Netherlands New Year 2026: fireworks banned, what to do

1. What changes from 1 August 2026

The law « Wet veilige jaarwisseling » was published in the Staatsblad on 19 January 2026 (Staatsblad 2026, 7). It bans people without specialist knowledge from holding, using or selling F2 and F3 fireworks, and classifies the offence as an economic offence. Two decrees accompany it: Staatsblad 2026, 169 sets the entry into force at 1 August 2026, and Staatsblad 2026, 168 sets the conditions for firing. The ministry confirmed this timeline in its press release of 1 July 2026 (Rijksoverheid, consulted on 25 October 2026).

For a private individual, the rule fits in one sentence. Category F1, which includes sparklers, small fountains and light bangers, remains allowed from age 12. Categories F2 to F4, meaning rockets, batteries and large bangers, can no longer be bought, held or fired by a private individual. Fireworks bought before 1 August and not handed back remain illegal to hold. A handback campaign without fines ran in autumn 2026, and about 2,700 kg of fireworks had been handed in by 20 September (NL Times, consulted on 25 October 2026).

There is only one way out, the ontheffing (exemption). The mayor can grant it to an association or foundation registered with the Chamber of Commerce, with a demonstrated local link. It is not an individual right. According to a NU.nl survey relayed by NL Times on 25 September 2026, 198 of the 231 municipalities surveyed refuse to grant an exemption for New Year’s Eve 2026-2027.

Sources: Staatsblad 2026, 168 (art. 2.3.2 and 2.3.2a); Rijksoverheid, sanctions; checked on 25 October 2026.

When an exemption exists, firing is only allowed between 31 December at 6:00 pm and 1 January at 2:00 am. No firing is allowed on the daytime of 1 January, contrary to what several guides suggest. The distances in the table must be multiplied by 1.5 if the shot is angled towards the public.

Sales is where the texts do not match. The law and the decree provide a sales exception for exemption holders, with dates that differ, and the RVO indicates that sales to private individuals end for New Year’s Eve 2026-2027. We therefore give no purchase deadline. For a specific sale, ask the seller and refer to the official text.

2. Year-end shows, city by city

The cities have replaced fireworks with countdowns without pyrotechnics. The listings below come from the cities, tourist offices and published permits. No city has yet published a complete 2026-2027 programme: every time is therefore indicative and must be reconfirmed before you go.

Amsterdam: Electric Fireworks on the Museumplein

Free 31 December 2026 Doors at 6:30 pm Show at midnight

The capital’s main show, « Electric Fireworks », is a light and laser show held on the Museumplein, facing the Rijksmuseum. It has no fireworks. According to the 2026-2027 guide from Amsterdam Tourism, doors open at 6:30 pm, the main programme starts at 10:00 pm, the countdown takes place at 11:50 pm and the light show runs at midnight, ending around 12:30 am (Amsterdam Tourism, consulted on 25 October 2026). These times are typical: the city has not published its own programme.

Amsterdam grants no exemption for private fireworks, according to July 2026 press coverage (iAmExpat, consulted on 25 October 2026). The centre is therefore a place to watch a show, not a place to fire your own.

If an outdoor show does not appeal, another way to see the lit-up city is by water. The cruise sold on Viator below departs on 31 December and 1 January and lasts 75 minutes. It is not an official night-time event: it is a paid trip, offered as an alternative to the free shows.

Highlights

• Free access according to the sources consulted, with no ticket indicated for the show
• A two-part programme: entertainment from 10:00 pm, then countdown and show around midnight
• A water alternative, offered on 31 December and 1 January (Viator card below)

Pixidia tip: Times are indicative. Read the programme the city publishes in December, then fix your return time before transport slows down (section 3).

Amsterdam: Light Festival Boat with optional drinks €48.90 to €58.80 for 2 adults (€24.45 to €29.40 per person), departures on 31 December and 1 January · 75 min · ★ 4.4 (18 Viator reviews)

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The Hague: countdown on the Hofvijver, without fireworks

Free according to listing 31 December 2026 From 9:00 pm 2026 programme to be confirmed

The Hague countdown takes place on the Hofvijver, the pond next to the Binnenhof. The denhaag.com listing presents it without fireworks, with a free light and laser show from 9:00 pm on 31 December (denhaag.com, consulted on 25 October 2026). The 2026 programme is still marked « to be confirmed »: do not plan your evening around a precise time until the city publishes it.

Scheveningen, on the coast, has a different event. A beach bonfire is built from 27 to 31 December, and the municipal permit covers the 2025/26, 2026/27 and 2027/28 seasons (denhaag.com, consulted on 25 October 2026). It is not a firework display. The lighting was brought forward in 2025 because of the wind: the 2026 time should be checked on the day.

