How the tragedy in Switzerland affected Luxembourg nightlife

The New Year's Eve fire at Crans-Montana in Switzerland, which killed 40 people and injured 119 others, sent shockwaves across Europe. The wave of reaction reached Luxembourg, where nightlife owners and event organisers seriously considered safety and risks that they had previously preferred to ignore.

"This tragedy was a wake-up call for everyone," admits a representative of the Lenox club in Luxembourg. Although the need for change had been discussed earlier, it was after the events in Switzerland that the final decision was made to abandon the use of pyrotechnics and fireworks inside the venue. Instead of a fire extravaganza - safe LED strips in bottles: the show effect remains, the risk disappears.

The club emphasises that all interior materials - from carpets to sofas - are strictly fireproof, and all requirements for escape routes, staircase width, ceiling height and fire extinguishers have been met.

Renzo Bellanima, former owner of the Atmosphere bar in the Hollerich neighbourhood, recalls how, when he opened, he was only allowed a capacity of 450 people after an additional emergency door was installed. He is convinced: in Luxembourg, establishment owners are mostly responsible, but insists on the need for annual inspections by the regulatory authorities.

The owners of the Gudde Wëllen club in the capital believe that such a disaster is impossible in their establishment: there are no pyrotechnics and the ceilings are much higher than in the ill-fated club in Switzerland. But even with these conditions, co-owner Luka Heindrichs emphasises, no one is immune to accidents.