Swiss vote could ban loud fireworks and worry traders
Thursday 29th October 2026 on 20:01 in
Switzerland
A Swiss initiative to ban loud fireworks could threaten festivals and fireworks businesses, SRF reported, as voters prepare to decide on the proposal on November 29.
The initiative would generally prohibit the sale and use of loud fireworks, while allowing exceptions for larger events. Its supporters say private fireworks are no longer appropriate because of their effects on people, animals and nature.
The proposal has divided organisers of the Seenachtsfest in Kreuzlingen, a summer festival on Lake Constance that draws about 40,000 visitors. Its closing fireworks display is a major attraction. Organising committee president Markus Baiker said the event might struggle to secure an exemption and could have no long-term future if it could not hold the display.
But Baiker also said the festival could attract more visitors if nearby villages stopped holding fireworks displays. Organisers considered drone shows and water displays as alternatives but rejected them, citing the need for sound equipment for drones and limited visibility of the water show.
Fireworks bans are already in place in some municipalities in the canton of Graubünden. Davos introduced one in 2020, and St Moritz followed. St Moritz mayor Christian Jott Jenny said residents had adapted well over four years. The municipality allows exceptions, and Jenny said he would welcome a consistent rule across municipalities rather than separate decisions by each one.
A recent SRG poll found that 69 percent of respondents were somewhat or strongly in favour of banning loud fireworks. The proposed restrictions would still allow quieter fireworks, such as fountains.
Fireworks retailer Alain Stucki, whose family business is based in St Gallen, opposes the initiative. He said fountains and Bengal matches account for about a quarter of the business’s revenue, but are not enough to keep it going on their own. Stucki also described fireworks as a tradition he would like to preserve.
Initiative supporter Corinne Meister acknowledged that the restrictions could cause financial losses for businesses, but said they had had time to prepare since the initiative was submitted in 2022.