The Riga City Council has prepared a draft of new rules limiting the use of pyrotechnics at night. The ban will be in effect from 10:00 PM or 11:00 PM (in summer) to 7:00 AM, except for holidays and agreed events.
Previously, the ban on the use of pyrotechnics was included in the public order regulations. The use of pyrotechnic products was prohibited from 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM unless agreed upon with the Executive Director of Riga, except on public holidays.
As explained by Riga's Vice Mayor Edvards Ratnieks, with the coming into force in 2024 of the Administrative Offenses Law for violations in the areas of governance, public order, and the use of the state language, the previous public order regulations have lost their validity. It is planned that the new mandatory regulations titled "On Temporary Restrictions on the Use of Fireworks and Stage Pyrotechnics in Riga" will prohibit the use of pyrotechnic products outdoors during the summer from 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM, and at other times of the year from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM.
The restrictions will not apply to the use of pyrotechnics during public events agreed upon with the municipality, during the celebration of Ligo — from 7:00 AM on Ligo day to 11:00 PM on Janova day, as well as on New Year's Eve — from 12:00 AM to 1:00 AM.
The regulations are to be approved at a meeting of the Riga City Council.
