Bonfire Night 2026 falls on Thursday 5 November. Most organised displays happen on the nearest weekend, so the two big nights will be Saturday 31 October and Saturday 7 November 2026. A good few stick to the 5th itself, including Lewes, Plymouth Hoe, Cambridge and Colchester.
This guide covers the UK's organised displays region by region. We run three year-round fireworks shops in Sheffield, Retford and Ripley, so Yorkshire and the East Midlands come first. The rest of the country follows.
One thing worth saying plainly: a lot of the famous free council displays no longer exist. Leeds pulled its park displays, Nottingham's Forest Rec event was axed when staging costs doubled, and Birmingham hasn't run one for a decade. Manchester is the one going the other way, with free council displays back in three parks this year. Where a display has gone we've said so, and listed what actually runs instead.
We last checked every listing on 29 September 2026. Most of the big displays have now published their 2026 dates, and each confirmed one is marked below. A few have moved to Halloween: Nottingham Racecourse, Chester and Kynren all fire on Saturday 31 October, and Northampton on Sunday 1 November. Hastings goes earliest, on 17 October. Where an organiser hasn't announced 2026 yet, we say so and give last year's date as a guide. Check the organiser's page before you travel, because dates shift.
Jump to your region: Yorkshire & Humber · East Midlands · North West · North East · Scotland · London · South East & Sussex · South West · West Midlands · East of England · Wales · Northern Ireland · Plan your own display · FAQs
Yorkshire and Humber bonfire night events 2026
Home turf for us. Leeds City Council stopped funding its free park bonfires, so the county's big nights are now ticketed festival-style events, with one notable free exception in Rotherham.
- ArcNight, Don Valley Bowl, Sheffield. The bowl that hosted Autumn Lights last year has a new Bonfire Night show for 2026, with fireworks, live entertainment, food and drink. Ticketed, and confirmed for Thursday 5 November 2026; organiser page. Autumn Lights has not announced a 2026 Sheffield date.
- Bonfire Night at Clifton Park, Rotherham. Free council-backed evening with a proper bonfire, funfair and fireworks. No 2026 date had been published when we checked; watch the council's events page.
- Locke Park Charity Bonfire, Barnsley. Barnsley Round Table's long-running fundraiser, with an early child-friendly display before the main show. Ticketed. Ran 1 November 2025; no 2026 tickets yet on the organiser's ticket page.
- Autumn Lights at Temple Newsam, Leeds. Autumn Lights ran here in 2024 as the city's biggest organised display since the council bonfires ended, but it has not listed a Leeds date since, so don't count on a 2026 show. Ticketed. Leeds listings.
- Hull KR Fireworks Night, Craven Park, Hull. Stadium show timed to music, the biggest in East Yorkshire. Tickets only. Ran 5 November 2025, with no 2026 date yet; club page.
Sorting your own Yorkshire bonfire night? Our Sheffield shop, Rotherham page and Leeds page have the county sorted year-round.
East Midlands bonfire night events 2026
Nottingham is the big change here. The Forest Recreation Ground display, once the largest free event in the Midlands, was axed when staging costs doubled, and the council confirmed in its 2025/26 budget that it is not coming back. Ticketed displays at Trent Bridge and Nottingham Racecourse have filled the gap.
- Notts Street Food Fireworks Nights, Trent Bridge, Nottingham. Fireworks and street food at the cricket ground over three nights: Friday 6, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November 2026. Ticketed; dates via Visit Nottinghamshire, tickets through the venue page.
- Halloween Spooktacular, Nottingham Racecourse. The racecourse has moved its fireworks night to Halloween: Saturday 31 October 2026. Ticketed; racecourse page.
- Abbey Park Bonfire, Leicester. The city council's flagship: quieter children's show first, then the main display with live music. Ticketed, and confirmed for Saturday 7 November 2026; Visit Leicester.
- Lincoln Autumn Lights, Lincolnshire Showground. Two musically choreographed shows in one evening, free parking. Ticketed. Ran 31 October 2025; the organiser had not announced its 2026 venues when we checked; organiser page.
