DIFF 2025 Opening Ceremony: Fireworks and cutting-edge technology party on the Han River

The fireworks team from Finland lights up the Nordic spirit in the sky of Da Nang. Photo: XUAN QUYNH — The fireworks team from Finland lights up the Nordic spirit in the sky of Da Nang . Photo: XUAN QUYNH

New look for Da Nang in the integration era

At the opening ceremony, Mr. Le Trung Chinh, Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee, clearly affirmed the city's position and vision in the new era. DIFF 2025 is not only a large-scale cultural and artistic event but also a symbol of a Da Nang that is innovative, creative, aspiring to reach out and ready for deep integration.

This year, the festival has a special meaning as it takes place on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Da Nang and the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification. The theme "Da Nang - New Era" clearly shows the orientation of building the city to become "Asia's leading event and festival city", attracting tourists not only by its natural scenery but also by its ability to organize international-scale events.

Mr. Le Trung Chinh, Chairman of Da Nang City People's Committee spoke at the opening ceremony.

The impressive technological highlight of DIFF 2025 is the integration of the Sky AR outdoor virtual reality platform with a coverage of up to 600,000m² and nearly 10 million pixels via the Sun Paradise Land application. In addition, the audience can also directly experience images of Cham towers, Whales, Cham dances... In particular, each graphic effect is "tailored" according to each theme of the competition nights, creating artistic, vivid and highly personalized visual performances.

Art program imbued with cultural identity

The opening night stage was a "visual feast" when the Vietnamese-style art performances were refreshed with modern sound and light. Performances such as "Dat nuoc loi ru", "Binh minh Da Nang", "Phong nu - Co doi thuong ngan"... showed the harmony between traditional identity and contemporary spirit, reflecting the true spirit of a city that is changing, looking towards the future but not forgetting its roots. The stage atmosphere became more passionate with the performance "Fly Me To The Moon" and the performance of traditional Finnish dance by Mai Trang dance troupe in a liberal and varied style, taking the audience beyond the borderless artistic space.

Telling stories with light

In the opening competition, two teams from Vietnam and Finland told unique cultural stories through light, music and fireworks techniques.

The Da Nang International Fireworks Team (Vietnam 1) opened with a performance called “Cultural Essence”, showing the journey from traditional identity to global integration. Music and lighting were divided into 4 chapters: Blending – Honoring – Integrating – Pioneering & Glory. Opening with the gentle melody “Bonjour Vietnam”, the audience was led into a lyrical space imbued with Asian culture.

As the tempo changes to “Top of the Rock” and “City of Light”, the fireworks display paints a vibrant, modern and aspirational Da Nang. The climax is the image of Marble Mountains glowing in the night sky, emphasizing the depth of local culture and identity.

The audience attentively watched the performances of the competing teams. Photo: XUAN QUYNH

Next up was the reigning champion JoHo Pyro Professional Fireworks AB (Finland) with their performance titled “Nordic Lights”. The Nordic style was evident through the flexible transition between energetic pop rock and soulful ballads like “Stormskärs Maja”. The theme of “survival in the ice and sea” was strongly conveyed through each burst of fireworks.

Vice Chairwoman of Da Nang City People's Committee Nguyen Thi Anh Thi awarded commemorative medals to the two competing teams.

In particular, the “water cannon” technique – the weapon that helped this team win in 2024 – continues to make a strong impression. The cannons seem to rise from the Han River, move smoothly and then suddenly explode, simulating the image of the brilliant aurora in Lapland – the famous northernmost region of Finland.

A subtle highlight was the surprise appearance of the Vietnamese song “Bong phu hoa – Vu tru co bay” in the performance of the other team. When the fireworks storks flew across the Nordic sky, an unexpected cultural exchange moment was created, showing the international team’s respect for the local culture, while highlighting the theme of “Cultural Essence” of the festival season.

>>> Performance by the Da Nang International Fireworks Team (Vietnam 1). Photo: XUAN QUYNH