Bonfire Night is a great time to get together with friends and family and spend some time outdoors. With crackling bonfires and incredible firework displays, it can be a great autumn activity for all ages.
Whether you’re planning a family outing or a night out with friends, picking one of the many Bonfire Night events on offer can be a difficult choice. In this guide, we’ll highlight some of the best Bonfire Night displays and events in the UK for 2025, from classic London firework spectacles to immersive light festivals up North.
Best Bonfire Night events in the UK
- Alexandra Palace Fireworks Festival
- Battersea Park Fireworks
- Abingdon Bonfire and Fireworks
- Clacton Pier Fireworks
- Alton Towers Ultimate Firework Spectacular
- Light Up Lancaster
- Fawkes Festival
Alexandra Palace Fireworks Festival, London
Dates: 31st October – 1st November 2025
Location: Alexandra Palace Park, London
Alexandra Palace’s Fireworks and Drone Festival combines Halloween-themed fireworks with a dazzling drone display. As well as this main attraction, you can gather around spooky bonfires, take a behind-the-scenes ghost tour of the eerie Victoria Theatre as well as show off your best costume in the Halloween fancy dress competition.
Being London’s biggest Bonfire Night celebration, the night doesn’t stop there. There’s live music to enjoy, a funfair to explore, ice discos to glide through and over fifty food trucks and bars serving up delicious food and drinks.
View this post on Instagram
Battersea Park Fireworks, London
Dates: 1st and 2nd November 2025
Location: Battersea Park, London
Battersea Park Fireworks has long been one of London’s favourite Bonfire Night firework events. Offering an explosive weekend of dazzling fireworks, live music and food and drink, this event is perfect for both family and friends trips.
Sunday offers family-specific theming, with a selection of family-focused entertainment and earlier timings making it perfect for younger children.
View this post on Instagram
Abingdon Bonfire & Fireworks, Oxfordshire
Dates: 15th November
Location: Abingdon Airfield, Abington-on-Thames
The UK’s biggest fireworks, light and laser show promises to be a night to remember. Abingdon Bonfire and Fireworks offers an immersive experience where the fireworks appear all around you in a 270° wrap around display, choreographed to music and fused with an immersive laser and light show that can be seen from over 30 miles away.
Also on offer is a towering bonfire with over 500 tonnes of wood and pallets, an earlier timed low noise kids show, the South of England’s largest fairground with 30 big rides and over 100 kids rides, a monster truck experience, and a Fatboy Slim tribute act. If all that wasn’t enough for you, there are also stalls of hot food and drinks where you can meet roaming entertainers.
View this post on Instagram
Clacton Pier Fireworks, Essex
Dates: 8th November 2025
Location: Clacton Pier, Clacton-on-Sea
This free fireworks display is staged across Clacton Pier, offering dazzling shows with an unmissable evening of entertainment. Though smaller in scale than some of the more popular Bonfire Night firework displays, this seaside setting offers its own charm.
Perfect for families, this event uses special low-noise fireworks for younger guests and those sensitive to loud sounds. The pier provides some of the best spots to take in the fireworks that are set to music to make the night extra special.
View this post on Instagram
Alton Towers Ultimate Firework Spectacular, Staffordshire
Dates: 7th-9th November 2025
Location: Alton Towers Resort, Stoke-on-Trent
The UK’s most immersive fireworks show marks the end of their season before they close for winter. This event sees the park open late which gives you a chance to enjoy the thrilling rollercoasters, rides and family attractions in the dark.
The firework show itself offers a spectacular firework display with exhilarating, jaw-dropping surprises. This is definitely not an event to miss out on and is fun for all the family!
View this post on Instagram
Light Up Lancaster, Lancashire
Date: 6th-8th November 2025
Location: Lancaster
Light Up Lancaster offers a different take on Bonfire Night, showing mesmerising light artworks, installations and projections across the city centre.
It’s ideal if you’re looking for a quieter experience, still with beautiful visuals but less bangs and booms. This year’s theme is ‘In the Blink of an Eye’. Audiences can experience a festival with shapeshifting, illusions and reflections displayed through clever light artworks.
View this post on Instagram
Fawkes Festival, Edinburgh
Dates: 2nd November
Location: Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh
Scotland’s largest bonfire and fireworks event takes place at the Royal Highland Centre this November, with family-friendly entertainment and spectacular light shows. From live entertainment and an epic fireworks display set to music, this event is not to be missed.
View this post on Instagram
Tips to enjoy Bonfire Night fireworks
To help you make the most of your visit to your chosen Bonfire Night event, we’ve put together some handy tips:
- Dress warmly and in layers: it can get very cold waiting outdoors in the November evenings. Waterproof layers are also a good idea to be prepared for the unpredictable British weather.
- Arrive early: parking and large crowds closer to show times can make events like these difficult to access so it’s always a good idea to arrive in plenty of time.
- Follow safety signage and instructions: make sure you stick to designated viewing areas and avoid getting too close to bonfires or pyrotechnic zones.
- Plan travel and parking ahead: these types of events are always popular, so it’s a good idea to plan your route and parking location beforehand to ensure you’re prepared.
- Bring ear protection: younger children can find fireworks or music displays too loud, so ear defenders or plugs can make a big difference and allow them to enjoy the event along with the adults.
Share the driving with friends and family
Heading to one of the UK’s best Bonfire Night events? Why not share the driving with family or friends! For a hassle-free Bonfire Night adventure, you can get flexible insurance to suit your needs, with cover available from just one hour.
Find out more about our temporary car insurance here and get a quote today.