DIFF 2025: The quintessence of Asian and European cultures converge on the opening night

On the evening of May 31, the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) 2025 opened with the theme "Cultural Essence". On the opening night, the host team Da Nang - Vietnam 1 recreated Vietnamese identity through a performance imbued with national culture, while the reigning champion of DIFF 2024 Finland promised to bring the magical beauty of the Northern European aurora to light up the sky over the Han River.

Performance of the Finnish team at the final night of DIFF 2024. Photo: DOAN LUONG

Finland brings “aurora borealis” to light up the sky of Da Nang

Meeting the host team Da Nang on the opening night is the reigning DIFF 2024 champion, JoHo Pyro Professional Fireworks AB from Finland. According to team captain Johan Hollaender (Finland), the championship title is a source of pride but also pressure.

Immediately after returning from DIFF 2024, the team planned their performance for the next DIFF season. Coming to DIFF 2025, the team brought the performance “Nordic Lights”, inspired by the Northern European aurora phenomenon.

Combining high-altitude fireworks, water cannons and vibrant music , JoHo Pyro will take the audience on a journey back to the lives of ancient Northern European fishermen, where people coexisted in harmony with harsh nature on remote islands.

According to Mr. Johan Hollaender, this year's performance will use about 5,000 types of fireworks, including many techniques that have never been announced before to create an element of surprise. For the theme "Cultural Essence" of DIFF 2025, JoHo Pyro hopes to bring the story of its cultural roots, a culture that originated from the sea, where nature is not only a challenge but also a source of life that nurtures the community spirit.

“With the music of Stormskärs Maja, the Finnish team hopes to bring viewers back to the ancient life of their ancestors who were fishermen living on offshore islands. They had a tradition of hunting fish and animals, a harsh but meaningful life when being in harmony with nature, truly reflecting the philosophy of symbiosis between humans and the natural environment in Nordic culture. We hope to bring that cultural essence to DIFF 2025”, Mr. Johan Hollaender shared.

The “light magic” combining high-altitude fireworks display techniques and unique water cannon effects, a strength that helped Finland conquer the judges last season, will be repeated at the opening night.

Not only investing in technology, JoHo Pyro also made their mark with their own unique musical taste, with their impressive rock and pop songs becoming the team's trademark. Although they prepared quite carefully, the Finnish team said they were not complacent because this year there were more participating teams and each team had their own strengths. However, the team was still confident in delivering the best and most impressive performance.

Impressive fireworks display at DIFF 2024. Photo: NGOC HA

The Symphony of Light "Cultural Essence"

The host team Da Nang - Vietnam 1 will recreate Vietnamese identity through a performance imbued with national culture, symbolizing the spirit of innovation and integration of Da Nang city. With the performance called "Cultural Essence", Vietnam 1 team promises to bring an emotional work of art, as a warm and proud greeting to international friends on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the city's liberation. The elaborately staged performance consists of 4 parts lasting more than 20 minutes, using thousands of fireworks programmed with high precision, synchronized every second with the music, creating a symphony of light and sound in the sky of the Han River.

The highlight of the team’s performance this year was the harmonious blend of traditional Vietnamese music and famous international songs. This combination not only expressed a deep love for the national culture but also conveyed an open spirit, ready to integrate and connect with the world , just like the image of a Vietnam that is steadily stepping into the “Era of Rising”.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang, Captain of the Da Nang International Fireworks Team, shared: “We have nurtured our determination from very early on, because being chosen as the opening team is a great honor, but also a great pressure. This is a responsibility placed on the shoulders of the whole team, to create an explosive start for the 2025 fireworks festival season. However, with the confidence, enthusiasm and solidarity of the whole team, we are determined to bring a truly special and impressive performance and leave the deepest impression on the audience about this year's fireworks season. With the melodies of music and the brilliant effects of fireworks, we hope to introduce to international friends the advanced culture, imbued with the national identity of Vietnam”.

Notably, this year's performance was strongly and creatively invested in by the team. On the background of vibrant rock music, mixed with international melodies and music imbued with Vietnamese identity, the performance of Vietnam 1 team will convey the cultural quintessence of the people of Da Nang, of the Vietnamese people, a culture imbued with national identity, both preserving long-standing traditional values ​​and reaching out to integrate with the world.

“It can be said that in this competition, the music was invested in a very methodical and elaborate manner by the team with the support of talented artists and musicians from Da Nang city and the whole country. The preparation process took place over a long period of time and the result was a script consisting of 4 parts: harmony - honor - integration - pioneering and glory. On these 4 musical chapters, we combined writing software to control fireworks, choosing the appropriate types and techniques of fireworks to create effects in harmony with the sound.

Each burst of fireworks takes the audience through a range of emotions, from deep, calm to aspirational, burning and explosive, all aimed at touching the hearts of viewers, leaving the most lasting and profound impressions. We expect to open this year’s fireworks season with the highest confidence and determination and deliver an explosive performance of emotions, leaving a deep impression in the hearts of the audience,” Mr. Nguyen Hoang shared.

Spirit of friendship and desire to win

With the participation of 10 of the world's strongest teams, carefully selected according to strict standards, Ms. Nadia Shakira Wong, CEO of G2000 (the unit in charge of the fireworks teams participating in the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival) affirmed that DIFF 2025 is the largest and most extensive international fireworks festival ever. Ms. Nadia Shakira Wong said that the theme "New Era" received consensus and response from the competing teams. Although coming in a spirit of friendship, the teams all carried the desire to win.

They clearly felt that they were entering a new era, not only for their own country but for the whole world. As a long-time companion of DIFF, Ms. Nadia Shakira Wong expressed her emotions when returning to Da Nang, a place that holds many memories and witnessed the festival from its beginnings to an international event.

10 fireworks teams from 9 countries

DIFF 2025 will feature 10 fireworks teams from 9 countries, with teams from three different continents. Notably, this is the first time the festival will feature 2 Vietnamese teams, including Da Nang and 21 Chemical Company Limited. The remaining 8 teams, in addition to the familiar names of Finland, Poland, China, Canada, Italy, England, this year have two more teams from Korea and Portugal participating in DIFF for the first time. DIFF 2025 will be held with 6 official competition nights, each night with a different theme: Night 1 (May 31): "Cultural quintessence" - Vietnam 1 (Da Nang) and Finland. Night 2 (June 7): "Creative arts" - Vietnam 2 (Z121) and Poland. Night 3 (June 14): "Connecting journey" - Canada and China. Night 4 (June 21): “Sustainable Development” - Portugal and England. Night 5 (June 28): “Technology Leads the Way” - Korea and Italy. Final Night (July 12): “Welcoming the New Era” - The two best teams.

NGOC HA - DOAN LUONG

Source: https://baodanang.vn/du-lich-da-nang/202505/diff-2025-tinh-hoa-van-hoa-a-au-hoi-tu-dem-khai-mac-4007782/