By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Where
- The Dam, Museumplein and across Amsterdam
- Tickets
- Free
- Time of year
- December to January
- Dates
- Around the same dates every year
Thursday 31 December 2026 into Friday 1 January 2027, a public holiday, and the first New Year under the national ban on consumer fireworks, in force since 1 August 2026. On 3 November 2026 the mayor confirmed the light and music show on the Dam and the organised fireworks shows, Museumplein among them, with a children’s show; times are published in December.
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This is the first New Year’s Eve under the Netherlands’ national ban on consumer fireworks, so Amsterdam’s night now centres on the shows the city organises: a light and music show on the Dam, and fireworks shows at Museumplein, with an earlier one for children, and in other parts of the city. All are free. Setting off your own fireworks, or even carrying them, is now an offence, sparklers apart, and the police say they will act against illegal fireworks where they can. Book dinner early, and expect oliebollen everywhere.
What Amsterdam New Year’s Eve actually is
For decades the Dutch saw in the new year by setting off their own fireworks in every street, for hours and sometimes days. Amsterdam banned setting them off in the city in 2021, and from this New Year the whole country bans consumers from buying, keeping or setting off fireworks; only the smallest kind, sparklers and party poppers, are still allowed, and anything bigger is for professional shows and associations with a permit.
In their place the city stages its own celebrations. For the first New Year under the national ban, the mayor confirmed the light and music show on the Dam, which in its first outing had calmed what used to be a tense square, and a programme of organised fireworks across the city, with Museumplein the biggest and a separate show there for children.
The food never changes: oliebollen and appelflappen, deep-fried dough balls and apple fritters, sold hot from stalls all through December, and champagne at midnight.
Where to be
- The Dam. The city’s light and music show and the countdown, in the square in front of the Royal Palace. It fills early, and the square has been cleared by police after midnight when the mood turned.
- Museumplein. Organised fireworks in front of the Rijksmuseum at midnight, with an earlier show in the evening for families with children.
- The neighbourhoods. Further shows have been held outside the centre in recent years, such as at the Sloterplas lake and in IJburg, with more room and fewer visitors.
Tickets and what it costs
The city’s shows are free, with nothing to book. The paid side of the night is dinner, with restaurants serving fixed New Year menus, and the clubs, which sell tickets for parties that run until morning.
Hotels are at their dearest of the winter, so book early, and buy oliebollen from a stall with a queue of locals rather than the one outside the station.
Official information and booking: www.rijksoverheid.nl/actueel/nieuws/2026/07/01/landelijk-vuurwerkverbod-voor-consumenten-dit-jaar-van-kracht
Getting there
GVB runs an adjusted timetable on New Year’s Eve, and trams and buses have stopped for part of the evening in past years; check before you plan a late journey, and expect to walk between the centre and Museumplein.
Late December is cold, dark and often wet. Dress for standing outside for an hour, and watch your footing on wet bridges and canal edges walking home.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Bringing fireworks from abroad
Having them is now an offence anywhere in the Netherlands, however legally they were bought. Sparklers are fine.
Counting on a late tram
Public transport runs an adjusted service. Check the timetable, or plan to walk.
Leaving dinner to December
Restaurants serve fixed menus and fill early. Book in November.
Expecting the old free-for-all
The street fireworks of past years are over. The organised shows are where the night happens now.
Other Amsterdam events
Frequently asked questions
Are fireworks banned in Amsterdam on New Year’s Eve?
Consumer fireworks are banned across the Netherlands: you may not buy, keep or set them off, apart from the smallest kind such as sparklers. Only permitted professional shows and associations may fire anything bigger.
Where can I see fireworks in Amsterdam on New Year’s Eve?
At the city’s organised shows, with Museumplein the biggest and a separate children’s show there, and in several neighbourhoods; the Dam has a light and music show.
Is the Amsterdam New Year countdown free?
Yes. The city’s shows on the Dam and Museumplein are free and unticketed.
What do the Dutch eat on New Year’s Eve?
Oliebollen, deep-fried dough balls dusted with icing sugar, and appelflappen, apple fritters, with champagne at midnight.
When is New Year’s Eve in Amsterdam?
On the night of the 31st, with New Year’s Day a public holiday; the dates card above shows this year’s.
Sources
- Rijksoverheid, the national consumer fireworks ban (Dutch)
- NH Nieuws, the light show on the Dam returns (Dutch)
- NH Nieuws, the city’s fireworks shows in a recent year (Dutch)
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2027. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.