Czech regions prepare for New Year's Eve without fireworks

As the New Year approaches, cities across Czechia have decided to adopt quieter ways to celebrate the arrival of 2025. Many municipalities have chosen to replace traditional fireworks with drones, music shows, or silent pyrotechnics, responding to concerns about noise pollution and the environment.

Prague City Hall has decided once again not to hold fireworks or pyrotechnic displays in the city center. The decision highlights the importance of protecting animals and preserving historical sites. The ban covers pyrotechnics in the city center, near rivers, around hospitals, and near zoos.

For those seeking official fireworks displays, cities and towns surrounding Prague offer alternatives. Areas like Kladno, Beroun, and Nymburk in Central Bohemia will continue with traditional fireworks. Kralupy nad Vltavou, about a 30-minute drive from Prague, will debut a drone show with animations and music on Jan. 1, 2025.

In Hradec Králové and Náchod, the region will feature one of the few remaining traditional fireworks shows. Meanwhile, Hradec Králové will present a musical show instead of fireworks.

The shift away from fireworks is most noticeable in the Karlovy Vary region, where most cities stopped organizing firework displays years ago. In Cheb, private firecracker sales by visitors from Germany have made fireworks more of a nuisance, with many setting off their own displays outside the city.

The Pilsen region will offer a mix of fireworks, with cities like Pilsen and Přeštice planning quieter versions of their usual displays. In South Bohemia, towns like Jindřichův Hradec are preparing "pyromusicals"—fireworks paired with music that are gentler on the ears. Strakonice will hold a traditional fireworks show, while cities like České Budějovice, Tábor, and Písek have opted out.

In Liberec, several towns are resuming fireworks after a break, including Turnov, Stráž nad Nisou, Nový Bor, Doksy, and Skalice. However, the displays will be more modest than in previous years.

The Pardubice region will feature quieter pyrotechnics in towns like Chrudim and Ústí nad Orlicí, while Přelouč will continue its traditional fireworks. In South Moravia, only Znojmo and Břeclav will host fireworks, as Brno, the region's largest city, has not held such celebrations since 2017.

In Ostrava, New Year's fireworks will be extended by five minutes, with part of the display using silent pyrotechnics for the first time. Karviná and Nový Jičín will host traditional fireworks, but Opava and Krnov will not.