Two months of Saturday night fireworks competitions above the Han River: teams from eight countries display 20-minute shows set to music, drawing 100,000 spectators to the riverfront bridges in central Da Nang.
The Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) runs across several Saturday nights from April to June each year, with teams from different countries each presenting a 20-minute fireworks and music display over the Han River. The competition format means each Saturday features a different national team, and the final night announces the winner of the competition. Countries represented in previous years have included Italy, Portugal, Canada, the USA, Australia, South Korea, and Vietnam itself. Teams are judged on technical precision, creative use of colour and timing, and synchronisation with the musical programme.
The best free viewing positions are from the Dragon Bridge (Cầu Rồng) and the Han River Bridge (Cầu Sông Hàn) on the riverbanks in either direction; these fill by 8:30pm for a 9pm show. The grandstand at the Asia Park complex on Phan Đăng Lưu Street offers elevated viewing with reserved seating. Da Nang itself is Vietnam's third-largest city and the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Hội An (30km south) and the Mỹ Sơn temple complex; a weekend visit combining the fireworks with a Hội An day trip is one of the most efficient cultural itineraries in central Vietnam. Hostel dorm beds in Da Nang's An Thượng tourist district, near My Khe Beach, run VND 130,000–250,000 per night (approximately £4–£7).
Party hostels within reach of 's main celebrations. Ranked by guest rating.
Day-by-day breakdown
My Khe Beach, a 35km stretch of sand south of the city centre, is accessible by taxi from the old city centre in 10 minutes (VND 50,000–70,000). The beach is wide and clean; the northern section near the Sheraton is less commercial than the main strip. The Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn), five cave temples carved into five marble outcrops 10km south of the city, take two hours and cost VND 40,000 entry. The Dragon Bridge is worth seeing in daylight to understand the structure before the evening.
Arrive at the Han River embankment by 8pm for a free standing position with clear sight of the fireworks firing positions on the river. The Dragon Bridge spits fire and water on Saturday and Sunday evenings at 9pm regardless of the fireworks festival, making the riverfront doubly worth visiting. The fireworks show runs for 20 minutes and is followed by the announcement of scoring. The Bach Dang Street riverside bars and restaurants stay open until midnight with post-fireworks crowds.
Pre-booked private transfers and shared shuttles for your arrival.
Getting to Da Nang International Fireworks Festival from Hoi An , and Ho Chi Minh