- Northampton Fireworks Spectacular, The Racecourse. Free, council-run, and it leans into the county's genuine Gunpowder Plot connections. This year it moves to Sunday 1 November 2026 with a Halloween theme; Northampton Chronicle.
Buying instead of watching? Our Nottingham and Derby pages cover the area, and the Retford and Ripley shops are open all year.
North West bonfire night events 2026
Manchester first, because so many people search for it. The council's free park bonfires stopped after 2019, and they are back this year. On Saturday 7 November 2026 there are free displays at Heaton Park, Wythenshawe Park and Platt Fields Park. Each has a reduced-noise show at 5pm for families and SEND audiences, then the main display at 8pm; council announcement.
- Liverpool. There has been no organised Sefton Park display in recent years, despite the rumours. The Palm House and the city council have both said so (Liverpool Echo).
- Light up Astley, Astley Park, Chorley. One of the few councils in the region still running its own free bonfire, paired with light installations through the park. Confirmed for Friday 6 November 2026, 5pm to 8pm; council page.
- Lord Mayor's Spooktacular Fireworks, Chester Racecourse. Not-for-profit charity night, Halloween-themed this year: quiet family display first, then the main musical show. Ticketed, and confirmed for Saturday 31 October 2026; racecourse page.
Delivery across the North West runs from our Manchester page.
North East bonfire night events 2026
Newcastle City Council does not run firework displays itself, so the region's big nights are racecourse, park and club events. Sunderland's council fireworks happen at New Year rather than in November.
- Fireworks and Funfair Racenight, Newcastle Racecourse. A floodlit evening meeting, then a funfair, fire performers and the area's biggest display after the last race. Confirmed for Friday 6 November 2026, tickets on sale now; racecourse page.
- Saltwell Park Fireworks Spectacular, Gateshead. One of the region's biggest, set in a Victorian park with funfair and live performers. Ticketed. Gateshead Council says 2026 details will follow once the organisers confirm; council page.
- Kynren Pyromusical, Bishop Auckland. 25 minutes of fireworks choreographed to music in the Kynren show arena. Ticketed, and confirmed for Saturday 31 October 2026, show at 7pm; Kynren page.
Scotland bonfire night events 2026
Scotland has scaled back hardest. Glasgow Green has not run since 2019 (the council set aside £100,000 and was exploring a partner-run return in March 2026, with nothing announced since), Dundee scrapped its displays in 2022, and Edinburgh's old Meadowbank fireworks ended with the stadium redevelopment. Glasgow and Edinburgh now operate Firework Control Zones banning private fireworks in parts of each city around 5 November.
- Aberdeen Fireworks Night, Aberdeen Beach. Free 20-minute beachfront show, now the largest council-run Bonfire Night display left in Scotland's big cities. Ran 5 November 2025; no 2026 announcement yet.
- Scottish Love in Action Fireworks Extravaganza, Myreside Stadium, Edinburgh. Finished. The charity announced in August 2026 that it is concluding the event after fifteen years, citing rising costs and falling ticket sales, so there is no 2026 show; announcement.
- Kirkcaldy Fireworks Display, Beveridge Park. Free community bonfire and fireworks run by the rugby club and park group, which kept going as other Fife displays folded. Ran 5 November 2025; local listing.
- Stirling and Bridge of Allan Round Table Bonfire, Strathallan Games Park. Charity night with bonfire and a music-choreographed display. Ticketed, and confirmed for Thursday 5 November 2026, gates at 6pm; ticket page.
Scottish orders are handled via our Glasgow page.
London bonfire night events 2026
London still does Bonfire Night at scale, though the famous large Crystal Palace Park display has not returned since it was pulled in 2023.
- Alexandra Palace Fireworks & Drone Festival, North London. The capital's biggest bonfire weekend: skyline fireworks plus a drone show, bier festival and funfair, with an earlier family display on the Sunday. Ticketed, and confirmed for Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November 2026; official site.
- Battersea Park Fireworks, Wandsworth. The long-running riverside show. Ticketed, and confirmed for Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November 2026; official site.
