The main stage of the Đà Nẵng International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) is ready for the opening ceremony on June 3. Việt Nam will compete with Finland on the first night. Photo courtesy of Sun Group

ĐÀ NẴNG — A water-open stage and stands for 5,000 spectators each night has been completed for the opening ceremony of the Đà Nẵng International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) between Việt Nam and Finland on Saturday.

Event organisers Sun Group said preparations for the festival have been finalised over the two months, and the first teams are setting up in the fireworks launching area.

The head of the DIFF construction project for Sun Group, Trần Xuân Hưng, said the stage will offer a perfect view of the fireworks performance, and all stands are available for hosting more than 1,700 visitors each night.

Hưng said the construction of the stands and stage prioritised safety and convenience for viewers, and the fireworks were mobilised to the launching area from the Đà Nẵng port on Bạch Đằng street.

Host Việt Nam and Finland will debut on the first night with the show titled Peace for the World, aiming at bringing a peaceful moment to the world and a colourful, light-flooded night on the Hàn River.

Ticket prices range from VNĐ800,000 (US$32) to VNĐ3 million ($120) for the main stands on Trần Hưng Đạo street, while seats on 15 cruises are available from VNĐ500,000 ($20) to VNĐ1 million ($40).

This year's DIFF, which highlights the slogan "The World's Boundless Distance", will see eight teams from the UK, Italy, Poland, France, Australia, Canada, Finland and Việt Nam perform over five nights across two months.

Canada and France will show off their fireworks skills - Love without Distance - on the second night on June 10 before Australia joins Italy on the third night with Chasing Your Dreams on June 17.

The Hàn River in Đà Nẵng city hosts the Đà Nẵng International Fireworks Festival over two months between June and July. VNS Photo Công Thành

Poland and the UK will share the fourth night with Embracing Nature on June 14.

The two best teams will perform on the final night – Light up the Borderless Night – on July 8.

Director of Global 2000, the fireworks festival’s consultancy, Nadia Shakira Wong, said DIFF has grown from a little baby to now it can actually fly.

“After 15 years of working on this, I feel that it has grown so big that every country, every team wants to come from all over the world. They want to be selected to come to compete here. So, it has become very famous in the world, and on this side of the world, we are the biggest in terms of fireworks competitions. So, it basically has grown by itself,” she said.

“The main theme of ‘Light up the Borderless World’ is a big message to everyone. And it is the time for us to come together and it’s time for us to continue living our life which we have stopped for a while since the COVID-19 happened. Now, it is over, everyone feels safe to come out, feels safe to travel, they feel safe to experience. So, what we want is everyone to come to Đà Nẵng, the beautiful city, and experience what Đà Nẵng has to offer, and I can tell you one thing is that the city has a lot to offer. So that’s how we feel, we feel freedom and we are so happy to be back to Đà Nẵng,” she added.

Wong said Finland is a veteran team as it was the 2019 winner, and another veteran team, the UK, are a very strong team too.

“The UK team has never won before so they are back to win. So they have a very big show. Poland is a very safe team and they are very excited to be back, while Italy has won before. The first two teams, Việt Nam and Finland, have started to work. So we are good on timing. Little bit of stress, but you know stress is good, it makes us work harder,” she said.

The latest festival was in 2019, and is seen as the most successful with more than one million visitors and a victory for Finland’s Joho Pyro Fireworks.

Canada’s Davis Whysall took the top prize in 2008, while China’s Liuyang Dancing won in 2009. France’s Jacques Couturier Organisation won in 2010.

Italy’s Martarello won the title twice in 2017 and 2018 after another Italian team, Parente Fireworks, doubled in 2011 and 2012.

The US team Melrose Pyrotechnics took the first spot in 2013, while Australia's Howard&Sons Pyrotechnics clinched the title in 2015.

Đà Nẵng is the only place in Việt Nam to have hosted a fireworks festival, making it a magnet for the best fireworks producers from around the world each year since 2008.

It has been building a ‘Fireworks Festival City’ brand to promote it as a top destination in central Việt Nam and Asia. — VNS