Thousands watch unofficial New Year's Day fireworks show in Prague

Prague, Jan 1 (CTK) – Thousands of people turned up today to watch the New Year’s Day firework in Prague, which was organised by a local group for the first time after the Prague City Hall decided to replace the annual attraction by a video mapping event.

The firework was staged by the Ohnstroj pro Prahu (Fireworks for Prague) group at the historical rampart over the Folimanka Park and the Nusle Valley in the centre of Prague, and watched by the crowd from outside the Congress Centre building on the opposite hill.

It was dedicated to those who passed away in 2019, mainly the legendary pop icon Karel Gott, who died on October 1 at the age of 80.

The organisers financed the firework by means of a public fund raiser and made it part of their “I will not shoot” campaign that urged people not to stage wild fireworks on their own. The firework was held under the auspices of the Prague 2 District as its venue.

The City Hall, controlled by a new coalition since the end of 2018, has preferred staging a video mapping instead of the traditional firework. Making the decision in August, it cited the fireworks’ negative impacts, mainly on animals.

The 10-minute projection on the National Museum building had the motto “We, Prague” and was divided into seven chapters focusing on Prague of the future rather than past events. Thousands of people came to watch it, filling the central Wenceslas Square.

The video mapping was prepared by the Art 4 Promotion agency and the city paid almost two million crowns for it.

It started at 18:15 and it is being repeated at 19:15 and 20:15.

Another series of video mappings was launched on the nearby historical building of the State Opera, which will reopen to the public after a three-year reconstruction on January 5.

New Year’s Day fireworks were also held in other Czech towns today.