These are the 16 Dutch cities where fireworks are banned on New Year’s Eve

Who's going out with a bang? 💥

At least 16 different municipalities are implementing a total fireworks ban this year.

That means, in those 16 locations, the general population is banned from lighting fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

Additionally, three more municipalities want to ban it for next year’s celebrations as well.

Naturally, fireworks won’t be off the table completely. Municipalities with bans generally plan a controlled fireworks show instead.

Municipalities with fireworks bans

Will you be able to try to blow off your fingers this year? Here’s what you need to know.

Municipalities that previously banned fireworks and continue to do so

  • Amsterdam
  • Apeldoorn
  • Haarlem
  • Heemstede
  • Heumen
  • Bloemendaal
  • Mook en Middelaar
  • Nijmegen
  • Rotterdam
  • Schiedam
  • Soest
  • Utrechtse Heuvelrug

Municipalities banning fireworks for the first time in 2023/24

  • Amersfoort
  • Arnhem
  • Eindhoven
  • Tilburg

Municipalities likely to ban fireworks in 2024/25

  • Ede
  • Zwolle
  • Zutphen

What’s the big deal with fireworks in the Netherlands?

Fireworks are often seen as the essential ingredient to the New Year, but especially for Dutchies.

However, let’s be honest: the Dutch take it way too far.

The fireworks often start six weeks before New Year’s Eve and continue every night, putting animals in constant states of stress and causing disturbances.

Far worse, however, is the damage and injuries. In recent years, we’ve seen:

Even worse, while types of fireworks sold in stores are regulated in the Netherlands, they’re not in neighbouring countries.

That means huge numbers of illegal fireworks are often imported.

Are you in favour of a fireworks ban in your municipality? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image:Depositphotos
Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺https://gallivantations.com
Sam has over six years experience writing about life in the Netherlands and leads the content team at DutchReview. She originally came to the Netherlands to study in 2016 and now holds a BA (Hons.) in Arts, a BA (Hons) in Journalism, and (almost) a Masters in Teaching. She loves to write about settling into life in the Netherlands, her city of Utrecht, learning Dutch, and jobs in the Netherlands — and she still can’t jump on the back of a moving bike (she's learning!).

5 COMMENTS

  1. I am a legal immigrant from USA to Netherlands. I am shocked at the gangs of teenagers and adults roaming around at night setting off fireworks bombs. I cannot believe that the Dutch people still think that this is fun. It is legal and encouraged terrorism.

    Say what you will about the USA, I am sorely disappointed by the tolerance of this terrifying and dangerous behavior in the Netherlands.

    One huge bomb just went off in front of my house. My poor animal companions are terrified and spend most of the week of the holidays, hiding in terror. Every time one goes off, my heart skips a beat. Poor creatures living outdoors get no rest or security.

    Yesterday, there were 4 teenagers running around in full view in the daytime, throwing fireworks bombs, with no fear of punishment.

    If you report or try to stop them they retaliate. One building was bombed nightly for a week before it stopped. They even went into the building and set them off in front of the door of the citizen who tried to stop them.

    This is not teenage pranks. This is terrorism and the people who do it think it is funny.

    The Netherlands government should be ashamed of itself to allow this terrorism to go on.

    Perhaps these people with a fascination about blowing things up and scaring people should be sent to a war torn country for a tour. Maybe they will understand how the rest of us law abiding citizens feel when they terrorize our neighborhoods.

    STOP THIS MADNESS!

    • I fullu agree with you. This is nu first xmas/new year in The Netherlands and im utterly shocked and disgusted by this behaviour. There is something fundemently wrong with a society when a 8 yr old runs aound lighting up one of these loud thunder like crackers without an adult on site. This place looks like a warzone for the past week.

  2. On New Year Eve, our neighborhood is literally surrounded by huge fireworks going off for hours. The air smells like gunpowder for hours. Huge fiery pieces of the fireworks rain down on our rooftops and in our yards and in the park our neighborhood surrounds.

    How can the government justify this behavior as okay?

  3. STOP THIS MADNESS! We are headed towards climate disaster and people think it’s fun to pollute even more for no reason?! THIS IS CRAZY! WTF IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?!?! Not to mention the poor animals… Geez! Enough is enough! Make this thing illegal, close all stores that sells those garbages, and prepare the police nationwide to go after the criminals, apply huge fines and thrown them for a month in a jail!

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