearing the Vietnamese brand," Mr. Hung emphasized.

Vice Chairman of Da Nang City People's Committee Nguyen Thi Anh Thi presented flowers to the two competing teams at the opening ceremony.

Considered a highlight of each DIFF season, the fireworks displays on the opening night continued to showcase international standards. While both teams explored the theme of "Nature," they chose two completely different ways to tell their stories in the skies over Da Nang.

The Da Nang team opened with a story about the beauty of Vietnam's nature, from its rich heritage sites to a message about environmental protection and a green future. The fireworks display continuously shifted colors, interspersed with dazzling grand displays and emotionally charged moments of silence, leading the audience from admiration for the beauty of nature to reflection on their responsibility to preserve the green planet.

The combination of innovative and ever-improving techniques along with emotional elements helped the Da Nang team create one of their most distinctive performances in recent years.

“I’ve watched DIFF for many years, but I’m really impressed with the changes in the Da Nang team this year. The performance had a rich emotional story and much better technique. I’m placing my hopes on our team reaching the final for the first time in history,” shared Hoang Minh, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, excitedly.

Meanwhile, the Chinese team continued to demonstrate their class as the reigning champions with their performance of "Flower of the Orient." The Chinese team showcased their strengths in staging techniques, their ability to synchronize fireworks with top-notch music, and high-quality smokeless fireworks effects. The graceful, dense layers of fireworks, constantly changing in form and color, transformed the sky over the Han River into a mesmerizing Eastern painting.

In particular, the appearance of the song "Vietnam's Quintessence" in the performance created an unexpected highlight. The familiar sound of Vietnam resonated like a warm welcome from the competing team. The performance received strong applause from the audience and left a strong first impression on DIFF 2026.

"I think it's hard to find a fireworks festival as well-organized as DIFF. For example, the world-famous Montreal Fireworks Festival doesn't have the large-scale grandstands or performance stages like in Da Nang," affirmed Nadia Shakira Wong, CEO of Global2000, a leading global fireworks consulting company.

DIFF is one of the rare festivals, not only in Vietnam but also in the region, that continuously upgrades its infrastructure and audience experience. This year, for the first time, the DIFF stage featured a giant mechanical dome system, over 40m wide and 10m high, considered the largest in the festival's history. Along with many integrated modern performance technologies such as high-power lasers, 3D LED matrix, Retro Amber lighting system, and multi-layered translucent LED lighting, the DIFF stage helped the high-class artistic performances on the opening night to truly shine according to artistic vision.

This year, DIFF not only expands the on-stage experience but also, for the first time, offers audiences personalized "digital gifts" powered by artificial intelligence (AI) through the Sun Paradise Land app. With just a few taps, visitors can transform their moments with the fireworks into vintage-style postage stamps or design e-postcards to send to loved ones. These new experiences not only prolong the emotions after the show but also help each audience member take home a very personal memory of the DIFF 2026 season.

Nearly two decades after its launch, Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF), with the sponsorship and organization of Sun Group, continues to demonstrate its undiminished appeal. The entire grandstand, with over 10,000 seats, has been filled to capacity, and the streets along the Han River and the bridges have also been packed with spectators. After a year's wait, the people of Da Nang and tourists from around the world once again witnessed the Han River sky illuminated by thousands of dazzling and magical fireworks.

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/co-gi-o-dem-khai-man-diff-2026-top-9-le-hoi-dang-den-nhat-hanh-tinh.html