Cities save. New Year’s fireworks will be modest, somewhere they don’t count on them at all
Take Hradec Králové as an example, where a new leadership was established just this week. “From previous years, when the fireworks were cancelled, 130,000 crowns have been earmarked for it, and it is still being counted on. However, the new city management will decide on the holding of the First Day together, of which the fireworks are a part,” informs Kateřina Rohlčková, spokesperson of the Hradec City Hall.
A similar situation exists in Prague. “This question is difficult to answer now. It’s only been a week since we got the new council, and fireworks aren’t on the agenda. So far, we have dealt with the lighting of the Christmas market,” said Prague 5 spokeswoman Lenka Abessi.
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The current economic situation will not allow the return of fireworks over the roofs of České Budějovice or Hlučín. “People won’t see fireworks this year either. The reason is the economic difficulty and also the currently ongoing project Remediation, recultivation and revitalization of the territory after the mining of gravel and sand in the locality of Hlučín Lake, which was the place where the fireworks were launched,” said Kristina Skulinová on behalf of Hlučín.
Not even the town halls in Liberec, Frýdek-Místek or Brno are considering a fire show. “Our New Year’s fireworks were last set off in 2016. After that, they were canceled mainly for the reason that the city center would not be burdened with additional excessive noise and emissions. And no change will take place even now,” informed the spokesman of the Brno municipality, Filip Poňuchálek.
Drones fly instead of rackets
In Olomouc, councilors have several options on the table to welcome the new year. One of them is fireworks. However, the city has not yet ruled out the involvement of modern technologies in the form of video mapping and a drone show.
Drones, which can conjure up a spectacle in the sky with an almost inexhaustible variety of elements, are, according to Spectrum Brands CEO David Zaorálk, the future not only of New Year’s evening shows. “Drone show they replace fireworks in the world’s largest metropolises. They are less noisy and, in addition, ecological,” said Zaorálek, whose company is the only one in the country that can organize a drone show on our territory. “As for the New Year, several cities from Europe approached us. There are still some negotiations in the Czech Republic, but we do not have a confirmed location yet,” added Zaorálek.
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So far, the trade-off of the variability of drones is somewhat reduced by the purchase price. “In the Czech Republic, we have so far done a show with chicken coops, or two hundred drones. In Europe, these numbers reach six hundred. However, acquiring a drone system that can easily replace fireworks is still very expensive. If everything is added up, it is millions of euros,” said Zaorálek. However, lately I feel that this particular flying show is on the rise. And mainly in the Middle East.
However, Vlastimil Kocourek from Association of Czech Professional Fireworks. “It’s just a fad that fades with time. Fireworks have been with us for centuries, and something just won’t surpass them,” says Kocourek. However, he admitted that the pandemic time has shaken the entertainment industry. “Many members left us. But there is still interest in our field. And now the cities are turning on us again, and the table is turning like that,” added the chairman of the fire fighters.
However, it is impossible to say how many there are currently in the republic who can make fireworks. However, one thing is clear, this industry has also been affected by the current crisis. “Our prices have risen from ten to fifty percent. And that will be known even now at the New Year’s fireworks,” added Kocourek.