Highlights

• Light and laser, without fireworks, in the centre of The Hague
• At Scheveningen, a beach bonfire built from 27 to 31 December
• The New Year’s Day plunge at Scheveningen, at noon (section 4)

Pixidia tip: The centre of The Hague and Scheveningen are not in the same place. Choose one location for the evening, and check the link between the two before you set off.

Utrecht: a central countdown on the Jaarbeursplein

No association exemption 31 December 2026 5:00 pm to 1:00 am Jaarbeursplein

Utrecht grants no exemptions to associations or foundations. Instead, the municipality organises a shared countdown on the Jaarbeursplein. The permit published in the Gemeenteblad (gmb 2026 388585, consulted on 25 October 2026) provides for set-up from 28 to 31 December, and an event from 5:00 pm on 31 December to 1:00 am on 1 January, with sound system and temporary structures. The 2026 programme had not been published on the consultation date.

Highlights

• A single meeting point, chosen by the municipality
• A long time slot that covers the passage to midnight
• A framework set by a published municipal permit

Pixidia tip: The permit sets a time slot, not a programme. The fact that the event runs until 1:00 am says nothing about the countdown time: check the programme on the city’s website before you go.

Rotterdam is the exception. For the show on the Erasmus Bridge, two Dutch press titles contradict each other, with no date given, and no municipal decision for 2026-2027 had been found on the consultation date. The Veiligheidsregio Rotterdam-Rijnmond, on the other hand, unanimously decided on 15 July 2026 to grant no F2 exemption for New Year’s Eve (lokaleregelgeving.overheid.nl, consulted on 25 October 2026). Do not plan an evening on the bridge without written confirmation from the city.

Sources: Amsterdam Tourism (2026-2027 guide), denhaag.com (Hofvijver and Scheveningen), gemeente Utrecht (gmb 2026 388585), Veiligheidsregio Rotterdam-Rijnmond (CVDR766199); checked on 25 October 2026.

3. Getting around on the evening of 31 December and the morning of 1 January

This is the most sensitive part of the trip. No operator had published its 2026-2027 timetable on the consultation date. The table therefore reflects the trends described by 9292 and DutchReview based on previous editions, as well as information from the cities. It does not replace the official timetables, to be checked on ns.nl, gvb.nl and ret.nl the week before.

Sources: 9292, holiday timetables; DutchReview, 2025-2026 timetables; checked on 25 October 2026. No 2026-2027 calendar had been published on that date.

Based on the trends from previous editions (9292, DutchReview, not dated for 2026), the network works in two phases: service thins out in the evening, and night trains take over on a few lines from 1:00 am. These are trends, not timetables. For Schiphol, the two pieces of information available contradict each other: do not rely on either without confirmation from the airport.

Amsterdam Tourism gives two pieces of advice. First, leave the centre early, and choose accommodation close to a transport line or the centre, so you can walk back if the train stops. Second, expect expensive taxis on the evening of the 31st: ask the price before you get in, and book in advance if possible.

4. 1 January 2027: public holiday, shops closed, New Year’s plunge

1 January 2027 falls on a Friday. It is an official public holiday in the Netherlands (Rijksoverheid, public holidays, consulted on 25 October 2026). Note: the law does not give a right to a day off for public holidays; it depends on your contract or collective agreement. Shops in principle remain closed, unless the municipality grants permission. Check each shop’s hours before counting on shopping.

The 1 January tradition is the Nieuwjaarsduik, the New Year’s plunge. In Scheveningen, it takes place at noon, with the official bell. The wind can change the programme: plan a backup. Some aggregators announce around 130 plunge spots for 2027: this figure comes from no authority, and we do not use it.

For meals, the night of the 31st is the most traditional: oliebollen, fried dough balls dusted with icing sugar, are sold at kiosks and bakeries. On 1 January, the city wakes up late, and some restaurants and shops stay closed. A quick stop at a bakery the evening before avoids improvising the next day.

5. Mistakes to avoid

Some errors come up repeatedly in guides, whether older articles or texts written in a hurry. Here they are, with the correction.

• Dating the ban from 1 January 2026. Some articles start it on that date. The entry into force is 1 August 2026 (Staatsblad 2026, 169).
• Buying F2 fireworks abroad to fire them in the Netherlands. Once in possession in the Netherlands, they are illegal. The press cites a 25 kg limit per vehicle, but this rule is not confirmed for 2026, and a proposed import ban has not been decided.
• Firing a rocket on 1 January during the day. The legal firing window for an exemption runs from 31 December at 6:00 pm to 1 January at 2:00 am.
• Relying on an association exemption. Of the 231 municipalities surveyed, 198 announced they would not grant one.
• Trusting a 2025 transport timetable. The 2026-2027 timetables were not published on 25 October 2026. The figures cited here are trends.
• Underestimating the fine. The minimum is 100 euros, with a criminal record entry. The municipality of Utrecht gives 250 euros on its website, legal basis not verified.

