Remember, remember, winter is coming and that means one thing – it’s time to wrap up warm and watch a dazzling fireworks display.
These pyrotechnic displays happen all over the UK to mark Guy Fawkes night on 5 November, the date the 1605 Gunpowder Plot failed to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, were foiled in their attempt to assassinate the Protestant King James I (Mr Fawkes was caught red-handed with 36 barrels of gunpowder under the house of Lords and later executed for treason) and the public celebrated by lighting huge bonfires.
More than 400 years later, the tradition is still marked by firework displays, but many of the bigger ones have evolved to include drone shows, fairground rides, music and food stalls. Some of the most popular events – such as the torchlight procession in Lewes, East Sussex – attract tens of thousands of people and have become almost impossible to attend, while others charge for entry. According to Seasonhopper, tickets to a UK fireworks display for a family of four cost almost £30 – and that’s before you pay for hot chocolate, sparklers and a new scarf!
So, where can you go to celebrate for less? Here’s our pick of the 8 most spectacular fireworks displays around the UK – and they’re not just happening this Thursday 5 November but over the weekend, too…
1. Coram’s Fields Fireworks Night, London
When: Thursday 5 November
Where: Coram’s Fields, Bloomsbury, London
Start: Gates open at 3.30pm, stage performances, 4.15pm, fireworks at 6pm
Cost: Free
Finding a free fireworks display in central London can be tricky, but Coram’s Fields, a children’s park in Bloomsbury, allows adults accompanied by kids under 19 in on a first-come-first-serve basis. It also collaborates with neighbouring Great Ormond Street Hospital to record the display and broadcast it to children in the wards. There are live performances, fairground rides and food stalls, too, but get there early to be sure of a space. If you don’t have kids, you can usually get a good view of London’s many displays from Primrose or Parliament Hill.
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2. Cambridge Fireworks Night, Cambridgeshire
When: Thursday 5 November
Where: Midsummer Common, Cambridge
Starts: Music from 6pm, fireworks from 7pm
Cost: Free
Midsummer Common in Cambridge puts on one of the largest free fireworks displays in the East of England. BBC Radio Cambridgeshire DJ Josh Lovatt will start the proceedings before performers wander through the crowds dressed as illuminated caribou puppets and stilt-walking jellyfish. The fireworks themselves are put on by the award-winning and 100% carbon-neutral Pains Fireworks, and everything is gratis (but donations are welcome).
3. Bonfire Night on the Hoe, Plymouth
When: Thursday 5 November
Where: Plymouth Hoe, Devon
Start: 4pm fairground opens, 7pm bonfire is lit, 7.30pm fireworks
Cost: Free
Fireworks by the ocean (well overlooking Plymouth Sound) and a lighthouse in the background? That’s exactly what you get at one of Plymouth’s biggest annual free events. With around 20,000 spectators expected, there’s a funfair and food stalls, an enormous bonfire and the snap, crackle and hiss of fireworks exploding for 15 minutes in the skies above the city’s historic Royal Citadel. Not to be missed.
4 & 5. Aberdeen Fireworks Night & Inverness Civic Bonfire and Fireworks Display, Scotland
When: Thursday 5 November
Where: Beach Esplanade, Aberdeen & Bught Park, Inverness
Start: 7.30pm in Aberdeen and 7pm in Inverness
Cost: Free
If you’re in Scotland, Bonfire Night celebrations are equally extravagant, but you might have to wrap up that little bit warmer. In Aberdeen, there’s a free display you can watch from the southern end of the Beach Esplanade with fireworks (lasting an impressive 20 minutes) released from the Port of Aberdeen’s North Pier. While in the Scottish Highlands, Inverness’s Civic Bonfire and Fireworks Display returns to Bught Park, where one of the largest bonfires in Scotland is lit at 6pm before the ooohs and aaahs start at 7pm.
6. Fawkes in The Walks, King’s Lynn
When: Friday 6 November
Where: The Walks, King’s Lynn, Norfolk
Start: 6pm gates open, 8pm fireworks
Cost: Free
Get ready for the annual fireworks extravaganza in King’s Lynn this Friday. Organised by the Borough Council, the town’s beautiful park is lit up by a stunning display, and families and friends can also enjoy the music fairground rides, food stalls and entertainment beforehand.
7 & 8. Bangor Beach Road Fireworks & Welshpool Fireworks Display, Wales
When: Thursday 5 & Friday 6 November
Where: Beach Road Playing Field, Bangor & Maes y Dre Recreation Ground, Welshpool
Starts: 6pm gates open, 7pm fireworks
Cost: Free
In Wales there are free fireworks displays this week on Thursday 5 in Bangor (after a two-year hiatus) at Beach Road Playing Field on Bonfire Night itself and on Friday 6 in Welshpool at the Maes y Dre Recreation Ground. Don’t forget your sparklers!
9, 10 & 11. Manchester’s Free Fireworks in the Parks
When: Saturday 7 November
Where: Heaton Park, Platt Fields Park and Wythenshawe Park, Manchester
Start: 3pm gates open, reduced-noise fireworks displays at 5pm, lantern parade at 7pm and fireworks at 8pm
Cost: Free
Manchester is going all out this year, with separate bonfire night events in three city parks on Saturday 7 November. The displays at Heaton Park, Platt Fields Park and Wythenshawe Park will include family-friendly entertainment, an illuminated lantern parade, food and drink stalls and a reduced-noise fireworks display for young children, and those with sensory sensitivities or neurodivergence (such as autism) who struggle with unexpected, explosive noises as well as a bigger display set to music. If you’re in Greater Manchester there’s also a free display at Cronkeyshaw Common in Rochdale on Wednesday 4 November starting at 7.30pm.
6 TOP TIPS FOR BONFIRE NIGHT FUN
Wrap up warm: November evenings can get cold, so bring plenty of layers and wear hats and gloves.
Arrive early: Free events can get busy, and some have capacity limits. And remember, remember free entry doesn’t mean everything at the event is free. Food, drinks, fairground rides and parking are extra.
Plan your journey: Check road closures, parking restrictions and public transport before leaving home.
Bring ear defenders: These can be helpful for younger children and anyone sensitive to loud noises.
Check before travelling: Event timings and arrangements can change, especially if the weather is bad.
Take cash: Even when fireworks displays are free, donations are often encouraged to cover costs and not all will have card machines.
