Several large Norwegian cities are dropping New Year fireworks due to corona concerns

Several of the country’s largest cities have chosen to cancel their public fireworks on New Year’s Eve due to infection control measures.

In Bergen and Stavanger, it seems that the fireworks will be carried out as normal. But in Stavanger, people are encouraged to see the fireworks from where they’re celebrating and not go to the actual launch sites, the municipality wrote on its website.

In Tromsø, the annual fireworks show will take place under the private auspices of the organization Fjellfyrverkeriet, which is financed by private individuals and the business community in the city.

Canceled in several large cities

In Oslo, the public fireworks were canceled last year due to infection control reasons. But this year, the fireworks have been canceled for another reason – the City Council has not allocated money for it in its budget.

The fireworks have been canceled in Trondheim, Drammen, and Kristiansand. In Trondheim and Drammen, the stated reason for not carrying out fireworks is that the national corona regulations state that no more than 100 people can gather at public events outdoors.

Criticism

Kristiansand is also canceling its fireworks due to corona. Last year, the Municipality received criticism after several thousand people gathered to see the fireworks.

“We now want to reduce the number of social contacts, and it is easy for large crowds to gather even if they are outdoors. We want to avoid that,” event manager Tore Løvland in Kristiansand Municipality told the newspaper Fædrelandsvennen earlier in December.

In Bodø, there will be a digital New Year celebration. There will be fireworks, but without the public, the Municipality stated. 

It encourages people to watch the fireworks from home or follow along directly via the Municipality’s live broadcast online.

Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews

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