Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Budapest! Fireworks Restricted in Touristy Area – Map Included
The aftermath of last year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations in Budapest was marred by chaotic scenes at Vörösmarty Square, where uncontrolled fireworks led to injuries and public outcry. In response to the dangerous situation, District 5 has implemented a strict ban on pyrotechnic devices in high-traffic areas to ensure safer celebrations this year.
The incidents from last year’s New Year’s Eve in Budapest were captured on camera by RTL, showing fireworks being launched in a cordoned-off area without supervision, resulting in accidents and injuries among the crowd. The lack of regulation and oversight over the use of fireworks raised serious safety concerns, prompting calls for stricter rules on the sale and use of pyrotechnics to prevent similar incidents in the future.
To address these concerns and ensure a safer New Year’s Eve celebration in Budapest, District 5 has imposed a ban on fireworks in key locations such as Vörösmarty Square, Erzsébet Square, and St. Stephen’s Square, with fines of up to HUF 200,000 for violators. The ban, passed unanimously by the district’s representative body, aims to create firework-free zones in busy areas of the city center to safeguard public safety during the festive period.
The decision to ban fireworks in designated areas comes after last year’s incidents, where fireworks posed a danger to crowds in downtown Budapest. The ban, proposed by opposition leader Alex Gábor Kovács and formalized by the district’s Fidesz mayor, Péter Szentgyörgyvölgyi, prohibits the use of fireworks in specific categories within the designated areas during the New Year’s Eve celebrations. Stricter enforcement measures will be implemented in collaboration with the Budapest Police Headquarters.
While the ban on fireworks only applies to District 5, firecrackers remain prohibited nationwide in Hungary year-round, with penalties for violations. To ensure public safety, unused or defective third-category fireworks must be returned to distributors within five days after New Year’s Eve celebrations. These measures aim to strike a balance between festive celebrations and public safety, marking a significant change in how New Year’s Eve will be celebrated in Budapest this year.
