The opening art program of the Red Flamboyant Flower Festival 2026 with the theme "Hai Phong: Gathering - Shining" took place on the evening of May 8th at the Central Political - Administrative Square, Bac Song Cam New Urban Area, to celebrate the 71st anniversary of Hai Phong Liberation Day.
The event is directed by Hai Phong City People's Committee, co-organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The program is produced by Vietnamshow with a crew including General Director Pham Hoang Giang, Program Director Vu Hoa, Music Director Pham Viet Tuan and General Choreographer Hai Truong.
Staged as a "urban reality show", the program combines music, dance, documentary film, drama with LED, AR technology, moving stage and multi-layered lighting system. The performance space is constantly changing, recreating from the historic Bach Dang River to the modern seaport urban appearance.
The program is built into three chapters: "Hai Phong - Epic Song at the forefront of the waves", "Convergence of Sources" and "Aspiration to Shine", leading the audience through the historical, cultural and development aspirations of the Port city.
The highlight lies in the continuous storytelling with music and stage images, creating a cinematic experience. The program features the participation of many artists such as NSND Khanh Hoa, NSND Nhat Thuan, NSUT Dang Duong, NSUT Vu Thang Loi and singers My Tam, Quoc Thien, Duong Hoang Yen, Oplus...
Sharing about the idea of implementing the program, scriptwriter - General Director Pham Hoang Giang said: "The thing I aim for when implementing the program is to locate where Hai Phong land is, what the source of Hai Phong flow is, and at the same time remind viewers to remember the heroic historical past that created a proud and indomitable Hai Phong today.
According to the General Director, the spirit of "convergence and brilliance" of Hai Phong was chosen as a highlight for this year's festival season, especially in the context that Hai Phong and Hai Duong are entering a new stage of development. "It is the convergence of local spirits and talents, of favorable weather and location, of quintessence and people for Hai Phong to step into a new page and shine together," Pham Hoang Giang shared.
General director Pham Hoang Giang said that the crew especially focuses on balancing between artistic elements and popular appeal. Besides epic scenes, the program also gathers many artists loved by young people and introduces new creations about Hai Phong to spread love for the Port city.
Project Director Minh Hanh said that the program is elaborately invested in every fine art detail and stage costume. Two colors, red and blue, are used throughout as symbols of phoenix flowers, the sea and the aspiration for development of the Port city.
The program stage is more than 3,000m2 wide with a LED screen system of more than 1,500m2 and many modern performance technologies. However, according to Pham Hoang Giang, technology is only truly meaningful when serving emotions and artistic content.
When doing art, I don't put much emphasis on showing off technology but prioritize the audience's emotions. The most important thing is how to convey the message and lead the audience's emotions naturally. For me, the greatest value is when content, emotions and technology can harmoniously blend to create a program that is both artistic and truly touches viewers" - Pham Hoang Giang said.
General director Pham Hoang Giang believes that large-scale art programs today can completely become cultural products that attract tourists and gradually move towards commercial value. He also said that the Red Flamboyant Flower Festival has the potential to become a national and international cultural brand, contributing to promoting the image of Hai Phong in the future.
