Long queues were already seen during the night: at Lidl and other supermarkets there were on December 29th. sometimes tumultuous scenes.
Munich – “Am first”: That’s what a TikTok user writes with pride, filming his camping chair and a shopping cart in front of a Lidl branch in Aachen (NRW). There is no time given for the video, but it appears to be late at night. And he wasn’t the only very, very early riser. Every year, a few days before New Year’s Eve, numerous alarm clocks ring extremely early in Germany. Because: The start of the fireworks sale is an event for firecracker fans; this year it fell on December 29th. And while some stores forego selling fireworks for the sake of the environment, discount chains such as Lidl and Aldi in particular continue to attract fans.
Numerous TikTok videos testify to this again this year. Although these cannot be verified in detail, they appear authentic, especially since they correspond to the impressions of previous years. In any case, there is already a lively exchange in the comments on the camping chair video – which shows that there are various hotspots. “Why so early? I’ll be in a Penny at 7, I think there will only be a few people there”, “Rewe very little going on”, “Go straight to Lidl, Edeka, Rewe and Action” and “I’ll try Edeka at my place at 7, let’s see”, it says.
Fireworks fans were already standing in the middle of the night at Lidl, Aldi & Co
Table of Contents
- Fireworks fans were already standing in the middle of the night at Lidl, Aldi & Co
- Pop and TV stars reveal the amount of their pension: one only gets 41 euros a month
- Videos show people running and long lines at discount chains
- Shopping tourism from the Netherlands for fireworks
- Ban on firecrackers? Fire department spokesman: “We welcome any kind of regulation”
In any case, there was no talk of “very little going on” at various Lidl branches. Some people reported there during the night. “3:35 a.m. I’m already there, have fun guys,” writes one user on his own video. “12/29/25 / 4 a.m.” is another clip that shows half a dozen people in the fog in front of a Lidl store. The queue is significantly longer on other videos.
While some stores opened at midnight, in many places the freeze lasted until 7 a.m. – then various discount stores opened. And as in previous years, there were apparently some tumultuous scenes, as also documented on TikTok. “Fireworks sales no longer available within 10 minutes” is written in one upload. The user even explains: “Three people were thrown out because there was a fight.” That could be a bit exaggerated, but anything is conceivable.
Videos show people running and long lines at discount chains
A video shows voiceovers like “They’re coming! They’re coming!” Running people who want to be first at the rocket racks and know exactly what they want there. Here, too, it has not been verified whether these are recordings from this year – but it corresponds to the material marked 2025. And also with reliable information from on site: According to dpa, in Bremerhaven many people were already waiting at night in front of a fireworks manufacturer that started selling in the morning. The Saale newspaper showed a long Lidl queue in Bad Brückenau (Bavaria). WAZ one from Duisburg-Hochfeld (NRW).
There was also a rush in the morning in Hamburg-Harburg: “We had a queue of 100 to 130 people at 5:30 a.m. and that doesn’t stop and is actually increasing at the moment,” said fireworks dealer and pyrotechnician Oliver Graetzer of the German Press Agency in Hamburg. He has around 250 items on offer.
In Raubling (Bavaria), a Facebook user was amazed: “Like every year, a state of emergency when selling fireworks. The cashier at Lidl was amazed that I only had FOOD.” Another who has been released gets angry: “How stupid have these people become when it comes to selling fireworks? Today at 1:15 a.m. the first buyers at the Lidl parking lot,” he describes. It was now 4:30 a.m. and the parking lot was already “well filled” and it was loud, including from the firecrackers that people had brought with them. “It doesn’t matter if one or the other is still asleep at this time of day. What’s wrong with this society?”
Shopping tourism from the Netherlands for fireworks
In Meppen, a young man said one night in front of a shop that his budget for pyrotechnics was 500 to 600 euros. He expects that many customers will also come from the Netherlands. There will be a ban on firecrackers for private individuals at the turn of the next year after violence has increased in recent years. Shopping tourism actually seems to be flourishing. “Fireworks Germany, two-hour queue at Lidl,” writes one user in Dutch on his TikTok video.
By the way, not every fireworks fan leaves the store happy. “Double Crusher were gone after 1 minute and Daredevil wasn’t even seen,” complains a user on TikTok. “141 euros, I didn’t get everything the way I wanted, but the loot is okay,” sums up one person on Facebook. And another TikTok user writes: “Now I understand why I haven’t had fireworks in years… Because I’m a late riser and when I come to the store I only find empty shelves.”
The Association of the Pyrotechnic Industry (VPI) expects 10 to 15 percent more goods in stores compared to the previous year. According to its own information, the industry recorded sales of 197 million euros in 2024 (2023: 180 million). Opinions about the sense and nonsense of firecrackers divide Germany into two camps. Fireworks are harmful to the environment, and there are also dangers: In North Rhine-Westphalia, a 17-year-old lost his hand after a firecracker explosion.
Ban on firecrackers? Fire department spokesman: “We welcome any kind of regulation”
There are also discussions about a ban in Germany. The Berlin fire department called for restrictions on the sale of fireworks. “We welcome any kind of regulation,” said fire department spokesman Vinzenz Kasch on RBB Inforadio. “We recommend starting with sales, because the problem is the irresponsible use of New Year’s Eve fireworks.” Many months ago, a five-page shopping list caused astonishment. (Sources: TikTok, Facebook, dpa, Saale-Zeitung, RBB-Inforadio) (lin) Did you take particularly impressive photos of the fireworks sale? You can reach the author of this text via the author profile linked above.
