Amsterdam will again organise a light and music show on Dam Square on New Year’s Eve. Mayor Femke Halsema said last year’s first edition, requested by police, had helped make the atmosphere more positive: intervention on the square occurred only after midnight and was shorter than in previous years. The city is also using celebrations and fireworks displays to establish a new tradition of shared year-end festivities.

A nationwide ban on the sale and possession of consumer fireworks is in force this year, alongside Amsterdam’s local fireworks ban, which has applied since 2021. Halsema said illegal fireworks remain a concern and that police and enforcement officers will act where possible. In Floradorp in Amsterdam-Noord, a large New Year fire remains prohibited for safety reasons. The municipality is discussing alternatives with residents, but no safe alternative has yet been found.