Bonfire Night in London: The best firework displays

The Alexandra Palace Fireworks and Drone Festival (as it’s now called) is easily one of the biggest, baddest displays in town. It sends hundreds of drones and fireworks into the air over north London, making it a spectacular place to ring in Bonfire Night. But it’s not just what’s going on in the sky that’s the attraction here (although, with Ally Pally’s panoramic view of London, it is a fairly big pull). There’s also plenty more to see and do besides watching the fireworks and drones. This year, the fun is split across two dates: an adult-centric party night on Saturday, and then a family day on Sunday where under-10s go free. There’s a music line-up headlined by special guests Eats Everything, plus a roaring bonfire, ice skating, and funfair rides on offer.

Head to Wandsworth's beautiful Battersea Park and you'll find two massive displays to enjoy by the banks of the Thames. Go on Saturday for the regular fireworks plus a disco ceilidh, a DJ set from Rudimental and a live Latin band playing salsa, classic dura, and Afro-Cuban rhythms. Alongside the fireworks, Sunday’s entertainment will feature a Taylor Swift tribute, an electrifying performance by Lords of Lightning and a pop anthems afterparty. On both days, there’ll also be street food, cosy drinks and fairground rides. 

Hip hip hooray, Blackheath's annual fireworks display is back for a second time, after a big relaunch last year. Slammin Events (the company behind Ally Pally's massive annual display) has brought this new, ticketed fireworks events to southeast London, and this year it's going to be even larger, with a capacity of 40,000 (up from 30,000 last year), more food stalls, and a bigger line-up of entertainment. 

As well as a full fireworks display, there's an array of bells and whistles included in the £16 ticket price. Garage stars DJ Luck and MC Neat will be in the Big Top tent alongside club legend Brandon Block. Massaoke (that’s mass karaoke) is back for a second year, as is the electrifying Lords of Lightning illuminations. There’ll also be a lineup of comedians bringing the laughs inside the Big Belly Comedy Club. And new for 2026, the event is launching the ‘People’s Stage’, which will host performances from local talent. 

Joining the festival atmosphere are independent food and drink stalls serving up refreshments. And there's a fairground with dodgems, hooplas and other exhilarating ways to fritter away your cash.

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This small, family-focused fireworks event in Camden’s Coram Fields proves its kid-friendly credentials by taking place a lot earlier than your average display, starting at 3.30pm with performances from local youth groups alongside fun fair rides and food stalls, with around 20 minutes of bangs and sparks lifting off at 6pm. As always, adults need to be accompanying a child for access to the venue, and as one of the few free entry fireworks displays in the city it gets busy from early on, so visitors are advised to get down early. Donations are very much encouraged if you can spare the cash for a good cause. 

If you want to head down to Dulwich Sports Club’s fireworks fiesta, you’ve got to be organised – tickets won’t be available on the night the event regularly sells out. Once you’ve snapped up your ticket, you’re in for a treat – expect live music to accompany the main event, plus plenty of food and drink offerings. The night goes on rain or shine, so come prepared for all weather. Expect a wide variety of food and beverage stalls offering mulled wine, real ale, BBQ food, burgers, Indian food and pizza, as well as live music headlined by London Philharmonic Orchestra conductor Matthew Lynch, and featuring a mixture of crowd-pleasing hits and kids’ songs.

Wimbledon Park’s weekend firework bonanza boasts two displays – an earlier kid-friendly showing and a later affair. Run by Merton council, the ‘musical fireworks’ event sets the illuminations to tunes – last year’s theme was one-hit wonders. Once you’re done oohing and ahhing, get yourself to the funfair to make the most of the rides. There’s going to be an observation wheel for the first time, a street food village and entertainment from DJ Lisa Maffia and BBC Radio 1 host Dean McCullough.

The heat isn’t just up in the air at the Stow Firework Spectacular – it’s also coming out of people’s mouths. The three night bonanza at Walthamstow Cricket, Tennis & Squash Club has four rounds of fire performers for you to marvel at on each evening. In between, you’ll get what you came for, too, with two fireworks displays – one twilight show designed for kids and those with sensory needs, at 6pm, and another ‘full effect’ display at 8pm. Elsewhere, there’s a funfair, games, street food and a licensed bar.

Morden Park’s firework display is so good it happens twice – in one night! Organised by Merton Council, the first display kicks off nice and early at about 6.45pm and is more suitable for young kids, while the second begins at 8.30pm and is more adult-friendly. The event also boasts a funfair to keep little and big kids occupied when the night sky isn’t being lit up in multiple hues and patterns. Like its sister event over in Wimbledon Park, live entertainment will come courtesy of DJ Lisa Maffia and BBC Radio 1 host Dean McCullough. 

Harrow's annual fireworks display might be timed in early November, but the feel here is definitely more Diwali than Guy Fawkes. During the day, expect Bollywood dancers, Indian food, a funfair, a Fizz Kids show, Diwali art, Mehndi and henna hand art stands. The first three hours of the event are free and you’ll be able to partake in servings of street food, a marquee bar, craft stalls and a full-sized funfair. After 3pm you’ll get the true experience, with pre-show entertainment including a magic show for kids, followed by the fireworks display set to Bollywood music from around 7.45pm.

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Orpington Golf Centre’s family-friendly display will have something for everyone. The event taking place on Friday, November 6 promises live DJs, burgers, hot dogs, a fully licensed bar, candy floss, popcorn and a man giving out glow sticks. Tickets are £12.50 for teens and adults, and £7 for kids. 

North Londoners are well served by Totteridge Millhillans Cricket Club's annual fireworks display, which serves up spectacle and fun until late into the night. After the doors open at 5.30pm, there's a chance to enjoy kids' fairground rides and food stalls. The bonfire is lit at 6.30pm, followed by a fireworks display at 7.45pm. Then you can stay out enjoying the bar, live band, and bonfire until 1am. Parking is available in nearby streets; ring to book tickets or to arrange disabled parking.

As they’ve been doing since 1946, the Beckenham Scouts are once again taking over the park in Croydon Road Recreation Ground for the south London neighbourhood’s annual firework display. The fundraising bash begins at 6pm with a ‘gentler display’ that’s perfect for kids or those who might get jumpy by bigger, louder bangs, with a main display at 7.30pm offering noisier fun. Before and after a fairground will be in operation, with plenty of warming food and drink on hand to make a proper evening of it.

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More than 7000 locals head to Southgate’s Walker Ground each November for the sports facilities’ fireworks display, which is one of the larger events in north London. Alongside a traditional display of rockets and mines, the new drone show that debuted last year is back, while audiences will also get to chow down on traditional fairground snacks including toffee apples, candyfloss, burgers and hotdogs. 

What better place than to mark the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot than at the Royal Gunpowder Mills? The Waltham Abbey venue’s annual bonfire night boasts further credentials in the form of a firework display created by Future Effects Explosives FX, who have worked on everything from the Sydney Harbour Fireworks to a host of TV and film projects including ‘The Gunpowder Plot: The Countdown To Treason’. Further entertainment includes fire performers, battle reenactors from Rawdens Musketeers and a live DJ. There’ll even be a gunpowder plot-themed exhibition trail with an opportunity to meet the dastardly Guy Fawkes himself. Bonfire Night doesn’t come more steeped in tradition than this.

As always, Ealing’s Brentham Club is hosting a family-friendly Bonfire Night extravaganza this Saturday November 7. With gates opening at 5pm, there’ll of course be the big pyro display there alongside classic fairground rides, bars serving up steaming mulled wine, street food traders and a kids’ disco. The fireworks show itself will kick off at 7.30pm.