New Year’s Eve 2026 in the Netherlands

New Year’s Eve, Oudjaarsavond, falls on Thursday 31 December 2026. This jaarwisseling is unlike any before it: it is the first celebrated under the national ban on consumer fireworks, which is in force from 1 August 2026 and applies to the 2026-2027 New Year.

The national fireworks ban

The law behind the change is the Wet Veilige jaarwisseling, a parliamentary initiative passed by the Eerste Kamer on 1 July 2025 and published in the Staatsblad on 1 July 2026. It bans consumers from possessing and setting off fireworks of category F2 and higher. Category F1 items, the lightest class, which includes sparklers and similar products, remain legal for anyone aged 12 and over.

Professional displays and municipal shows are still allowed. Mayors can also grant exemptions to local clubs and foundations with demonstrable local ties, such as a registered address, earlier activities in the area or a statutory mission there, with safety distances of 15, 40 or 60 metres depending on the type of fireworks. Municipalities may permit organised, supervised fireworks moments by local groups.

For leftover consumer stock, the government is organising collection days, and a national information campaign runs from the summer of 2026. Older lists of municipal fireworks-free zones no longer describe the situation: the national ban supersedes them, and municipalities now matter mainly for exemptions and any central shows they organise.

Practical information

31 December is not an official public holiday: it does not appear on the government’s list of official holidays, and the Winkeltijdenwet contains no early-closing rule for the day, so the normal weekday shopping window of 06:00 to 22:00 applies to the Thursday. New Year’s Day, Friday 1 January 2027, is a public holiday.

Common questions

Are fireworks completely banned this New Year?

Consumer fireworks of category F2 and higher are banned: both possessing them and setting them off. Category F1 products such as sparklers remain legal from age 12, and professional and municipal shows continue.

Can I bring fireworks from Belgium or Germany?

The ban covers possession of category F2 and higher fireworks in the Netherlands, so buying them across the border does not make them legal here.

Will there still be fireworks shows to watch?

Municipal and professional displays remain allowed. Which cities hold central shows for 2026-2027 is announced by the municipalities themselves later in the year.

Is 31 December a day off?

No. It is not an official public holiday; whether you work depends on your employer and CAO. 1 January is the official holiday.

What happens to fireworks people still own?

The government has announced collection days (inleverdagen) for leftover consumer fireworks, alongside the national information campaign that started in the summer of 2026.