Prague won’t present a fireworks or a videomapping show on New Year’s Day

In an effort to save money, the city won't celebrate New Year's Day, but Prague 2 still plans its own show

Raymond Johnston

Written by Raymond Johnston Published on 24.08.2020 08:02:22 (updated on 24.08.2020) Reading time: 2 minutes

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Fireworks on January 1, 2019 / via Raymond Johnston
Fireworks on January 1, 2019 / via Raymond Johnston

New Year’s Day in Prague on 2021 will be quieter than usual. Prague City Hall won’t present a videomapping or a fireworks show. In the past, the show took place at 6 pm to mark both the start of the new year and Restoration Day of the Independent Czech State. The Czech Republic split from Slovakia on January 1, 1993.

The city has made the move to save money due to the revenue shortfall caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The city has lost income from taxes and fees related to tourism, lost rent payments, as well as a drop in the use of public transit and other factors.

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The city is expected to lose 12 to 15 billion CZK in income due to coronavirus, and is looking for ways to reduce spending.

videomapping
Videomapping on January 1, 2020 / via Raymond Johnston

“The capital is currently trying to find financial savings and use the money effectively to cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus epidemic and to support Praguers, seniors, entrepreneurs, socially disadvantaged and other groups, to support tourism, services and other areas.” a document prepared for the Prague City Council states.

At the start of 2020, the city presented a videomapping on the facade on the National Museum on Old Town Square. The presentation, showed multiple times over the course of the evening, cost 2 million CZK. The City Council said it can use the money for other purposes that will help Prague and its inhabitants deal with the economic effects of the coronavirus crisis.

fireworks
New Year’s Day fireworks in Prague 2 / via Raymond Johnston

The videomapping was instead of fireworks, which had been presented in previous years. The reason was that the noise of the fireworks led to deaths and injuries of wildlife such as swans, disturbed pets, and caused pollution. Fireworks in recent years had been launched from

In response to the cancellation of fireworks, the Prague 2 district put on its own show, with fireworks launched from the upper part of Folimanka Park. It was supported by public donations. News sever iDnes.cz reports the district is planning to have another fireworks show this year.

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