Gen Z brings Red Flamboyant Festival to life through digital storytelling
Not only immersing themselves in the festival, Gen Z in Hai Phong are also spreading the image of the Red Flamboyant Festival through videos, photos and digital content.
Telling stories through modern language
Just after the opening night of the 2026 Red Flamboyant Festival – Hai Phong came to an end, while the fireworks were still glowing in the memories of thousands gathered at the city’s Political-Administrative Center Square, Tran The Anh from Le Chan Ward quickly began editing the footage he had just captured.
The 1.5-minute clip was uploaded to the TikTok channel “Dong Long Hai Phong.” Images of the brilliantly lit stage and the spectacular fireworks over the Bac Song Cam area rapidly attracted tens of thousands of views.
“After watching the opening ceremony, I felt so proud because everything was so beautiful. I went home, edited the video immediately and posted it right away. I want more people to know that Hai Phong is hosting a truly spectacular festival,” The Anh shared.
From the very first days of the festival season, the TikTok channel had continuously updated content about festival activities, including the opening stage, invitation tickets, the central boulevard space, performance schedules, the puppet festival and experiential booths. Each video was carefully produced with drone footage, attractive camera angles, modern editing styles and a tone that resonates with young audiences.
The Anh is not alone. Many young people in Hai Phong are also choosing to tell the story of the Red Flamboyant Festival through their own smartphones.
On TikTok, the channel “Ot Review” also uploads videos updating viewers on the latest activities of the Red Flamboyant Festival. In just a short time, one clip attracted more than 300,000 views and thousands of interactions.
In the comment section, many people from far away left messages such as: “Hai Phong is so beautiful,” “I definitely have to come next year,” and “I didn’t expect the festival to be this grand”…
Perhaps this is the clearest example of the powerful spread that social media has brought to this year’s festival season.
In the past, images of the Red Flamboyant Festival were mainly shared through newspapers and television. Today, however, each young person’s social media account has become its own communication channel, helping the image of the city reach much farther.
Beyond filming videos, many young photography enthusiasts have also chosen to capture the festival through emotional and artistic photographs.
On the afternoon of May 9, as crowds poured into the Central Flower Garden area to enjoy the Expanded Hai Phong Puppet Festival, Pham Dang Am, a member of the Hai Phong Young Photography Club, moved through the busy streets searching for beautiful moments to capture.
Through his lens, Am captured colorful puppets, artists in traditional costumes, the excited eyes of children, and the smiles of people along the streets as they witnessed the horse parade appearing for the first time.
“This is my second year photographing the Red Flamboyant Festival. This year feels even more vibrant, especially the puppet festival. I want to capture those moments and post them on social media so friends living far away can see how beautiful and lively Hai Phong is,” Am shared excitedly.
His photo collections later received widespread shares among photography communities. Many comments expressed surprise at a Hai Phong that is both modern and youthful while still deeply rooted in cultural identity.
According to Am, the most fascinating thing about the Red Flamboyant Festival is that every street corner can become a beautiful frame.
From the colorful Flower Garden area and the historic City Theater to the street parades and modern stages, everything creates unique visual inspiration. Young people simply need to raise their cameras to capture beautiful images and tell stories about their city.
The power of social media
This year’s open festival spaces have created even more opportunities for Gen Z to produce creative content. Activities stretching from the Central Flower Garden area and the City Theater to the Political-Administrative Center Square — from international art performances to puppet festivals, exhibitions, and food fairs — have provided rich material for young people to film videos, take photos, and create clips.
That diversity is exactly what keeps the Red Flamboyant Festival vibrant across digital platforms.
The Red Flamboyant Festival – Hai Phong 2026 was organized on a grand scale with more than 60 activities taking place throughout the season, attracting large numbers of residents and visitors.
But beyond the success in terms of scale, one of the clearest highlights of this year’s festival has been its powerful presence across digital platforms. Countless check-in photos, puppet parade videos, international cultural exchange performances, and fireworks moments from the opening night continuously appeared on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram. Many videos gained tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of views.
Through these platforms, Hai Phong’s Gen Z is helping promote the image of the city using the language that feels most natural and modern to their generation. Through short videos, meaningful photo collections, and proud social media captions, young people are telling the story of Hai Phong in their own way. It is a Hai Phong that is youthful, modern, and dynamic while still rich in cultural identity — a city that knows how to renew itself and connect with the public.
If the outdoor stages created the excitement of the festival itself, then Gen Z is the force continuing to keep the Red Flamboyant Festival alive online. And through that, the red spirit of May in the port city is spreading farther than ever, reaching friends and audiences across the country.
Phuong Linh