France wins Đà Nẵng fireworks festival with sunning light show

France's team representative takes trophy of the Đà Nẵng International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) in the ‘dream’ final with Italy in the Hàn River on July 8. Photo courtesy of DIFF

ĐÀ NẴNG — France won the Đà Nẵng International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) in the final with Italy along the banks of the Hàn River on July 8, wrapping up the two-month-long festival.

The French team was awarded a cash prize of US$20,000, while the Italians took home $10,000 for being runners-up.

The fireworks performance of France in the final of the Đà Nẵng International Fireworks Festival (DIFF). Photo courtesy of DIFF

Poland received the innovation prize, and the audience favourite award went to Finland with a $3,000 cash prize for each team.

Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà was among the top officials in the final.

Once again, France showed off a stunning performance, named 'Light Up With Love' and featuring western and K-Pop backing tracks.

Dynamite by BTS and Stupid Love by Lady Gaga had the audience singing along under a lit-up sky.

The team also included a French remix of the Vietnamese song Bay (Fly) by Thu Minh.

Colourful fireworks showing love by the French team along Đà Nẵng City's Hàn River.. Photo courtesy of DIFF

The team's captain, Edouard Gregoire said: ”It’s a show of art and they had a good feeling during the demonstration. We used some of our favourite songs in the final.”

“To illuminate a borderless world, we have chosen to speak of love. Love can be of different forms. One can love literature or art as one can love others. Our show is intense, rhythmic, emotional, joyful, and dramatic. It is both current and past with a French and also Vietnamese touch.”

The Italian team – who won twice in 2017 and 2018 – started an amazing performance with Gossip, River Flows in You, and dance song Wake Me Up, followed by Việt Nam trong tôi là (I’m Vietnamese) by Thuỳ Chi.

A romantic ribbon of fireworks by the French team in the Đà Nẵng International Fireworks Festival. Photo courtesy of DIFF

According to the designer of the Italian show in the final, Michele Martarello, the two-time champion team drew inspiration from the artist Josè Angelino’s exhibition called ‘Gli Equilibri Fluidi’ (Fluid Balances), in Rome. The artist was able to create a hypnotic dance using lights and vibrations, in an environment that gave the possibility to combine classical and modern.

Italy's fireworks show at the Đà Nẵng International Fireworks Festival. The team came in second at the festival. Photo courtesy of DIFF

Michele Martarello said: “We want to strengthen the connection and to shorten the distances between human beings; our project aims to create a harmonic marriage between classical and modern, dark and light, giving us the chance to fully respect every form of art present in our show. Inspired by the Italian artist, we want to light up, once again, the sky of Đà Nẵng.”

France and Italy were the two best teams following the festival’s selection from eight teams: Việt Nam, Finland, France, Canada, Australia, Italy, the UK and Poland between June 3 and June 24.'

An Italian style of art is demonstrated by fireworks in the sky of Đà Nẵng. Photo courtesy of DIFF

In the festival’s history, Canada’s Davis Whysall took the top prize in 2008, while China’s Liuyang Dancing ranked first in 2009 before France’s Jacques Couturier Organisation took the title in 2010.

The US team Melrose Pyrotechnics took the top spot in 2013, while the Italian team, Parente Fireworks, doubled in 2011 and 2012.

The Australian Howard&Sons Pyrotechnics clinched the title in 2015, while Italy’s Martarello won the title twice in 2017 and 2018.

Fireworks are launched by the Italian team in the final of the Đà Nẵng International Fireworks Festival. The team came behind France. Photo courtesy of DIFF

Finland’s Joho Pyro Fireworks won in 2019 before the festival was suspended by COVID-19 for three years.

Đà Nẵng is the only place in Việt Nam to have hosted a fireworks festival. — VNS