6. Budget: what the evening really costs

The shows in Amsterdam, The Hague and Scheveningen are presented as free in the listings consulted, and no entry fee is indicated for them. The budget therefore lies elsewhere: dinner, the return journey and, for those who want it, a paid activity such as the Amsterdam cruise.

For the cruise sold on Viator, the price checked on 25 October 2026 is €48.90 to €58.80 for two adults, or €24.45 to €29.40 per person, for 75 minutes. Departures available fall on 31 December and 1 January. The price varies by date and number of participants: check the final amount on the listing before paying.

For fireworks, no price for an F1 product is documented in the sources consulted. We therefore give no figure. For a budget evening, the safest option remains the free outing in the centre, with a return trip planned on foot or by transport, without a last-minute taxi.

7. By traveller profile

Families. The Amsterdam countdown takes place outdoors, on a winter evening. The sources consulted do not specify the placement zones or access to the Museumplein: check the plan published by the city before you go. Bring warm clothes, a meeting point if you get separated, and plan to be back before 1:00 am if you have young children. The sources consulted give no child-specific information for these shows: check with the organiser.

Couples. For two, the 75-minute cruise sold on Viator departs on 31 December and 1 January. Dinner is the booking to make early: New Year’s Eve tables go quickly, so book several weeks ahead.

On a small budget. The Amsterdam and The Hague shows, and the Scheveningen bonfire, are presented as free in the listings consulted; no entry fee is indicated. The extra cost lies in dinner and the return trip.

For a first visit. Keep in mind the direction of your return before midnight: Amsterdam Tourism advises not to venture into the Red Light District after midnight. If you are visiting the country for the first time, stay near a transport line or the centre, and leave the centre early on the evening of the 31st.

With reduced mobility. The sources consulted give no accessibility information for outdoor shows or night-time transport. Contact the city or the tourist office before you travel, and do not rely on a guide that does not say so.

If you are comparing several destinations for the same New Year’s Eve, our guides also cover Rome, Paris and New York, with their own rules and shows.

8. A possible plan for 31 December

Here is an evening in Amsterdam, from the day to midnight, that takes the indicative times into account. It can be adapted to The Hague by changing the venue and the departure time.

• Midday. Check the programme published by the city and the evening train times on the operator’s website.
• Late afternoon. Have dinner before 8:00 pm: according to previous editions, train service thins out from this time (to be confirmed with the operator).
• 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Head to the Museumplein. Amsterdam Tourism gives 10:00 pm as the typical start time for the main programme.
• 11:50 pm. Countdown, then the light show around midnight.
• After 12:30 am. Head back by the planned transport. If the train no longer runs, a taxi booked in advance avoids last-minute prices.
• 1 January, morning. According to previous editions, service gradually resumes around 10:00 am (to be confirmed). Shops in principle remain closed.

What other guides don’t tell you

The five points below rest on official texts or organiser listings. Press figures are marked as such.

• The entry into force is 1 August 2026, and it rests on two decrees in addition to the law. The law (Staatsblad 2026, 7) is supplemented by the entry-into-force decree (Staatsblad 2026, 169) and the implementing decree (Staatsblad 2026, 168). Source: Staatsblad 2026, 169 (consulted on 25 October 2026).
• The exemption firing window runs only from 31 December at 6:00 pm to 1 January at 2:00 am. No firing is allowed on 1 January during the day, which several guides suggest otherwise. Source: Staatsblad 2026, 168, art. 2.3.2a (consulted on 25 October 2026).
• An exemption is not a right. The Veiligheidsregio Rotterdam-Rijnmond decided unanimously on 15 July 2026 to grant no F2 exemptions. Source: lokaleregelgeving.overheid.nl, CVDR766199 (consulted on 25 October 2026). Across the country, 198 of the 231 municipalities surveyed refuse, according to the press (NL Times, 25 September 2026).
• The minimum fine is 100 euros, with a criminal record entry. Older guides cite other amounts, with no 2026 basis. For minors, the Halt programme can avoid a record if it is completed. Source: Rijksoverheid, sanctions (consulted on 25 October 2026).
• Selling and possessing do not follow the same timetable. Possession and use of F2 to F4 fireworks have been banned since 1 August 2026, while sales to private individuals end for New Year’s Eve 2026-2027. Source: RVO, business.gov.nl; Rijksoverheid, fireworks theme (consulted on 25 October 2026).