DIFF ignites Da Nang’s cultural industry ambitions

After nearly two decades, DIFF has evolved well beyond a traditional entertainment event, becoming a catalyst for creative services, night tourism, advertising, media, performing arts, and the experience economy.

A soft brand for Da Nang

As cities increasingly compete through cultural appeal, the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) is emerging as a “soft brand” that generates wider cultural industry value for Da Nang. Beyond fireworks performances, recent editions have expanded to include art shows, street music, food spaces, night markets, technology experiences, and digital media campaigns.

As a result, the festival’s economic impact now extends far beyond tourism revenue, creating demand for advertising, stage production, media, transport, accommodation, food services and the night-time economy.

DIFF is also helping shape new patterns of cultural consumption, with visitors increasingly seeking symbolic festival experiences rather than traditional beach tourism alone.

Many travel companies are now focusing on festival experiences, combining fireworks, cuisine, Han River cruises, art performances and nightlife. This is a clear sign of the rise of the experience economy, a core component of the modern cultural industry.

From a branding perspective, DIFF has also strengthened Da Nang’s image as an “event city” in Central Vietnam through extensive international media coverage across television, newspapers, social media and travel platforms.

Building a creative ecosystem

Da Nang is no longer treating the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival as a standalone event but as the foundation of a broader cultural industry ecosystem.

Under the city’s cultural industry development strategy through 2030, Da Nang aims to turn cultural industries into a key economic sector and position itself as one of Vietnam’s leading creative hubs.

International festivals are expected to drive cultural markets, the night-time economy and the “Da Nang - a creative city” brand.

The city also plans to develop creative spaces, cultural walking streets, outdoor art parks, night-time cultural zones, and large-scale performance centers, reflecting a shift from seasonal events to long-term creative economy infrastructure.

During the 2026 - 2030 period, Da Nang plans to attract investment in projects including theaters, cultural and cinema centers, film studios, creative spaces and commercial-service complexes supporting DIFF activities.

The festival is also generating strong digital media value, with thousands of videos, photos and online content shared by tourists, influencers and international media each season.

Recognizing this potential, the city is prioritizing advertising, digital media, entertainment software and distinctive cultural products such as music festivals, creative streets and experiential tourism.

More importantly, DIFF is creating opportunities for new creative professions, businesses, cultural spaces and audiences, supporting Da Nang’s ambition to become one of the region’s leading creative cities.