- Fireworks in the Park, Wimbledon Park and Morden Park. Merton's twin nights, each with an early kids' show and a later main display. Ticketed, and confirmed for 2026: Wimbledon Park on Thursday 5 November, Morden Park on Saturday 7 November; council page.
Delivery and collection options for the capital are on our London page.
South East and Sussex bonfire night events 2026
Sussex is its own bonfire culture. The Bonfire Societies are volunteer community groups, concentrated in East Sussex towns, who stage costumed torchlit processions, bonfires and fireworks across a season running from September to late November. The tradition marks the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, and in Lewes it also remembers the seventeen Protestant martyrs burned in the town in the 1550s. There's more on the history in our Guy Fawkes guide.
- Lewes Bonfire, East Sussex. Confirmed for Thursday 5 November 2026 (Lewes holds the 5th itself unless it falls on a Sunday). The biggest Fifth of November event in the world: seven town societies, dozens of visiting ones, crowds up to 80,000. Street viewing is free, firesite displays are ticketed, and travel into town is heavily restricted. Official site.
- Battle Bonfire, Abbey Green. Torchlit procession to a huge bonfire in the town where the Battle of Hastings was fought. Free. Confirmed for Saturday 7 November 2026; society page.
- Hastings Bonfire. Opens the tail of the season early with an Old Town procession and beach bonfire, confirmed for Saturday 17 October 2026. Free. Society page.
- Brockham Bonfire, Surrey. One of the largest displays in Surrey, on the village green with torchlit procession. Free entry, donation buckets, paid parking. Confirmed for Saturday 7 November 2026; village page.
South West bonfire night events 2026
- Bonfire Night on the Hoe, Plymouth. Free, with fireworks fired from the Royal Citadel and crowds of over 25,000. One of the biggest free events in the South West. Confirmed for Thursday 5 November 2026: bonfire lit at 7pm, fireworks at 7.30pm; Visit Plymouth.
- Bristol Fireworks Fiesta, Canford Park. Charity event with an extended display by Skyburst, the local team that won the British Firework Championships. Ticketed, confirmed for Saturday 7 November 2026 at 7pm, with early-bird tickets on sale in early October; organiser page.
- Fireworks and Film Spectacular, Cheltenham Racecourse. Round Table show for up to 12,000, choreographed to film soundtracks. Ticketed, confirmed for Saturday 7 November 2026; Jockey Club page.
- Exeter Round Table Fireworks, Westpoint. Fired by British Firework Champions Sonic, raising money for Devon Air Ambulance. Advance tickets only, and it regularly sells out. Confirmed for Saturday 7 November 2026, 5.30pm to 9pm; venue page.
West Midlands bonfire night events 2026
Birmingham's free council displays at Pype Hayes Park and Edgbaston Reservoir were axed around a decade ago and have never returned. Venues filled the gap.
- Sky Kingdom Drone Light Show, Edgbaston Stadium. If loud fireworks are not a good fit for your group, this is the local alternative: a ticketed drone show with no loud bangs. Confirmed for Friday 6 and Saturday 7 November 2026. Official Edgbaston announcement.
- Wolverhampton Fireworks. The city's main display, usually at Dunstall Park racecourse (West Park stood in for 2025), with two shows and live music. Ticketed, and usually listed on the racecourse what's on nearer the season.
- Coventry Rugby Fireworks Night, Butts Park Arena (now the Nick Newbold Stadium). The city's biggest current display, club-run with food and bars. Ticketed, and confirmed for Saturday 7 November 2026, with fireworks at 7.30pm; club page.
Our Birmingham page covers the West Midlands.
East of England bonfire night events 2026
- Cambridge Fireworks Night, Midsummer Common. Free council bonfire and fireworks by the river, the largest free event in the region. Confirmed for Thursday 5 November 2026, from 6pm; council page.
- Norfolk Autumn Lights, Norfolk Showground, Norwich. Two shows in one evening, finishing with a fireworks and special-effects finale. Ticketed. Ran 1 November 2025; 2026 venues not yet announced; organiser page.
