Krakow will not appeal the overturning of its fireworks ban
Krakow authorities will not appeal the court ruling that declared invalid the municipal resolution banning the use of fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices for entertainment purposes. The city council adopted the resolution in November 2025.
As Notes from Poland reports, Krakow explained the restrictions by the need to protect residents’ lives, health and peace, as well as ensure public safety. City authorities noted that pyrotechnics create noise and air pollution and may pose a threat to people and animals.
What the resolution provided for
The Krakow City Council resolution prohibited setting off fireworks, firecrackers, sparklers and other pyrotechnic devices for entertainment purposes. The restriction applied to public places as well as private areas if the use of pyrotechnics affected public space.
An exception was provided for the previous year’s New Year holidays. Some city councillors believed that the ban could help people with traumatic experiences, including World War II veterans and Ukrainian refugees. According to a city survey cited by Krakow’s then mayor Aleksander Miszalski, 67.5% of respondents supported a year-round ban, while 31.2% were opposed.
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The court ruling
In December, the voivode of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Krzysztof Klęczar, challenged the resolution in the Voivodeship Administrative Court. He stated that the restriction could violate the principle of proportionality in limiting constitutional rights and freedoms, as well as the freedom to conduct business activity.
At the end of June, the court declared the resolution invalid and ordered Krakow to pay court costs. In the court’s view, the city council had exceeded its authority, and the ban violated the principle of proportionality in protecting constitutional freedoms and rights. The court also noted that the restriction was not necessary to protect health, life or public order.
City government spokeswoman Dominika Jaźwiecka-Bujałska told the Polish Press Agency that an appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court would probably have had little chance of preserving the resolution. Wroclaw introduced a similar ban in January, but the administrative court also overturned it following objections from the voivode. Restrictions on pyrotechnics, with exceptions for the New Year period, remain in force in Sopot and Zakopane.
