Best Fireworks Displays and Bonfire Events in the UK

Fireworks and bonfires have been part of British life for more than four centuries. Bonfire Night is still the centrepiece, but the UK's big displays now run through the year, from New Year's Eve in London and Edinburgh to a musical fireworks championship on the Southport coast. Here are the best fireworks and bonfire events across the country, with the 2026 dates checked against each organiser's own announcement.

Bonfire Night: the big ones

Lewes Bonfire, East Sussex

Lewes holds the most famous and intense Bonfire Night in Britain, on 5 November itself unless that falls on a Sunday: in 2026, Thursday 5 November. The town's bonfire societies parade through the narrow streets with flaming torches and elaborate effigies, then go to their separate firesites for bonfires and fireworks. The event commemorates both the Gunpowder Plot and the seventeen Protestant martyrs burned in the town during the Marian persecutions.

Watching the processions is free, and the firesites are ticketed through each society. The town gets extremely crowded: roads close from late afternoon and trains are not expected to stop at Lewes for the evening, so plan the journey first.

Battersea Park Fireworks, London

Battersea Park's display, run by Wandsworth Council, is one of London's largest ticketed Bonfire Night events, choreographed to music with a funfair, food stalls and entertainment around it. In 2026 it runs on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November. Tickets are sold in advance only, with nothing on the gate, and adult tickets are around £17 to £18.

Alexandra Palace Fireworks and Drone Festival, London

Ally Pally's hilltop gives a panoramic view across London, and the event now pairs the fireworks with a drone show. For 2026 it runs across a weekend for the first time: a Party Night on Saturday 7 November with the display at 8pm, and a Family Fun Day on Sunday 8 November with an earlier display at 6pm.

Blackheath Fireworks, London

Once London's biggest free display, Blackheath has been ticketed since its return after the 2024 cancellation, and in 2026 it moves to a bigger site on Saturday 7 November, with the fireworks at 8pm.

Bonfire Night across the regions

Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels, Devon

Ottery St Mary has one of the most extraordinary traditions in Britain: barrels soaked in tar are set alight and carried at a run through crowds of spectators, a custom dating back to the 17th century. It takes place on 5 November itself, Thursday 5 November in 2026, with the adult barrels from about 7pm and the biggest barrel around midnight. It is free to attend and draws very large crowds.

Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival, Somerset

Bridgwater's illuminated carnival opens the Somerset carnival season, and in 2026 the procession is on Saturday 7 November from 6pm. Enormous floats covered in thousands of lights parade through the town, followed by the squibbing, when rows of squibs are fired together along the High Street. It is free to watch from the streets, with grandstand seats sold separately.

Manchester's free park displays

Manchester City Council runs free fireworks at Heaton Park, Platt Fields Park and Wythenshawe Park on Saturday 7 November 2026, with a reduced-noise display for young children at 5pm and the main display at 8pm. No tickets are needed.

New Year fireworks

London New Year's Eve

The display launched around the London Eye at midnight is one of the most watched fireworks shows in the world, and the viewing areas along the river are ticketed. Tickets for 31 December 2026 went on sale through Ticketmaster on 23 October 2026, priced at £40 or £55 depending on the viewing area, with a lower price of £20 or £35 for Londoners, and a limit of four per buyer. Only tickets bought through the official channel are valid, so avoid resale.

Edinburgh's Hogmanay

Edinburgh's Hogmanay is among the most famous New Year celebrations anywhere. The Street Party on 31 December has live music and a midnight fireworks display from Edinburgh Castle, with standard tickets at £39 (or £33 for residents with an EH postcode). The Torchlight Procession is on 29 December: carrying a torch needs a ticket, from £8.50, but watching it from the streets along the route is free. Both sold out last year.

Summer and seasonal fireworks

Fireworks are not only a winter thing in the UK. The British Musical Fireworks Championship in Southport sees display teams compete to set the best show to music over two evenings in Victoria Park each September: the 2026 championship was held on 26 and 27 September, and tickets are bought online in advance. Proms concerts at stately homes and summer festivals often finish with fireworks too, so check the programme when you book.

Quieter and family-friendly options

Not everyone enjoys the scale of the biggest events. School, PTA, sports club, scout and Round Table displays run all over the country on the weekends around 5 November, usually with earlier starts, shorter shows, sparkler areas and food stalls, and the money raised goes back into the community. They are often the best Bonfire Night for families. You can find firework displays listed on tickts, all with no booking fees.

For people and pets who find loud bangs hard, look for low-noise or reduced-noise displays: Manchester's 5pm shows are designed for exactly that, and more smaller organisers now advertise low-noise fireworks.

Planning tips

For any large fireworks event, book early and arrive early: many sell in advance only, and the free ones fill up hours before the display. Dress in warm layers, bring a flask, and expect cashless food and drink stalls, so carry a charged phone or card. Check the organiser's page on the day for timings and any weather changes. If you are organising a display yourself, our guide to planning a community fireworks display covers licences, safety and ticketing.

Whether you want a choreographed display over the London skyline or the tar barrels and torchlit processions of Ottery St Mary and Lewes, the UK has a fireworks night to suit every taste.