Galactic Update: January 2026
Happy New Year to all you pyromaniacs out there. We might be deep in January, but things aren’t slowing down at Galactic HQ. While most people are recovering from the festive season, we are already knee-deep in planning for November '26.
🚀 2026 Stock Update
Orders for the 2026 season are already going in. We’ve already been reviewing footage of some absolute beasts from the factories, and let me tell you, the innovation coming out this year is stunning. Amazing colours, cleaner breaks, and effects that are going to blow your socks off.
Keep your eyes peeled on our monthly updates for exclusive teaser videos coming soon.
And don’t forget, we aren’t just waiting for Bonfire Night. Chinese New Year (Feb 17th) is just around the corner. It’s the next massive opportunity to get the gear out and celebrate properly.
The Year of the Fire Horse 🔥
This isn't just any regular celebration. 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse. In Chinese culture, the Fire Horse represents passion, high energy, and an unbridled, untamed spirit.
Sound familiar? That is exactly what Galactic is about. You want pyro that matches the ferocity of the Fire Horse—high-impact compounds, rapid-fire cakes, and loud reports. If you were planning a "quiet night in" for February 17th, think again. It would be rude not to light up the sky for this one.
The Elephant in the Room: The Debate
Now, I need to get serious for a minute.
On January 19th, there was a debate in Parliament regarding the sale of fireworks. As usual, the anti-firework brigade was out in force, spreading misinformation.
We are a responsible retailer. We love this industry, and we care about safety. But I’m not going to sit here and let misconceptions threaten a tradition enjoyed by 20 million people just because of a loud minority.
1. The “Loophole” Myth
You hear this all the time: “Pop-up shops exploit a loophole to sell fireworks without regulation.”
There is no loophole. The sale and storage of fireworks are strictly governed by the Explosives Regulations 2014. Every single retailer must be licensed by their Local Authority or the Fire Service. They are subject to strict inspections regarding storage, safety distances, and insurance.
If someone is selling fireworks out of a van or a backpack, they aren’t using a "loophole." They are criminals breaking the law.
2. The 90dB “Limit” (AKA The Stealth Ban)
There is a petition floating around asking to limit fireworks to 90dB. To the average person, that sounds reasonable, right?
⛔ Why 90dB is a Ban
90dB is roughly the volume of a lawnmower.
Due to the nature of sound, and how the shots from a cake leave the tube, reducing the limit to 90dB isn’t just "turning the volume down." It would effectively ban almost every single consumer firework currently on the market. If you ban the regulated products we sell, you fuel a black market of dangerous, untested explosives.
3. The Solution: The 10-Point Plan
We support the British Fireworks Association (BFA). We don't want a free-for-all; we want strict enforcement against criminals, not punishment for responsible families.
WE NEED YOU: TAKE ACTION
We are the silent majority. The MPs hear the complaints, but they rarely hear from the millions of families who enjoy fireworks responsibly. Let's change that.
I have written the email for you. All you have to do is copy it, find your MP's email address here, and hit send.
📋 COPY & PASTE THIS TO YOUR MP:
Subject: Please oppose the 90dB firework limit - Support the BFA 10-Point Plan
Dear [MP Name],
I am writing to you as one of your constituents living at [Insert Your Postcode].
I am contacting you regarding the recent Parliamentary debate on the sale of fireworks. I am deeply concerned by the calls for a 90dB noise limit on consumer fireworks.
As a responsible user of fireworks, I want to highlight that a 90dB limit is technically a de facto ban on the public's ability to host family displays. It would remove approximately 95% of legal products from the market.
Banning regulated fireworks will not solve anti-social behaviour; it will simply drive the market underground. We have seen in other countries that prohibition leads to a black market of dangerous, untested, high-explosive items that are far harder for the police to police.
I am part of the 20 million people in the UK who enjoy fireworks safely and responsibly. I urge you to reject calls for a ban or decibel limits and instead support the British Fireworks Association’s 10-Point Plan, which calls for:
- Raising the legal purchasing age to 21.
- Better enforcement and funding for police to tackle illegal sellers.
- Tougher sentencing for those who misuse fireworks.
Please support the responsible majority and focus on enforcement against criminals, rather than punishing families who follow the rules.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
We’re gearing up for an incredible 2026. Stay safe, and don’t let the killjoys grind you down.
James
Comments
Richard, these are brilliant comments – thank you for taking the time to share both your experience and your suggestions.
Your village display is exactly the point that gets lost in the debate. 2000 people, proper H&S, marshals, first aid, insurance – doing it right, but relying on Cat-3 because that’s what makes it financially viable.
If the 90dB brigade get their way, your village display dies. There aren’t enough licensed operators in the country to cover every community event. The maths just doesn’t work.
This is what frustrates me: they keep claiming they’re “just asking for reasonable restrictions,” but they never acknowledge that their “reasonable” 90dB limit would wipe out exactly what you’ve described – thousands of family shows, community events, village fetes, school fundraisers.
These displays aren’t just about the fireworks. They’re about communities coming together, raising funds, creating memories. Your village raised money for the community. That matters. If you haven’t already, please send that story to your MP using the template above – they need to hear these real-world examples.
On your three suggestions:
1. Plastic packaging – You’re absolutely right. We’ve been pushing manufacturers on this for a while.
2. Insurance tick-box option – This is genuinely clever, and something I’ve not seen anyone offer yet. The challenge is finding an insurer willing to provide a scalable, low-cost option that actually covers back-garden displays without ridiculous exclusions.
3. A better range of low-noise fireworks – agreed. Some products are silent until the last 5 seconds when they suddenly crack off like a 12-gauge; it winds me right up! We’re actively working with suppliers to expand the low-noise range, and I’ll make sure our product descriptions are crystal clear.
Thanks for the feedback and for being part of what we’re fighting for. Glad we could be part of your celebrations over the years- that’s exactly what we’re here for.
James
Another key point: a ban on consumer use of bigger retail fireworks would effectively destroy most community (village/school/sports-club) displays too.
Having helped organise the village display this year (for about 2000 people), complete with fairground, bonfire, food stalls etc, and raising a lot of funds for the village community, I can say this:
1. We did this very carefully, with all the required health/safety, insurance, marshalls, first-aid on hand, etc. People loved it. But we are all volunteers and while we are experienced, and very careful, none of us is formally Cat-4 trained/licensed.
2. We therefore rely on being able to buy good Category-3 fireworks (most of which came from Galactic – thanks). We had an awesome show. It’s the availability of the bigger cakes and compounds that makes this practical.
3. Without the retail market, we’d be priced out. Village and community displays depend on vendors like Galactic – and without consumer sales, the vendors couldn’t survive. We can’t buy Cat4 fireworks, and even if we could, we can’t afford the prices for a professional team to come and operate the display. It would be 3x higher, for the same display.
I agree. I think we should do a couple of other things:
1. be better at labelling any fireworks that leave plastic litter., and those that don’t. Some big rockets have plastic cases, which is silly when the papier mache ball-heads perform better.
2. Include insurance coverage with the firework sales – either for everyone, or at least make it opt-in. If I do a big display, I know to get my own insurance, but someone who just buys a £50 box for the back garden needs a way to include £5 of insurance easily. Could this be a tick-box option on your own site?
3. We should increase the range of quieter fireworks, and be better at labelling them (sometimes a near silent fountain ends with a loud crackle, and it’s still marked as quiet). This is useful anyway, especially because some people are noise-sensitive, and some of us love putting the fireworks to music, so we want big fireworks that don’t bang.