Munich - Costs in the millions: no majority for New Year's Eve laser show
The Munich Department of Economic Affairs' plans for winter lighting and a central laser show for New Year's Eve 2024/2025 have been put on ice for the time being. The reason for this is a decision by the city's economic committee. It did not approve the personnel position required for the organization and postponed the financing to the 2024 budget, said Clemens Baumgärtner (CSU), head of the economic department, after the committee meeting on Tuesday. Total costs per year: more than one million euros. The SPD and Greens, on the other hand, had requested that external sponsorship for the New Year's Eve show be examined.
Baumgärtner had suggested winter lighting as well as a central laser and LED show at the turn of the year as an alternative to fireworks, realized by an artist. The spectacle should take place every year and attract tourists around Christmas and New Year's Eve. According to the application, around 950,000 euros would be spent on material costs and a further 100,000 euros on personnel costs. According to the paper, this sum is based on comparable events and is in the mid-price segment.
Baumgärtner was disappointed after the decision, in which the CSU and Freie Wähler parliamentary group was outvoted by the red-green majority. "I stand by the plans," said the CSU politician. It was not an unusual request, other large cities were also doing something like this. From a tourist point of view, it is the right signal. Instead of banning regular fireworks for environmental reasons, you could offer an alternative and hope that many people would prefer to watch an "awesome show" instead of setting off firecrackers themselves.
Proposal SPD and Greens
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The suggestion for external sponsorship of the New Year's Eve laser show was primarily proposed by the SPD and Greens. Despite the costly nature of the laser show, totaling over a million euros annually, they believed it could be a solid investment to attract tourism. Clemens Baumgärtner, a member of the CSU and Munich's head of the economic department, expressed his disappointment with the committee's decision. He argued that other large cities also offer similar spectacles, sending a positive signal for tourists. Furthermore, he suggested that this alternative could potentially reduce the use of fireworks, which have environmental impacts. The Munich Municipalities, however, seemed to need a unified stance on the matter, as the CSU and Freie Wähler parliamentary group were outvoted by the red-green majority. Thus, the turn of the year awaits a decision on whether Munich will proceed with the laser show or look towards alternative methods of celebration.
Source: www.stern.de
