The New Year’s Eve fireworks, which many Munich residents set off every year, could face city competition at the turn of the year 2024/2025. Economics officer Clemens Baumgärtner (CSU) suggested to the city council on Tuesday that a light or laser show be organized as a “central spectacle” in the future, in which drones could also be used. The coalition was fundamentally open-minded, but wants to ensure that in return the classic burning of firecrackers and rockets is reduced.
Fireworks have been banned in central places in the old town in recent years. According to the district administration department (KVR), nothing will change in this regard. This means that no rockets or firecrackers may be set off next New Year’s Eve on Marienplatz and in the pedestrian zone up to Stachus or on the Viktualienmarkt. The KVR primarily cites security reasons for this. Firecrackers are even completely prohibited within the Middle Ring; rockets or fountains are permitted.
Economics officer Baumgärtner wants to integrate the light show on New Year’s Eve into a larger art event that could begin before the turn of the year and continue beyond that. As an example, in the draft resolution for the city council, he cites the work of the video artist Betty Mü, who used the Königsplatz and the Pinakotheken as display areas for light and video art in the winter of 2020/2021 under the title “The art area connects”. A pilot project based on this model would be specifically desired by tourism providers so that they could attract visitors with a special attraction in the period after the Christmas markets, explained the economics officer.
“You can’t just talk all the time, you just have to try something out,” said Baumgärtner before the meeting. His proposals remain too vague for the town hall coalition; they want him to do some homework before possible approval. The light or drone show on New Year’s Eve is “a very nice and forward-looking idea,” said SPD parliamentary group leader Anne Hübner, but the economics officer did not specifically explain what the light show was supposed to replace or improve. In other words: what private fireworks would be lost.
The town hall coalition wants to ensure that there is less private shooting.
(Photo: Sachelle Babbar/IMAGO/ZUMA Wire)
On New Year’s Eve, the amount of fine dust in the air increases dramatically when fireworks are set off. This has been bothering Green-Red for a long time. The Greens also want to know more precisely what “positive effect on health and environmental protection” the central New Year’s Eve show could have. Baumgärtner should now clarify this with the KVR at one of the next meetings next year. The law does not allow for a nationwide ban on fireworks, which is why the administration should develop a proposal on how a central light show could bring about a reduction.
The CSU does not want to achieve such an improvement through new rules or regulations, but rather with the light show on New Year’s Eve “to create an incentive for the people of Munich to forego their own fireworks,” said parliamentary group leader Manuel Pretzl. Bans are always discussed, but the city should rather offer an alternative. That’s why his group submitted the proposal for a modern light show.
Even with the longer-term art campaign, there is still disagreement between the CSU with its economics advisor and the majority in the town hall. The light and laser show, including the New Year’s Eve highlight, is expected to cost around one million euros per year. Given the tight budget situation, this is currently difficult for the Greens and the SPD to manage. That’s why they want to give Baumgärtner the task on Tuesday to look for sponsors for the desired light spectacle in the dark time.