Siófok: Strict regulations to affect the nightlife of popular tourist city

The nightlife of the entertainment venues in Siófok will be subject to new, stricter requirements this summer, in order to improve the cleanliness and public safety of the city. Siófok lies on the southern bank of Lake Balaton and is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Hungary, especially during the warmer seasons.

After a long legal battle, the new nightlife rules were finally passed

As of 2 May, the representative body of Siófok will bind the opening hours of the city’s entertainment venues between midnight and 4 AM to six new conditions, index.hu reports. The Petőfi Promenade of Siófok and its surroundings are one of the busiest spots in the city, a popular place for tourists to relax during the day and at night.

Among other things, the new rules aim to reduce noise emissions from the facilities and maintain public cleanliness in the area.

As we have reported on the issue previously, in March 2022, the Siófok municipality created the decree that would have regulated the nightlife of the Petőfi promenade. However, the decree ran into several legal problems at the time with the Somogy County Government Office classifying the restrictions as illegal.

The Siófok municipality unanimously rejected the County Office’s declaration, and the case went to the Curia, the supreme judicial body of Hungary.

In the end, the Supreme Court found two out of nine disputed points to be illegal. Based on the decision, the local Siófok town hall made the appropriate changes to the text of the law, so that representatives could vote on it.

Finally, it was accepted by a unanimous vote, which means that from this summer on, venues will face more scrutiny in their nightlife operation.

The new regulations aim to make Siófok clean and liveable for all

From now on, entertainment venues must meet six conditions in order to be able to operate at night. These are the following:

1. The provision of a lavatory;
2. Installing sound limiters in the music equipment to limit noise pollution;
3. Employment of one security guard in venues under 100 square meters and at least two security guards in venues larger than 100 square meters;
4. Serving drinks in reusable plastic cups;
5. Erotic dance activities visible from public areas are prohibited;
6. Daily cleaning of the sidewalk in front of the stores.

The mayor of Siófok, Róbert Lengyel made the following statement at the council meeting regarding the upcoming changes:

“We have won decisively in a lawsuit against the government office, and now can implement the decree in the spirit of the 9-year-long systematic effort to ensure as much order, cleanliness, and public safety as possible on the Petőfi Promenade. […] We are strengthening the image of Siófok as a family-friendly city, but entrepreneurs affected by [the new regulations] can also agree that these provisions serve the interests of the public.”

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Source: Index