Bonfire Night 2026: a family ticket to a display vs fireworks in the garden
Family tickets to local displays tonight cost from about £25, while a garden selection box starts at around £30 before safety kit. Here is how the costs compare and the rules for setting off your own.
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Bonfire Night falls on Thursday 5 November this year, and many families are choosing between a ticket to a public display and a box of fireworks for the garden. When we checked on 1 November, family tickets to local displays tonight cost from about £25, while a garden selection box we found was £29.99. Here's how the costs compare.
At a glance
- Club and school displays: family tickets of about £25 to £26.50 for two adults and two children.
- Big London displays: adult tickets of £11 to £18.
- Garden fireworks: a selection box at £29.99 at Dynamic Fireworks, shown against £39.99.
- Curfew: fireworks must stop by midnight on 5 November.
Public displays on 5 November
Two examples of local displays tonight, with prices from the organisers' booking pages:
- Hornets RFC, Weston-super-Mare: 6pm to 8pm. Family ticket (two adults, two children under 16) £25, adult £10, under-16 £5, under-5s free.
- Sanderstead Fireworks, Atwood Primary School, Croydon: gates 4.30pm, fireworks 6.15pm. Full-price family of four (up to two adults) £26, adult £9, child (2-15) £7, under-2s free, plus a 50p online booking fee. The £21 early-bird family price ended on 11 October.
Bigger displays cost more and sell out. Walthamstow's display runs on 5, 6 and 7 November, and its website said Friday and Saturday were sold out, with less than 5% of Thursday's tickets left. Merton Council's display is at Wimbledon Park tonight and Morden Park on Saturday 7 November. Alexandra Palace and Battersea Park hold theirs on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November. IanVisits' London listings put adult tickets at £11 to £18 for many of these. Many councils and community groups run free or low-cost displays, so check your council's website.
Fireworks in the garden
Dynamic Fireworks listed its Nexus selection box at £29.99, shown against £39.99, and was advertising 10% off Bonfire Night fireworks with the code BFN10. Selection boxes mix fountains, Roman candles and multi-shot barrages, but you may need extra items to make a 15 to 20 minute show.
Budget for safety kit too: a metal bucket of water or sand, a torch, gloves and a long taper. If you already have these at home, they cost nothing extra.
Worked example: a family of four
- Hornets RFC display: £25 for the family ticket. Add food or drink if you buy it there.
- Sanderstead display: £26 + 50p booking fee = £26.50.
- Garden display: £29.99 selection box, or about £26.99 with BFN10, plus delivery and any safety kit you need. A second box to stretch the show to 20 minutes doubles that.
At this level the costs are close. A public display usually gives you a bigger, longer show for the money. A garden display can make sense if you're sharing the cost with neighbours or friends.
The rules for home fireworks
GOV.UK says you must be 18 or over to buy adult fireworks. Registered sellers can sell them from 15 October to 10 November, from 26 to 31 December, and for three days before Diwali and Chinese New Year. At other times you need a licensed shop.
It's illegal to set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am, except on Bonfire Night, when the cut-off is midnight, and on New Year's Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year, when it's 1am. Breaking the rules can lead to an unlimited fine and up to six months in prison, or a £90 on-the-spot fine.
What to do now
- Check your council's website for free or cheap local displays.
- Book online if a display offers it. It's often cheaper than paying on the gate, and some sell out.
- Buy fireworks only from a registered UK seller, and check the CE or UKCA mark.
- Read every firework's instructions and keep to the safety distances on the label.
- Tell your neighbours if you're setting off fireworks, especially if they have pets.
Questions
Can I let off fireworks at the weekend?
Yes, until 11pm. The midnight cut-off only applies on 5 November itself.
Do children need a ticket?
Usually, though under-2s or under-5s are often free. Check the age bands on the booking page.
Are sparklers safe for young children?
Sparklers burn very hot, so supervise children closely, give them gloves, and put used sparklers in a bucket of water.
Ways to save
Book displays directly with the organiser, take your own flask and snacks if allowed, and share a garden display with neighbours to split the cost.
Prices checked on 1 November 2026 and can change. Sources: GOV.UK: Fireworks, the law, Fireworks Regulations 2004, regulation 7, Hornets RFC Firework Night 2026, Sanderstead Fireworks Display 2026, Walthamstow Fireworks Spectacular, Merton Council fireworks, Alexandra Palace fireworks, Battersea Park fireworks, IanVisits: London displays 2026, Dynamic Fireworks: Nexus selection box
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