Illuminating the cultural industry through DIFF

Not only attracting millions of tourists, the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2026 - DIFF 2026 is also gradually shaping a new economic model for Da Nang - a cultural industry based on festivals.

DIFF opens up opportunities for the strong development of the cultural industry in Da Nang . Photo: Xuan Son

After nearly two decades of organization, DIFF is demonstrating a ripple effect that extends far beyond the scope of a mere entertainment event, becoming a "catalyst" for many creative service industries, night tourism, advertising, media, performing arts, and experiential economy .

Soft brand

In the context of cities competing based on cultural appeal, DIFF is being seen as a "soft brand" capable of driving the cultural industry value chain of Da Nang.

While DIFF was previously primarily seen as a seasonal tourism event, its structure has changed significantly in recent years. Surrounding the fireworks displays are a range of supporting activities, from art performances and street music to food stalls, night markets, technology experiences, digital content creation, and multi-platform media.

The economic impact therefore extends beyond ticket sales or hotel occupancy rates. DIFF is creating significant demand for advertising, stage design, lighting, television production, digital media, accommodation services, transportation, food and beverage, and nighttime commerce.

More importantly, the festival is beginning to create a new "cultural consumption habit." Tourists come to Da Nang not only to swim or relax, but also to participate in the city's iconic festival experiences. This is a remarkable development in an economy based on experiences and creativity.

Mr. Cao Tri Dung, Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association, believes that recent Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) seasons have changed the structure of the city's tourist market. “Many travel businesses are no longer simply selling tours, but rather ‘festival experiences.’ International tourists are particularly interested in products that combine fireworks, cuisine, Han River cruises, art shows, and nightlife. This is a sign that Da Nang is developing an experience-based economy – a core element of modern cultural industry,” Mr. Dung stated.

From an urban perspective, DIFF also contributes to positioning Da Nang as a "city of events" in the Central region. The media effect from the fireworks display has helped the city appear frequently on international platforms, from television and newspapers to social media and travel experience videos.

DIFF opens up strong opportunities for the development of the cultural industry in Da Nang. Photo: Xuan Son

Innovation ecosystem

Notably, Da Nang is beginning to view DIFF not as an independent event, but as a nucleus for developing its cultural industry ecosystem.

According to the city's plan for the development of cultural industries until 2030, Da Nang aims to make the cultural industry a key economic sector, with an average growth rate of approximately 10-11% per year, while simultaneously building the city into a leading cultural industry center of the country.

In this orientation, international festivals are identified as one of the key drivers for expanding the cultural market, developing the night-time economy, and promoting the brand of "Da Nang - the creative city".

The city also plans to develop creative spaces, cultural pedestrian streets, outdoor "art gardens," nighttime cultural service areas, and large-scale performance centers. This shows a shift in development thinking from "seasonal festivals" to building infrastructure for a long-term creative economy.

Notably, in the list of projects for the 2026-2030 period, Da Nang plans to invest in and attract investment in a series of projects related to the cultural industry, such as the city's grand theater, a cultural and film center, a film studio and post-production center in Da Nang, a national-level performing arts center complex, a creative space complex, and especially a "commercial and service complex combined with facilities serving the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival".

This shows that DIFF is being placed at the center of the new cultural urban development strategy.

DIFF opens up strong opportunities for the development of the cultural industry in Da Nang. Photo: Xuan Son

Another significant impact of DIFF lies in the field of media and digital content creation. Each fireworks season, thousands of videos, images, and experience clips are created by tourists, KOLs, content creators, and international media outlets. This is a massive source of promotional data that no traditional marketing campaign can replace. In the era of the platform economy, the ability to create viral content is what determines the attractiveness of a tourist city.

Da Nang recognizes this. Therefore, in its cultural industry development plan, the city aims to develop advertising, digital media, entertainment software, and build brands for distinctive cultural products such as music festivals, contemporary art tours, creative streets, and experiential tourism.

The greatest value of the cultural industry lies in its ability to create cultural products with unique identities, capable of preserving memories and stimulating long-term consumption.

A festival that is merely crowded with visitors is not enough to create a cultural industry. What is crucial is whether, after the festival, the city can generate new career paths, new creative spaces, new innovative businesses, and a new class of culturally-minded people.

DIFF is opening up that opportunity for Da Nang. And for the first time, the city on the Han River is showing its ambition to go beyond the image of a "tourist destination," to enter the competition among creative cities in the region.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/thap-sang-cong-nghiep-van-hoa-tu-diff-3337946.html