Dordrecht will not issue permits to local clubs and associations planning independent fireworks displays for the upcoming New Year’s Eve celebration, shifting instead toward a municipal event. Mayor Nanning Mol announced the policy change on September 25, 2026, during an appearance on TV Rijnmond’s program ‘In Gesprek Met’.
Dordrecht Halts Community Fireworks Permits
The decision follows a consumer fireworks ban implemented on August 1, 2026, which outlawed the setting off of fireworks by individuals. While organizations could previously apply for exemptions under specific conditions, local authorities determined those requirements are no longer practical to manage.
Administrative Strain Sidelines Local Clubs
Organizers wishing to stage private community shows faced strict operational hurdles. Under the previous exemption framework, applicants were required to secure comprehensive liability insurance, prevent public nuisance and property damage, and prove that trained professionals would handle the pyrotechnics.
According to Mayor Mol, verifying compliance placed an unsustainable burden on municipal staff. The city administration concluded it cannot dedicate the necessary oversight during a night when police, emergency responders, and municipal enforcement officers already face severe strain. Dordrecht developed the policy in direct consultation with the safety region, Veiligheidsregio Zuid-Holland Zuid.
Rotterdam-Rijnmond Region Adopts Unified Stance
Dordrecht’s refusal to issue organizational permits aligns the municipality with neighboring cities in the region. Municipalities including Rotterdam, Capelle aan den IJssel, and Vlaardingen have adopted identical restrictions.
Authorities across the Rotterdam-Rijnmond safety region maintain that local police and enforcement agencies lack the capacity to monitor multiple scattered pyrotechnic events safely. By denying individual permits, these municipalities aim to concentrate emergency resources and prevent unregulated displays outside the blanket consumer ban.
Drierivierenpunt Chosen for Municipal Display
To ensure residents still have access to organized festive events, Dordrecht is preparing a centralized public fireworks show. The municipal display will take place at the Drierivierenpunt.
City officials intend the official show to serve as a community alternative, ensuring that the restriction on neighborhood association displays does not eliminate New Year’s Eve festivities entirely within the municipality.