The annual Danang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) on the Han River in the central city of Danang this year will welcome three new teams to participate.
The municipal People’s Committee, announced late last week that the new teams, including the American, German and Chinese, will compete with other teams from France, Italy, Poland, Finland and Vietnam during the 2024 DIFF.
Scheduled to kick off on June 8 and wrap up on July 13, the festival will feature stunning firework performances.
Like previous years, the festival’s main event will take place at the Han River Harbor, while a series of art performances and other cultural activities will be organized on Tran Hung Dao street.
The 2024 DIFF will feature eight teams competing over five nights – four selection nights and a finale, across the month-long event during the high season for tourism. After the opening ceremony on June 8, firework performances will be presented every Saturday night for the following weeks, except the Saturday before the finale on July 13. Each team will showcase a 20-minute firework performance on a specific theme as decided by the organizers.
The general theme of DIFF 2024 is in the process of selection, but Danang authority has emphasized that the event will go towards the message of a peaceful, equal, harmonious and human-centered society.
Starting in 2008, Danang has been the only place in Vietnam to have hosted a fireworks festival, making it a magnet for the best fireworks producers from around the world each year.
The city has been building a ‘fireworks festival city’ reputation to promote it as a ‘must-see’ destination in central Vietnam.
In 2016, the annual event helped the city win the title 'Asia's Leading Festival & Event Destination' at the World Travel Awards (WTA).
A report from the city’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Department shows that each fireworks festival saw more than 1.5 million tourists flocking to the city.
Last year, the French team won the championship after a spectacular performance on the Han River, taking home the $20,000 cash award.
In other tourism news, Danang is conducting a trial run of its first pedestrian street in the first quarter of this year on Bach Dang street from the Dragon Bridge to the Nguyen Van Troi Bridge.
The trial pedestrian section is on Bach Dang street on the western bank of the Han River, extending to the intersection of Duy Tan-Tran Thi Ly, with a length of 1.2 km, connecting to the Nguyen Van Troi Bridge, with a length of 513m.
The pedestrian street will operate from 3 p.m. to midnight daily.
According to the plan, from 3 p.m. to midnight daily, the extended section of Bach Dang street will use one lane on the east side for parking and mobile stalls.
Initially, Danang plans to allocate three groups with 12 mobile stalls along the entire east sidewalk of the extended Bach Dang street, and five groups with 15 mobile stalls on one of the lanes.
In addition, on the pedestrian street, there will be various selfie points, installation of free Wi-Fi posts, directions to the Nguyen Van Troi Bridge, mural paintings, and a main stage in a landscape square opposite Binh Minh 6 street.
According to the municipal Department of Tourism, the pedestrian street will organize two main groups of activities. These include cultural and artistic activities, community activities, and services for residents and tourists at the APEC Park.
Performances such as EDM and DJs will be organized on the main stage every night, linked with businesses to hold large-scale music concerts and events.
In addition to using the road on festive occasions, peak seasons, and other times in the year, Danang will host additional festivals such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Dragon Dance Festival, Beer Festival, Food Festival, and Hot Air Balloon Festival.
Moreover, the city also encourages street art forms such as portrait painting, magic shows, balloon art, rhythmic gymnastics, street music, fashion shows, and flash mobs.
The second group of activities includes utilizing food vehicles and mobile shops to serve drinks and fast food and sell souvenirs.