- Colchester Castle Park Fireworks. Run by the King Coel's Kittens charity under the Norman castle, complete with a Guy Fawkes procession led by the Colchester Beefeaters. Drew over 9,000 in 2025. Confirmed for Thursday 5 November 2026; charity page.
For East Anglia delivery, see our Norwich page.
Wales bonfire night events 2026
A note on Cardiff: Sparks in the Park, the Round Table fundraiser that ran from 1981, was cancelled in 2022 "for the foreseeable future" and has not come back.
- Sophiaworks, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Now one of the city's biggest bonfire nights, with funfair, live music and street food. Ticketed. Ran 5 November 2025; the 2026 date was not on the venue's website when we checked; Cardiff listings.
- Swansea Fireworks Display, St Helen's ground. The council keeps this one deliberately affordable, with advance tickets from about £4 and a 20-minute themed show on the seafront. Ran 5 November 2025, no 2026 date yet; council page.
- Capital Fireworks on Parade, Rodney Parade, Newport. The city's biggest, hosted with Capital FM at the rugby ground. Ticketed. Ran 2 November 2025.
- Wrexham Bonfire and Fireworks, Marchwiel. Farm-site bonfire night with funfair and hot food, promoted by the council as the safe alternative to garden displays. Ticketed. Ran 9 November 2025; listing.
Northern Ireland bonfire night events 2026
Guy Fawkes Night is not really a Northern Irish tradition. Bonfire culture there centres on Eleventh Night, 11 July, when bonfires are lit on the eve of the Twelfth. The big autumn fireworks are tied to Halloween instead: the free finale of Derry Halloween, billed as Europe's largest Halloween festival, lights up the River Foyle on Saturday 31 October 2026 (parade at 7pm, fireworks at about 8.15pm), and West Belfast's Falls Park lantern parade and fireworks is the city's main organised display.
Planning your own Bonfire Night display at home
Can't find a public display you like, or would rather do something for the family in the back garden? That's how we got started. The short version of what we'd buy for a 15 to 20 minute home display in 2026:
- Under £100: a selection box like the Party Box (£59.99) or the Giant Bonfire Bargain Bag (£79.99).
- £100 to £300: a complete display kit such as the Hercules Bag (£139.99) or To Infinity And Beyond (£339.95).
- £300 and up: bigger packs like Casino Royale Bag (£349.95) or Mission Impossible (£349.95), which is where free delivery kicks in.
Our Bonfire Night buying guide goes deeper on pacing and budgets, or browse the full Bonfire Night Fireworks collection, selection boxes, cakes and barrages and rockets.
Frequently asked questions
What date is Bonfire Night 2026?
Bonfire Night 2026 falls on Thursday 5 November. Most organised public displays happen on the nearest weekend, on Saturday 31 October or Saturday 7 November 2026.
Which UK town has the biggest Bonfire Night celebration?
Lewes in East Sussex hosts the biggest 5 November event in the world, with seven town bonfire societies, dozens of visiting societies and crowds of up to 80,000. Among free city displays, Plymouth Hoe and Cambridge's Midsummer Common are two of the largest.
Is Bonfire Night a public holiday in the UK?
No. 5 November is a normal working day, which is exactly why most organised displays move to the nearest Saturday.
Are fireworks displays safe for pets?
Keep pets indoors during displays, even calm ones. If you want fireworks at home without the bangs, our Low Noise collection is built for exactly that.
Where can I buy fireworks for my own display?
Our Bonfire Night Fireworks collection is stocked year-round, with free delivery on orders over £300. You can also walk into our Sheffield, Retford or Ripley shops any time of year.
When is Mischief Night?
Mischief Night is 30 October, the night before Halloween. It's mainly a northern English tradition, strongest in Yorkshire and the North West.
Galactic Fireworks has supplied UK bonfire nights since 1999. Three year-round shops, free delivery on orders over £300, and every order delivered by our ADR-trained drivers, never standard couriers. Browse the Bonfire Night collection or find your nearest store.
