The 2023 has begun. The new year was greeted at the Zurich lake basin with a special edition of the New Year’s Magic.
The towers of the Grossmünster frame the New Year’s fireworks on January 1, 2023 in Zurich.
Rarely has a New Year’s Eve been so mild and clear. Rarely have the people of Zurich, the newcomers and the tourists been able to see the big fireworks so well – even from afar. A number of previous times, the splendor in the side was “drunk”, at this turn of the year 2022/2023 it was razor-sharp in the sky.
The 21st edition of the New Year’s Eve Magic was special in many respects. The pyromaniac part of the population had to do without official fireworks twice because of the corona pandemic. In addition, the days of fireworks are numbered because of climate protection.
150,000 visitors expected
And when something threatens to disappear, it is valued all the more. No wonder thousands made a pilgrimage to the lake basin between Wollishofen and the Zürichhorn. The organizers of the New Year’s Eve magic expected 150,000 visitors.
Even before midnight, the sky over Zurich seemed to be boiling. One could read that the sale of fireworks was a particularly profitable business this year. That was now evident: firecrackers, rockets and bouquets were busily blown up from balconies, gardens, parks and vantage points.
Those who walked in the direction of New Year’s Eve magic were rewarded with church bells that rang out the old year and various small fireworks displays. On Haldenbachstrasse in the university district, for example, there was a huge volcano to admire at midnight.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people gathered on the Polyterrasse near the ETH main building. From here you can enjoy a good view of the magic of New Year’s Eve, framed by the Grossmünster and the Zurich skyline, without any stress. A few dog owners and their four-legged friends, who were apparently not very skittish, could also be spotted.
Distance from the “bang mob”
Those present passed the time until the start of the fireworks by toasting, lighting sparklers and mini fireworks. Someone was juggling glowing skittles. Others were bothered by those who threw firecrackers into the underpass and said: “Fortunately we have distance from this ‘bang mob’.” Then the conversations stopped. The lights around the lake basin were turned off, but the lights remained on on the poly terrace, to the disappointment of some viewers.
The fireworks start with a loud bang at exactly 12:20 am.
Golden, blue, red and green bouquets, carried by fountains, shoot into the sky from launch pads on three boats in Lake Zurich. Some structures are reminiscent of corona viruses – let them just fizzle out! Other of the 10,000 rockets resemble planets, stars, galaxies. Sometimes a rival laburnum blows up from a neighboring quarter. But he cannot keep up with the picture that is being painted on the sky. Finally, smileys and hearts delight the audience.
After 15 minutes, the composition by the fireworks artist Manuel Hirt is over. The spectators on the Polyterrasse applaud, take another sip of Prosecco and then move on to the tram stops or down into the city centre.
Will there be another classic fireworks display at the turn of the year? Ueli Heer, the media spokesman for Zurich Tourism, recently answered this question in the NZZ: “We feel that the people of Zurich have a lot of support for our fireworks, but of course we are aware that we have to discuss alternative solutions.”
Conclusion: Sustainable drone fireworks may convince with their sophisticated technology. But the fact that it glitters, bangs and smells of smoke afterwards seems to be inextricably linked to folk festivals. Think of the Böögg on the Sechseläuten, August 1st, the boys’ and girls’ shooting and the Züri-Fäscht. On the latter, real pyrotechnics are still allowed, at least in the coming summer. The same applies to the still young 2023 as has applied to many previous years: after the fireworks is before the fireworks.
