Eindhoven planning to ban fireworks for New Year's Eve this year

The political leadership of the municipality of Eindhoven has decided to prohibit the use of consumer fireworks during New Year's Eve celebrations this year. A centrally organized fireworks and light show will be put together for the upcoming New Year's period as an alternative.

The mayor and aldermen proposed to include a ban on private fireworks usage in the APV, the collection of city ordinances. A final decision on this matter is set to be made in June.

"A ban on the use of fireworks is an important step towards reducing damage, disturbance, and harm to people, animals, and the environment,” the municipality wrote. The city council had previously expressed its intentions to transition towards a fireworks-free New Year celebration.

The municipality's leadership admitted that enforcing a fireworks ban is challenging. “Setting off fireworks is a long-standing tradition in the Netherlands.” They stated that a “culture shift” was necessary for Eindhoven to transition towards a New Year's period without fireworks. "This will take several years. Therefore, additional supervisors will be deployed and youth activities will be arranged both in the run-up to and during the New Year," they stated.

In the previous New Year's celebration, bans on fireworks were imposed in several locations in the Netherlands, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Nijmegen, Apeldoorn, and Heuvelrug in Utrecht. However, this ban was widely ignored.