In Hanoi, 33 fireworks locations with 34 launch sites were set to light up the sky for 15 minutes, from midnight to 0:15am on February 17, 2026. Of these, 11 were high-altitude displays and 23 low-altitude.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Dinh Thang, Commander of the Military Command of Tay Ho Ward, the display at Lac Long Quan Flower Garden would be among the largest, featuring 700 high-altitude fireworks racks, 60 low-altitude racks and 30 pyrotechnic arrays, all in line with the approved plan.

In Ho Chi Minh City, authorities announced 17 fireworks locations to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Among them were four high-altitude displays combined with low-altitude fireworks at the Saigon River tunnel entrance in An Khanh Ward, the new city center area in Binh Duong Ward, Tam Thang Square in Vung Tau Ward and Ba Ria Park Square in Ba Ria Ward. At these four major sites alone, 2,600 high-altitude fireworks shells were prepared to illuminate the sky, alongside hundreds of racks. An additional 13 locations would feature low-altitude displays.

Around 9pm, visitors began filling Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square in Hanoi in ever-growing numbers, the atmosphere growing livelier by the minute.

In Ho Chi Minh City, Alexey Badalov, who lives in Canada, said this was his third time celebrating the Lunar New Year in Vietnam. He spoke warmly of the traditional Tet atmosphere, impressed by the sight of people busily shopping, cleaning their homes and wearing ao dai to greet the deeply meaningful moment of transition into the new year.

In Da Nang, the dry, cool weather on the evening of February 16 created ideal conditions for residents to head outdoors. By around 8:45pm, large crowds had gathered at 24/3 Square in Ban Thach Ward, waiting together for midnight.

The square shimmered under bright lights, highlighted by the “Tam ma phi thien” mascot display and a model of Saint Giong’s horse. These installations quickly became focal points, drawing families, young groups and tourists eager to take commemorative photos before the year turned.

Along the Han River flower street, thousands of residents and visitors strolled through the spring displays. The “Horse 4.0” mascot, with its modern design and tech-inspired details, quickly became a favorite check-in spot. 

Back in Hanoi, by 7:30pm, large numbers of people dressed in ao dai had already gathered at Nguyen Hue Walking Street in Ho Chi Minh City, enjoying performances, taking photos and waiting for fireworks.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, from New Year’s Eve night, northern Vietnam would see scattered light rain. On the first day of Tet, a cold air mass was expected to affect the region, bringing colder conditions overnight, with mountainous areas experiencing severe cold.

PV