Vietnamese team Z121 Vina Pyrotech’s performance at the finale of DIFF 2025. (Photo: VOV)

For three months, every Saturday night saw crowds gathering along the Han River in Da Nang. Its 10,000-seat grandstand was always packed. Tourists who wanted to stay in a high-rise hotel near the river to watch the fireworks from their room or from the hotel’s rooftop had to book far in advance.

On any fireworks night, locals and tourists lined the banks of the Han River and gathered on the Thuan Phuoc, Han River, and Dragon bridges, to watch the spectacular display.

“It’s absolutely wonderful and very artistic. If I get the chance, I’ll definitely return to Da Nang for the fireworks festival,” a tourist named Ho Thi Thu said.

DIFF 2025, the festival’s largest and longest edition yet, featured 10 teams. For the first time, Vietnam sent two teams, one of which took second place. Nadia Shakira Wong, CEO of Global 2000, a fireworks consulting firm, said that this year had the most creative and well-balanced teams, who incorporated modern technology and cultural identity into every performance. DIFF is now the world’s biggest and longest fireworks festival.

Nguyen Thi Anh Thi, Vice Chairwoman of the Da Nang People’s Committee, said that, over the next five years, DIFF will continue to be a driving force for the city’s cultural and tourism industries.

“DIFF will not be limited to the Han River area. We plan to expand it to other spaces across the city to make use of Da Nang’s diverse terrain. We’re also considering the idea of turning DIFF into a summer-long event combined with music, food, and street festivals, transforming Da Nang into a four-season festival city," said Thi.

Last Friday, one day before the festival’s finale, 171 flights landed at Da Nang airport, a record number, 14% above the average figure for July and 40% above the average for the first half of 2025.

On the final day of the festival, 165 flights arrived in Danang, including 55 international arrivals, and local hotels reported approximately 98,000 guests.

From May 31 to June 28, Da Nang served more than 1.1 million tourists, 10% more than in the same period last year.