The River That Catches Fire on Saturdays
The first shell goes up around eight o’clock, and for a second the Han River is just a dark gap between two banks of spectators. Then the burst opens — red and gold scattering across the water — and suddenly the river is the show too, doubling everything the sky offers. That’s the trick Da Nang figured out years ago: put the fireworks over water, and you get the performance twice.
The Da Nang International Fireworks Festival — DIFF, as everyone calls it — has been running since 2008 with a few interruptions. The 2026 edition carries the theme “Da Nang – United Horizons” and brings ten teams from nine countries to compete across six Saturday nights, from May 30 to July 11. Each night, two teams go head-to-head with choreographed displays set to music, and a panel of judges decides who advances to the grand finale.
Who’s Competing and When
The schedule is already confirmed, with each night themed around a different idea:
- May 30 — “Nature”: Vietnam (Da Nang) vs. China
- June 6 — “Heritage”: France vs. Vietnam (Z21 Vina Pyrotech)
- June 13 — “Culture”: Japan vs. Italy
- June 20 — “Creative”: Germany vs. Macau
- June 27 — “Vision”: Australia vs. Portugal
- July 11 — Grand Finale: “United Horizons”
Vietnam fields two different teams on two separate nights, which is interesting — suggests the organizers want to showcase different domestic pyrotechnic styles. Japan and Italy on the same night is probably the most anticipated matchup if past editions are anything to go by. Both countries have strong competitive fireworks traditions, though they approach choreography quite differently.
The gap between the fifth night and the finale is two full weeks, which the city uses for side events, cultural performances, and what amounts to a very long buildup of anticipation.
Getting a Seat (Or Not)
Here’s the practical reality: the main viewing area is along Tran Hung Dao Street, across from the launch zone at the Han River port. This is a change from some previous years when the stage was on a different stretch of riverfront, so double-check the layout when you arrive.
Ticketed grandstand seating is divided into tiers. Based on 2025 pricing (2026 prices hadn’t been officially announced last I checked), expect roughly:
- A3 zone: around 800,000–1,000,000 VND (~$32–40 USD)
- A1/A2 zones: 1,000,000–1,500,000 VND (~$40–60)
- A VIP: up to 3,500,000 VND (~$140)
Kids under one meter tall get in free but have to sit with an adult. Whether the VIP tier is worth it depends on how much you care about sightlines versus just soaking in the atmosphere — honestly, fireworks are big enough that even the cheaper seats deliver.
If you don’t want to deal with tickets, plenty of people watch for free from the riverbanks, rooftop bars, and hotel balconies along the Han River. The catch is you need to claim your spot early. By 5 or 6 PM on competition nights, the good free spots are taken.
The Part Nobody Warns You About
Da Nang in June and July is genuinely hot. We’re talking 33–35°C with humidity that makes it feel worse. If you’re sitting in the grandstand from 6 PM waiting for an 8 PM show, bring water and a hand fan. Sunscreen for the wait, even in the evening — the late-afternoon sun is still strong.
Afternoon rain showers happen regularly, sometimes heavy. They almost never cancel the fireworks (rain doesn’t really affect aerial pyrotechnics), but getting caught in a downpour while you’re holding your spot on the riverbank is unpleasant. A cheap poncho from any convenience store is worth having.
The post-show traffic is the other thing. When tens of thousands of people try to leave the same riverfront at the same time, everything locks up. Taxis and ride-hailing apps surge in price and availability drops. If your hotel is within walking distance, that’s ideal. Otherwise, expect a 30–45 minute wait just to get moving. Some locals solve this by staying at a nearby café until the crowd thins out — not a bad strategy.
Flying In and Finding a Bed
Da Nang International Airport (DAD) is unusually convenient — it’s basically inside the city, about 15 minutes from the Han River area by taxi. Direct flights come in from Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Tokyo, and several Chinese cities. For finding routes that aren’t obvious, Kiwi.com is decent at surfacing connections through smaller regional carriers.
Accommodation is where you need to plan ahead. Opening night (May 30) and the grand finale (July 11) book up fastest. Hotels along the Han River charge a premium during festival weekends — some jack up rates by 50% or more compared to non-festival weeks. If you’re flexible on dates, the mid-festival nights (June 13, 20, 27) are slightly easier on both crowds and wallets.
Riverside hotels with balconies facing west get direct views of the fireworks. That said, you’re paying for the view. Budget travelers might do better staying in the My Khe Beach area, about a 10-minute ride from the river, and heading to the viewing areas on foot or by taxi.
For booking, Agoda tends to have the widest selection of Vietnamese hotels, including smaller guesthouses that don’t always show up on other platforms. Worth comparing with Trip.com too — they sometimes have package deals bundling flights and hotels for Southeast Asian destinations.
What to Do When the Sky Isn’t Exploding
You’ve got six Saturdays of fireworks spread over six weeks. That leaves a lot of daylight hours to fill, and Da Nang is genuinely good for this.
My Khe Beach is the obvious one — consistently ranked among Vietnam’s best beaches, and it’s right in the city. Morning swimming is best; by noon it gets crowded and the sun is brutal.
The Marble Mountains are five limestone-and-marble hills about 20 minutes south of central Da Nang. The main one, Thuy Son, has Buddhist caves, pagodas, and viewpoints. It’s worth going early before the tour buses arrive. Wear shoes with grip — the stone steps get slippery.
Hoi An is 30 minutes south by taxi and feels like a different world. The ancient town is a UNESCO site, full of lantern-lit streets, tailors, and riverside cafés. Go on a full-moon night if your schedule allows — the old town switches to candlelight and paper lanterns. If you want to book a day trip with transport sorted, KLOOK and KKday both run Hoi An excursions from Da Nang that include hotel pickup.
Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge are about 40 km west of the city. The cable car ride up is dramatic, and the bridge — held by two enormous stone hands — is photogenic in a way that’s hard to argue with. It’s touristy, yes, and the French Village at the top is aggressively themed, but the mountain air is a legitimate relief from the coastal heat.
Eating Through Da Nang
Central Vietnamese food is its own thing — different from Hanoi, different from Saigon. The essentials:
Mì Quảng — turmeric-tinted noodles with pork, shrimp, and peanuts, served with very little broth. Not soupy like pho. Every neighborhood has a stall that claims to be the best.
Bánh xèo — crispy rice-flour crepes stuffed with shrimp and bean sprouts. The Da Nang version is smaller than the southern style, more like snack-sized. Wrap them in rice paper with herbs.
Bún chả cá — fish cake noodle soup. This one’s a breakfast food for locals. The fish cakes are bouncy and mild, and the broth is lighter than you’d expect.
The Han Market (Chợ Hàn) and Con Market (Chợ Cồn) are both good for street food and local produce. Con Market is more local, less tourist-oriented. Neither is air-conditioned, which matters in July.
Before You Go
A few things worth knowing:
- Vietnam e-visas are available for most nationalities, valid for 90 days. Apply online before your trip.
- The Vietnamese dong is the only accepted currency in most places. ATMs are everywhere. Cards are accepted at hotels and larger restaurants but not at street stalls or markets.
- Grab (the Southeast Asian ride-hailing app) works well in Da Nang and is far cheaper than taxis.
- The festival schedule could technically shift — DIFF has adjusted dates in past years due to weather or logistics. Confirm the exact dates on the official DIFF website before booking flights.
I grabbed a bánh mì from a cart near the Dragon Bridge on the way back to the hotel. The bread was still warm, and the woman running the cart had the assembly down to about fifteen seconds. Cost 20,000 dong — less than a dollar. Sometimes the best part of a fireworks festival happens at street level.
