Tourism helped shape Switzerland’s fireworks tradition
Monday 9th November 2026 on 08:45 in
Switzerland
Fireworks have been used in Switzerland since the late Middle Ages, but private displays emerged much later, after the Second World War, SRF reports. Voters will decide on November 29 whether to restrict noisy fireworks.
The initiative seeks to ban the sale and use of loud fireworks, while allowing items that make no noise. Large professional displays could still take place with cantonal approval, but individuals would not be allowed to set off noisy fireworks at those events.
In the late Middle Ages, fireworks were used at military victory celebrations, religious festivals and city events. They resembled modern fireworks, though they produced more noise and were less decorative, said Mischa Gallati, a researcher of popular culture and traditions at the University of Zurich.
In the 19th century, tourism helped drive the development of fireworks in Switzerland. Resorts wanted to entertain visitors, including with festivals on lakes. Hotels near the Rhine Falls also put on small weekly displays for guests.
The first fireworks at the Rhine Falls were set off in 1857, said Sigi Vogel, who has overseen the large display there for 56 years. A semi-public organisation later took charge of planning. Around 50 displays were held each year from mid-June to mid-September before the events became fewer and focused increasingly on August 1, Switzerland’s national day.
More than 20,000 people watched the display in 1955, Vogel said, citing ticket sales at the time. Today, the event known as Fire on the Rocks draws between 12,000 and 14,000 spectators in some years.
Private fireworks became more accessible after the Second World War as purchasing power rose, production costs fell and imports increased, Gallati said. Fireworks on New Year’s Eve have become popular only more recently, a custom adopted from abroad.
A tradition does not have to be centuries old, Gallati said. What matters is whether people repeat a practice and see meaning in it. The initiative’s debate therefore also concerns the value people attach to fireworks, with voters to decide whether the custom should be limited to a few large events.