In the heart of the city, all pyrotechnics are once again prohibited on New Year’s Eve and firecrackers are banned within the middle ring. Fireworks are only allowed in some places. An overview of which regulation should apply where.
A lot of freedom, hardly any firecrackers: New Year’s Eve should be much more relaxed for Munich residents in the third year of the pandemic than the previous two. It should only get louder to a limited extent. Firecrackers will remain banned in the middle ring at the turn of the year 2022/23, in the center this requirement also applies to rockets and everything else that makes a bang or spreads colors in the night air. There are no longer any bans on parties indoors and outdoors of any size. In the past two years, to protect against the corona virus, revelers have had to accept massive restrictions on New Year’s Eve.
In principle, the rules from the turn of the year 2019/2020 apply in Munich on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. “In the past, the combination of narrow buildings, crowded people, alcohol and pyrotechnics meant that many people did not feel safe outside on New Year’s Eve in the heart of Munich,” says Hanna Sammüller-Gradl, head of the responsible district administration department ( KVR). The city council reacted to this in the summer of 2019 and decided on far-reaching bans. These are implemented with the help of so-called general decrees. The first has already been issued and published: it prohibits the lighting of firecrackers and firecrackers within the Mittlerer Ring on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, including on private property.
The second part of the pyrotechnics ban is also in place, but is not yet in force. As in the year before Corona, no rockets should be fired in the center. The zone affected includes the pedestrian zone from Stachus to Marienplatz, Weinstrasse and Dienerstrasse to the rear end of Marienhof, Rosenstrasse and Rindermarkt up to Fürstenstrasse or its extension. The fountain at Rindermarkt and the square surrounding it are excluded. This general regulation is to be published on December 20th. “The ban on firecrackers and fireworks is intended to counteract the concrete danger to public safety and take into account the need for protection of people and animals,” says Sammüller-Gradl.
The rocket ban is to be supplemented by her colleague Kristina Frank, head of the municipal department. They are responsible for the Viktualienmarkt, which the city also wants to keep free of all fireworks. “Against the background of the expected displacement effects due to the ban on fireworks around Marienplatz in combination with the risk of fire in the winding, densely built-up market and people’s longing to celebrate after two years of the pandemic, there is a clear risk of fire,” said a spokeswoman. The stands at the Viktualienmarkt are largely made of wood and tarpaulin, which can quickly catch fire. “We therefore have to protect our world-famous jewel and its dealers.”
Even if the new year should start rather quietly right in the center – the sky could glitter again on New Year’s Eve over party hotspots such as the Reichenbach Bridge or the Gerner Bridge. It is difficult to predict whether this will happen, but in the past two years a certain longing to celebrate New Year’s Eve together may have built up. In the first Corona year at the end of 2020, you were officially not even allowed to leave your apartment at the turn of the year without good reason.
Alcohol was banned in public places across the city. A maximum of five people from two households were allowed to celebrate together. A nationwide ban on the sale of fireworks was issued. That was also the case last year. And parties on a larger scale were also not allowed: more than ten people were not allowed to meet at popular celebration locations such as in the old town, on Baldeplatz, Friedensengel, Olympiaberg or on the central Isar bridges.