With the theme ‘Legacy of Culture’, the opening night of DIFF 2025 launched a series of six fireworks displays taking place from May 31 to July 12. This year’s event marks DIFF's longest and most grandiose festival season to date.

Lê Trung Chinh, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the Đà Nẵng People’s Committee, said: “With the theme ‘Đà Nẵng – The New Rising Era’, this year’s festival is an emotionally charged celebration of light technology, art, and music. It is also a grand event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Đà Nẵng, as well as the liberation of the South and national reunification.”

He added that the festival reaffirms Đà Nẵng’s aspirations and determination to move forward and assert its position as ‘Asia’s leading festival and event destination’, continuing to attract international visitors.

“There is no other country with a fireworks festival where up to ten teams compete like this,” said Nadia Shakira Wong, CEO of Global 2000, the world’s leading fireworks consultancy.

“I believe DIFF 2025 could be nominated for the Guinness World Records.”

Demonstrating the allure of the beautiful coastal city and its dazzling fireworks nights by the Hàn River, over 10,000 seats in the grandstand for the DIFF 2025 opening night were filled. Audiences joyfully welcomed a multi-sensory feast of music, light, and AR technology, enjoying one-of-a-kind experiences.

A stunning showdown in the sky

One highlight was the dramatic 'clash' between the host team from Đà Nẵng (Việt Nam 1) and reigning champions JoHo Pyro (Finland), creating a spectacular Asia–Europe cultural encounter in the sky.

As the team opening the largest DIFF season in history, Đà Nẵng hosts impressed thousands of spectators and stirred local pride with a powerful return, showcasing masterful fireworks artistry.

For more than 20 minutes, over 5,000 fireworks lit up the sky in harmony with music, forming a symphony of light to honour the 50th anniversary of the city’s liberation.

The four themed chapters — Harmony – Tribute – Integration – Pioneering – Glory — told the story of Vietnamese culture reaching out to the world. From shimmering rain-like effects to cascading waterfall fireworks, the audience was taken on an emotional journey from reflection to exhilaration.

Opening with meticulously choreographed fireworks set to international tracks including Bonjour Việt Nam, Titanium, and Top of the Rock, the performance portrayed a dynamic and globally connected Đà Nẵng.

In the next chapter, images of the homeland unfolded to the melodies of City of Light and Glory, leaving the audience in awe. The emotional peak came when fireworks shaped like the iconic Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn) lit up the night sky, blending seamlessly with ocean wave visuals — a powerful symbol of Đà Nẵng’s coastal identity and unity.

Each chapter of the display presented a richly layered narrative — from cultural heritage to global aspirations, from national pride to a pioneering spirit. Once again, the Đà Nẵng team played the role of ‘storyteller through light’, affirming the city’s status as a hub of creativity, integration, and international cultural exchange.

Local resident Hà Linh shared: “The opening of the DIFF season couldn’t have been more wonderful. As a Đà Nẵng local, I was moved and proud to witness our home team’s performance celebrating 50 years since the city’s liberation. Every year, my family and I rush to get grandstand tickets to soak up the festival atmosphere, but this year left the strongest impression.”

The ‘Nordic Lights’ illuminate Đà Nẵng’s sky

The ‘Nordic Lights’ display by the Finnish team brought an entirely different atmosphere — intense and evocative of the spirit of Northern Europe. Opening with fiery pop-rock tracks such as Diamond Eyes, Liar, and Heroes Are Calling, the audience was swept into a whirlwind of emotions, immersed in the story of a people living amid sea and ice.

The first bursts of fireworks exploded like waves crashing ashore, then softened unexpectedly to the melancholic tune of Stormskärs Maja, a Nordic ballad that evokes imagery of wooden boats drifting through the mist of the Baltic Sea.

‘Water fireworks’ — the technique that secured Finland’s victory at last year’s DIFF — once again took centre stage. From the surface of the Hàn River, fireworks appeared to rise from the depths, erupting suddenly like waves striking rugged cliffs. The light effects mimicked undercurrents, evoking the harsh survival journey of island communities.

The Finnish team further heightened the drama with a series of high-altitude fireworks. The sky lit up with green, purple-blue, and bright pink streaks, flaring like the aurora borealis — the mysterious natural phenomenon of the far north.

Vietnamese audiences gasped in delight when Bóng phù hoa – Vũ trụ cò bay, a Vietnamese composition, played amid the fireworks. The inclusion of a Vietnamese song in a European team’s display served as a warm cultural greeting from JoHo Pyro. Firework bursts that resembled the wings of flying storks added to the moment’s magic, symbolising a beautiful cultural fusion between two seemingly distant worlds.

An amazing night by the Hàn river

The opening night of DIFF 2025 also offered spectators an unprecedented artistic experience. For the first time in a fireworks festival, large-scale outdoor augmented reality (AR) was introduced via the Sun Paradise Land app. This feature not only embedded visual effects into each paper ticket but also extended the AR experience across the entire Hàn River area.

The Sky AR project, DIFF 2025’s outdoor AR system, spans an impressive 600,000 square metres and nearly 10 million pixels, making it the largest outdoor AR system ever applied at a cultural-tourism event in Việt Nam. Each graphical effect was customised to match the unique theme of every competition night, offering deeply immersive, artistic, and personalised visual experiences.

On opening night, all it took was for spectators to raise their phones to behold virtual Chăm towers, inspired by the world’s largest Chăm Sculpture Museum, located in Đà Nẵng. This museum houses more than 2,000 ancient artefacts, showcasing the deep cultural heritage of the region in a modern setting.

Viewers could also witness graceful and mystical Chăm dances in augmented form. The image of Cá Ông (the Vietnamese God of the Sea) gliding across the night sky symbolised the hopes of Central Coast residents for calm seas and bountiful harvests — a moment that filled many visitors with awe and excitement.

A stage of emotion and identity

The evening began with a stirring performance of Đất nước lời ru (Motherland in Lullabies) by divo Tùng Dương and singer Kiều Anh, accompanied by a professional dance troupe. Following this, singer Thu Hằng — former champion of the Sao Mai competition — continued the momentum with Bình minh Đà Nẵng (Đà Nẵng at Dawn). This proud and heartfelt tribute to the Hàn River city transported the audience into a space where Vietnamese cultural identity resonated through every note.

Under the theme ‘The Vietnamese Aspiration’, a series of performances by singer Nguyễn Trần Trung Quân and a dance troupe evoked strong national pride. The return of Kiều Anh in her Phong nữ x Cô đôi thượng ngàn performance brought a mystical air inspired by the Vietnamese Mother Goddess belief. Rich in spiritual symbolism and cultural depth, this segment stood out as a refreshing highlight of the event.

The atmosphere reached fever pitch with a vibrant mash-up of Fly Me to the Moon and traditional Finnish dance, performed by the Mai Trắng Dance Troupe. This fusion took the audience on a journey through a boundless realm of art and emotion. The night concluded with an explosive Can-can performance — a lively invitation to visitors to continue the celebration of DIFF 2025: ‘Đà Nẵng – The New Rising Era’ in the upcoming fireworks nights.

“It’s amazing! I’ve never experienced a more beautiful and grand fireworks festival than this. It’s not just fireworks — Đà Nẵng has technology and music. You have to come and feel the energy of this crowd for yourself. I’ll be back for the next show!”, said David, an American tourist.