The Netherlands Bans Consumer Fireworks, but the Promised Local Shows Are Not Happening
Consumers can no longer set off fireworks from this New Year. Councils could in theory organise shows or grant exemptions, but few will, and entire regions are refusing exemptions altogether.
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From the coming New Year, setting off consumer fireworks will be banned across the Netherlands for the first time. When the ban was agreed, one of the reassurances was that towns and cities could organise their own fireworks shows as an alternative. According to an investigation by the newspaper AD, however, those local shows will largely not happen this first year, and, the paper argues, the politicians who backed the ban knew as much.
What is banned
The ban comes from the Safe New Year Act (Wet veilige jaarwisseling), an initiative of the GroenLinks-PvdA and Party for the Animals parties, which was passed by parliament in 2025 and takes effect on 1 August 2026. From the 2026-2027 New Year, consumers may no longer buy or set off the usual consumer fireworks, known as category F2, such as fountains and Roman candles. Heavier fireworks were already banned. Only the lightest novelty items, category F1, such as sparklers and party poppers, remain legal.
The law does leave two openings. Municipalities can still organise professional fireworks shows, as Rotterdam has done for years, and mayors can grant exemptions to local associations and foundations to hold their own displays, under strict safety conditions.
The alternative that is not materialising
In practice, those openings are being used very little for the coming New Year. Most councils will not put on a central show, and many are refusing to grant any exemptions at all. A survey by NOS found that at least a quarter of municipalities want no fireworks whatsoever this New Year, and that figure may rise.
Some places are the exception. Rotterdam continues its long-running show, and the town of Zeewolde has set aside 50,000 euros for a central display. Elsewhere, councils are offering different kinds of alternatives: De Bilt, for example, is giving residents money to organise neighbourhood get-togethers on New Year’s Eve instead.
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Why councils are holding back
Councils give several reasons. The timing is a big one: because the law only takes effect on 1 August, it becomes clear very late exactly what is and is not allowed, leaving little time to set up a careful system for applications, checks and enforcement, as the mayor of Velsen noted.
Cost is another. A municipal show or event can cost between 50,000 and 150,000 euros, and councils receive no extra budget for it. Many also say they simply lack the capacity and expertise. Perhaps the most consistent concern is the strain on the emergency services. In the words of the mayor of Baarn, the police, fire brigade and ambulance crews will already have their hands full enforcing the ban and keeping order, so adding organised displays on top would stretch them too far.
Whole regions say no
In several parts of the country, municipalities have coordinated to take the same line. The thirteen councils in the province of Zeeland issued a joint statement that they will grant no exemptions, wanting a single, clear approach across the province, with only Veere leaving the door slightly open under very strict conditions. Municipalities in West-Brabant made a similar decision, partly at the request of the police, who said they could not enforce individual exemptions while also policing the ban itself. Councils around Eemland, in the centre of the country, have done the same.
The safety case, and the doubts
Supporters of the ban point to safety. The last New Year before the ban left two people dead, sent 474 to accident and emergency and led to nearly 800 GP visits, and fireworks cause millions of euros in damage each year. The measure is meant to reduce that toll. The parties that backed the law in parliament included GroenLinks-PvdA, D66, CDA, VVD and SP, while the PVV, FVD, JA21 and BBB voted against.
There are doubts about how the first year will go. Surveys suggest that around half of residents are not even aware of the ban, and that a large share of people who currently set off fireworks intend to buy them illegally anyway. Municipalities are expected to review how the coming New Year unfolds in early 2027, and to decide then whether to organise more in future years.