Glowing floats parade along Ha Long's waterfront, a Mid-Autumn Festival with fireworks on the night of September 25

In Quang Ninh Province, home to the World Heritage-listed Ha Long Bay, a large-scale Mid-Autumn event will be held on the night of September 25, 2026. The highlights are a parade of floats carrying giant lanterns along the seaside road, and about 10 minutes of fireworks set against the bay. The venue is the coastal road area of Bai Chay Ward. The date falls exactly on the Mid-Autumn full moon (the 15th day of the 8th lunar month), and Ha Long, familiar to Japanese travelers as a summer retreat, turns into a festival of lights for just this one night. If you have a trip to the north planned, it's worth aligning your schedule with this evening.

What happens in Ha Long on the night of September 25

According to Vietnam's major newspaper VnExpress, the parade begins at 7:30 p.m. on September 25. Buggies and dedicated trucks decorated with lanterns carry giant lantern models along the coastal road in procession. Alongside it, lion and dragon dances and street performances take place, along with a Mid-Autumn feast centered on offerings, "phá cỗ." The event is organized by Sun Group, and this marks its second consecutive year.

The figures on the floats include the familiar auspicious motifs, mythical beasts, flowers, phoenixes, and turtles, and this year adds two new characters: Saint Giong (Thánh Gióng) and the Jade Rabbit (the moon rabbit). Saint Giong is a hero from Vietnam's founding legend, giving the lineup a mix of tradition and novelty.

Fireworks from the Bai Chay lighthouse area

The climax of the night is the fireworks. They'll be launched from around the Bai Chay lighthouse, with high-altitude fireworks showing off varied effects at height expected to last about 10 minutes. With Ha Long Bay's water and the night sky as a backdrop, the fireworks make for a view unique to this place. With the excitement of the parade flowing straight into the fireworks, the evening packs its highlights into one stretch of time.

Getting the route and timing down first

Crowds will be dense on the day, so it helps to know where and when things happen in advance. Here's a summary of the key details reported by VnExpress.

Bai Chay is close to where Ha Long Bay cruises depart and is an area with plenty of hotels. Since the parade route runs along the coastal road, booking a hotel on the water side makes it easier to keep your travel time down.

Local anticipation and buzz

Tourism officials in Quang Ninh are putting weight behind this event as a pillar for drawing visitors during the Mid-Autumn holiday. Now in its second year, there's a sense locally that it's starting to become an established annual event. On social media, reaction from photography enthusiasts has come in early, drawn to a night when you can capture both the glowing floats and fireworks over the bay in one shot.

For families, it's a chance to share Mid-Autumn experiences like the lion dance and the phá cỗ offering feast with their children. Travelers say it's a welcome surprise to find a full-fledged Mid-Autumn festival on a side trip from Hanoi. For local restaurants and bars too, the evening crowd means peak business.

Planning Mid-Autumn as a day trip or overnight from Hanoi

How you fit this evening into your itinerary is what makes it practical for Japanese travelers. An expressway connects Hanoi to Bai Chay, roughly a two-and-a-half-hour drive. Leaving Hanoi in the afternoon, arriving in Ha Long by evening, watching the parade and fireworks, and staying overnight is an easy flow to build. Since the date falls on the Mid-Autumn full moon, you could also fit in a bay cruise during the day and carry on into the night's festival.

If you want to avoid the crowds, get to the coastal road before the parade starts at 7:30 p.m. to claim a spot. Since the fireworks go up from the Bai Chay lighthouse side, choosing a position with a clear view in that direction makes them easier to see. Late September in the north has a noticeable gap between daytime and nighttime temperatures, so bringing something to layer on makes watching more comfortable at night.

Comparing this to other Mid-Autumn spots at the same time

Mid-Autumn festivals pop up across Vietnam this time of year, and Ha Long stands out among them for its combination of bay and fireworks. In the northern interior, there's an event known for its giant lanterns, while in Ho Chi Minh City, lanterns shaped after folk tales are lit at a temple. Weighing a seaside Mid-Autumn against an inland lantern procession or the south's folk-tale lights can help you decide the flavor of your trip before choosing a destination.

If giant lanterns in the north are what you're after,Hundreds of thousands turn out in Tuyen Quang for Mid-Autumn, with 129 giant lanterns and 500 places to staycovers the scale. The folk-tale lights of the south areA 3-meter frog pleads to the heavens: a Mid-Autumn folk tale lit up at a Ho Chi Minh City shrinecovered in that. If you want to soak up the Mid-Autumn mood while staying in Hanoi,5 Hanoi cafés for Mid-Autumn photos, without waiting for the full moonis worth reading as well.

If you're spending this night in Ha Long

September 25 in Ha Long will be a special night, with a glowing float parade and fireworks over the bay coming together in one evening. If you're planning around it, a solid approach is to leave Hanoi in the afternoon, stay overnight in Bai Chay, get to the coastal road before the 7:30 p.m. parade to secure a viewing spot, and then watch the fireworks from the lighthouse side. Coinciding with the Mid-Autumn full moon makes it an option unique to this time of year for a trip up north. Book a hotel on the water side early and bring a jacket for the evening chill, and you'll be well prepared.

Sources: VnExpress, "Quang Ninh to hold lantern float parade and fireworks on Mid-Autumn night"