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, with a handful of events (Lewes confirmed, Plymouth and Rotherham usually among them) sticking to the 5th itself.
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. Manchester's park bonfires went in 2019, 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. Where that's happened we've said so, and listed what actually runs instead.
We're writing this in June, and hardly any organiser has confirmed a 2026 date yet. Treat the timings below as expected patterns based on each event's 2025 run, and always check the organiser's page before travelling. 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.
- Sheffield Autumn Lights, Don Valley Bowl. Successor to After Dark and billed as Yorkshire's biggest fireworks night: two pyromusical displays, funfair, street food. Ticketed. Ran 5 November 2025; expect the same week, confirm with the organiser.
- Bonfire Night at Clifton Park, Rotherham. Free council-backed evening with a proper bonfire, funfair and fireworks, held on 5 November itself. Details via Rotherham news.
- 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; organiser page.
- Autumn Lights at Temple Newsam, Leeds. The city's biggest organised display since the council bonfires ended. Ticketed. Leeds listings.
- Hull KR Fireworks Night, Craven Park, Hull. Stadium show timed to music, the biggest in East Yorkshire. Ran 5 November 2025, tickets only; 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.
- Markeaton Park Bonfire and Fireworks, Derby. Derby Live's giant bonfire and funfair, with the display handled by outdoor-arts specialists Walk The Plank. Tickets in advance. Derby Live.
- Abbey Park Bonfire, Leicester. The city council's flagship: quieter children's show first, then the main display with live music. Ticketed. Ran 1 November 2025; council page.
- Lincoln Autumn Lights, Lincolnshire Showground. Two musically choreographed shows in one evening, free parking. Ticketed. Ran 31 October 2025; organiser page.
- Northampton Fireworks Spectacular, The Racecourse. Free, council-run, and it leans into the county's genuine Gunpowder Plot connections. Ran 1 November 2025; town council page.
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 bonfires at Heaton Park, Platt Fields and Boggart Hole Clough have not run since 2019, and the council has said they will not return. If you were hoping for a Heaton Park bonfire in 2026, that's the answer, sorry.
- Sefton Park Bonfire Night, Liverpool. Free 20-minute display over the park lake, with food and music around the Palm House. Ran 5 November 2025; Liverpool listings.
- 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. Ran 7 November 2025; council page.
- Lord Mayor's Fireworks Extravaganza, Chester Racecourse. Not-for-profit charity night: quiet family display first, then the main musical show. Ticketed. Ran 8 November 2025; racecourse page.
- Moor Park Fireworks, Preston. The city's traditional free display, drawing thousands. Visit Preston.
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. An afternoon of racing, then a funfair, fire performers and the area's biggest display after the last race. Ticketed. Ran 1 November 2025; racecourse page.
- Saltwell Park Fireworks Spectacular, Gateshead. One of the region's biggest, set in a Victorian park with funfair and live performers. Ticketed. Go North East guide.
- Kynren Pyromusical, Bishop Auckland. Large-scale fireworks choreographed to music in the Kynren show arena. Ticketed. Ran 1 November 2025; Living North guide.
Scotland bonfire night events 2026
Scotland has scaled back hardest. Glasgow Green has not run since 2019 (the council has set aside £100,000 and is discussing a partner-run return, so 2026 may be different), 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; council page.
- Scottish Love in Action Fireworks Extravaganza, Myreside Stadium, Edinburgh. Charity stadium night with two showings and pipe bands. Regularly sells out. Ran 2 November 2025; organiser page.
- 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. Ran 5 November 2025; organiser 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 Festival, North London. The capital's biggest bonfire weekend: skyline fireworks plus a drone show, bier festival and funfair. Ticketed. Ran 31 October and 1 November 2025; official site.
- Battersea Park Fireworks, Wandsworth. The long-running riverside show, with a quieter family night on the Sunday and half-price tickets for eligible residents. Ran 1 and 2 November 2025; council page.
- 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. Ran 8 November 2025; 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, traditionally the Saturday nearest the 5th. Free. Ran 8 November 2025; 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. Ran 8 November 2025; village page.
South West bonfire night events 2026
- Bonfire Night on the Hoe, Plymouth. Free, held on 5 November itself, with fireworks fired from the Royal Citadel and crowds over 25,000. One of the biggest free events in the South West. 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. Ran 8 November 2025; Bristol listings.
- Fireworks and Film Spectacular, Cheltenham Racecourse. Round Table show for up to 12,000, choreographed to film soundtracks. Ticketed. Ran 8 November 2025; Jockey Club page.
- Exeter Round Table Fireworks, Westpoint. Fired by British Firework Champions Sonic, raising money for Devon Air Ambulance. Advance tickets only, regularly sells out. Ran 1 November 2025; charity 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.
- Fireworks Spectacular, Edgbaston Stadium. Now Birmingham's biggest organised display, with a large funfair and LED drummers, and it has sold out in advance in recent years. Ticketed. stadium page.
- 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. organiser page.
- Coventry Rugby Fireworks Night, Butts Park Arena. The city's biggest current display, club-run with food and bars. Sold out in 2024. Ticketed. Ran 1 November 2025; Coventry listings.
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. Ran 1 November 2025; Cambridge Independent.
- Norfolk Autumn Lights, Norfolk Showground, Norwich. Two shows in one evening, finishing with a fireworks and special-effects finale. Ticketed. Ran 1 November 2025; 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. 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 since 1981, was missing from the city's 2025 listings and its future is unclear. Check nearer the season.
- 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; 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; 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; event page.
- 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 31 October, 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 (£149.99) or To Infinity And Beyond (£299.95).
- £300 and up: bigger packs like Casino Royale (£319.99) 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.
