Politics

No more fireworks?

02.10.2026 – Susanne Wenger

Animal welfare and environment groups have tabled an initiative that seeks to ban the sale and private use of loud fireworks across Switzerland. The proposal will be put to the vote of the people and the cantons on 29 November 2026 – after parliament rejected a counterproposal at the very last moment.

Swiss citizens can put political issues on the agenda by launching popular initiatives. They first have to collect at least 100,000 signatures. Some proposals that clear this hurdle prompt head-scratching abroad. How about cow horns in 2018? Pyrotechnics could be this year’s equivalent – because of an initiative submitted in 2023 that seeks to ban the sale and private use of loud fireworks (see “Swiss Review” 3/2025).

Campaigners – spearheaded by Roman Huber, a dog trainer and former journalist from Aargau, and Corinne Meister, an IT expert and animal owner from St Gallen – have stressed that they do not want a blanket ban. Low-noise fireworks like volcano fountains would be exempt, as would public firework displays on public holidays like Swiss National Day on 1 August, subject to cantonal approval. The initiative is backed by three animal welfare groups, including Swiss Animal Protection (SAP), which has a large membership base.

The initiators of the proposal say that house pets, livestock, and wild animals need to be spared the distress and disruption caused by the detonation and visual effects of rockets and firecrackers. The noise is also harmful to people, they argue. Particulate matter from fireworks is a health risk, while pollutants find their way into soil and water. There are also over 200 accidents involving fireworks every year, they note.

Opponents warn of overregulation

The federal government has rejected the initiative. A majority in parliament also oppose it, their main thrust being that the proposal will lead to overregulation. Cantons and municipalities already have the authority to restrict fireworks – as they did during this year’s National Day celebrations because of the dry conditions posing a fire hazard. Numerous municipalities have already imposed permanent restrictions or bans, with the popular mountain and tourist regions of Grisons taking the lead.

Fireworks are a tradition on Swiss National Day, not to mention an increasingly integral part of New Year’s Eve celebrations, say opponents of the initiative, who warn of the business impact of a nationwide ban and call on people to show tolerance and accountability instead. Nevertheless, both parliamentary chambers initially backed a counterproposal offering a watered-down version of what was on the table. In particular, lawmakers suggested banning firecrackers that produce a bang but no visual display.

However, the National Council surprisingly threw out its own amendments in the final vote of the summer session, taking the counterproposal off the table – the result of an unlikely cross-party alliance between right and left. The conservative SVP and FDP thought the counterproposal overstepped the mark, while the Greens deemed it too soft. Only the original initiative will be put to voters.

Fireworks – what a blast

I admit it: I am one of those part-time pyrotechnics fanatics who “pointlessly” set off rockets and firecrackers. I know how noisy, environmentally harmful, and dangerous they are – to health and even to life. I know I am polluting the air and causing stress to innocent animals. But I love it.

The 1 August fireworks have been my ritual for the last 50 years. A way to celebrate life. They even taught me the virtue of saving money. Only after months of squirrelling away pocket money could I afford enough “ammo” to spend hours firing salvos with my cannon made from a tube of cardboard. If the cannon caught fire, my father would put the flames out – mimicking an air raid siren as he did so. My dad was a serious man, but even he was a child at heart on 1 August, indulging my boyhood dreams. Just as I would later enjoy living out the child in me as a dad, egged on by my daughter: “Papa, you’re the best!”

Fireworks were always meant to entertain the masses – ever since they were invented by the Chinese in 200 BCE before arriving in Europe in the 14th century. Public festivities harnessed the spectacle of fire to make great shows. Just as amateur pyrotechnicians do today. And don’t we all like to show off now and again?

But the fun is over. Over two thousand years later, and fireworks are suddenly taboo. The sensible people have been leading the backlash, not least since war in Europe became brutal reality again. And yes – I think the fun police will win, regardless of whether the proposed ban is endorsed. Not only do they have sounder arguments, but timid has also become the new zeitgeist. If children turn up at playgrounds wearing helmets, then we probably shouldn’t expect something as risky as fireworks to be tolerated much longer.

I won’t put up a fight, nor expect you to either. Fireworks have had their day. No use in crying. Better to be grateful to have had the experience. As fume-laden and noisy the heyday of fireworks may have been, it was also full of joy and cheer. And wonderfully pointless. What a blast!

Rudolf Gafner is a freelance journalist based in Burgdorf (canton of Berne)

Fireworks – what a racket

Growing up, I, too, remember the enthusiasm for fireworks, set off in Swiss front gardens and neighbourhood streets every year on 1 August. Not that I was particularly drawn to the spectacle, but neither did it bother me. I always enjoyed the Catherine wheel that my father would nail to a telegraph pole. It would spin faster and faster, throwing out sparks. I also have fond memories of the fireworks at our local summer lake festival, the Alps lending a glowing backdrop to the colourful display. It was beautiful.

That was then. Now it’s just a constant banging and whizzing. Not only are the pyrotechnics more varied these days, but unfortunately they are also much more powerful. Back in the day, people lovingly lit rockets made from empty bottles of mineral water. Nowadays, we’re talking multiple-launch batteries taking several dozens of quick-fire shots in less than a minute – turning the village square into a cardboard-strewn battlefield. The bigger the budget, the louder, the longer and more frequent the fireworks. Money is not in short supply in Switzerland.

The result? Exasperated neighbours, quivering dogs, terrified cattle, and birds driven from their nests. Air pollution. Rubbish. Accidents. Fireworks are a life-affirming tradition, I hear you say. But how inconsiderate is “life-affirming” allowed to be? Most fireworks are made in China – to what extent are they part of our heritage?

But few things are more Swiss than direct democracy. Which is why we can now decide whether the indulgence of a minority should continue to undermine growing awareness of animal and environmental protection. According to a survey conducted in 2024, only 13 percent of the population buy fireworks.

Attitudes have changed, but the fun need not stop. How about Swiss-made fountain fireworks? These are effective enough without the ear-splitting noise. And by all means: let us all enjoy a safely organised public firework display now and again. They can be stunning. Communal experience or showing off? I know what I prefer.

Susanne Wenger is a “Swiss Review” editor

Initiative website
Ja zur Einschränkung von Feuerwerk

Website opposing the initiative
Pro Feuerwerk – Nein zur Feuerwerksinitiative

We will review the results of the popular votes of 27 September 2026 in the next edition of our magazine.

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