What day of the week is Bonfire Night 2026?
Bonfire Night 2026 lands on a Thursday. Because it's a school night, most organised displays and larger family gatherings shift to the nearest weekend, particularly Saturday 7 November, so people aren't up for work or school the next morning. If you're planning a garden display at home, the actual night of 5 November is still the traditional choice, and it's one of only four nights a year when the fireworks curfew moves later, to midnight rather than the usual 11pm.
Why is Bonfire Night always on 5 November?
A group of conspirators plotted to blow up the House of Lords and kill King James I on 5 November 1605. Guy Fawkes was caught guarding the gunpowder that night. The plot failed. Londoners lit bonfires in celebration before the week was out, and Parliament made an annual thanksgiving compulsory under the Observance of 5th November Act 1605. That Act was repealed in 1859, but by then the bonfires and effigies were tradition, and the date has never moved since. Read the full story in our piece on why the UK celebrates Guy Fawkes Day.
Two fireworks weekends in 2026, not one
2026 has an unusual shape. Halloween falls on Saturday 31 October, which is the Saturday immediately before Bonfire Night. Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November, the day after the Saturday immediately after it. The 5th sits in the middle, on a Thursday. Two busy fireworks weekends, with a quiet school night in between.
A lot of households will roll the two together on Saturday 31 October. If people are coming over anyway and the pumpkins are already out, firing the fireworks that night rather than dragging everyone back five days later is the path of least resistance. A fair few organised events will do the same and bill it as a Halloween fireworks night.
Purists won't, and we understand the instinct. If you'd rather keep the spooky half of autumn separate from Guy Fawkes, Saturday 7 November is your night, and it is where most of the large civic and charity displays are landing anyway.
Then Diwali arrives on the Sunday. The wider five-day festival runs 6 to 10 November, with the main night on Sunday 8 November, and it is a serious fireworks occasion in its own right. It also carries a later curfew than Bonfire Night does: Diwali extends to 1am, where 5 November stops at midnight. Leicester's celebration on the Golden Mile is one of the largest outside India, and there are public events in most cities with a sizeable Hindu, Sikh or Jain community.
So the practical version, if you're buying for the family: you may well be buying for two nights this year rather than one. Work out which weekend you're actually firing on before you order, and if it's both, split the budget rather than spending it all on the 31st and having nothing left for the 7th. Our Halloween fireworks, Bonfire Night fireworks and Diwali fireworks collections all pull from the same range, so a single order covers the lot. There is more on the Festival of Lights in our Diwali fireworks guide.
Bonfire Night dates: 5-year reference
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 November | Tuesday |
| 2025 | 5 November | Wednesday |
| 2026 | 5 November | Thursday |
| 2027 | 5 November | Friday |
| 2028 | 5 November | Sunday |
Bonfire Night doesn't move, only the day of the week changes.
When is Mischief Night?
Mischief Night falls on 4 November, the evening before Bonfire Night. It's a regional tradition in parts of Yorkshire, the North East and the North West, marked historically by harmless pranks like doorbell-ringing and egg-throwing. Not every part of the UK observes it. Worth checking with neighbours and schools locally if you're not sure whether it's a thing where you live. For the full regional picture, including Liverpool's own "Mizzy Night" on 30 October, see our Mischief Night UK explained guide.
When are the major UK organised displays in 2026?
Most flagship UK Bonfire Night displays run on Saturday 7 November 2026, the closest weekend to the actual date. Lewes in East Sussex is the exception. Its famous bonfire societies parade and burn on 5 November itself, whatever day of the week it lands on. Expect similar weekend scheduling from most large civic and charity displays around the country, though smaller local events sometimes run across both weekends either side of the 5th. For the fullest list of dates, locations and ticket links, see our UK Bonfire Night events 2026 guide.
Frequently asked questions
What date is Bonfire Night 2026?
Bonfire Night 2026 is Thursday 5 November 2026.
Should I do fireworks on Halloween or Bonfire Night in 2026?
Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday 31 October, the weekend before Bonfire Night, so many families will combine the two into one night rather than firing again on a Thursday. If you would rather keep them separate, Saturday 7 November is the alternative, and it is also the weekend of Diwali on Sunday 8 November.
Is Bonfire Night a UK bank holiday?
No, Bonfire Night isn't a public holiday in the UK. Workplaces, schools and shops operate normally on 5 November.
Why is Bonfire Night on 5 November?
It commemorates the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot on 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes was caught guarding gunpowder beneath the House of Lords.
When are most public fireworks displays in 2026?
Most public fireworks displays will be on Saturday 7 November 2026, the closest weekend to the actual date.
Planning your own Bonfire Night fireworks for 5 November 2026? Browse our Bonfire Night fireworks collection. Free delivery on orders over £300, and three year-round physical stores.
