Bonfire Night 2026 UK : Feux d'artifice, événements & guide UK ETA

Bonfire Night falls on Thursday 5 November 2026, and most overseas visitors must now hold a UK ETA before they can join the crowds. The travel authorisation costs £20, is tied to your passport, and has to be approved before you board your flight. Plan the paperwork as carefully as the fireworks.

Résumé : Bonfire Night 2026 is on 5 November. Non-visa visitors — including EU citizens — need a UK ETA, which costs £20 and is usually decided within a day, though it can take up to three working days. Apply at least a week ahead, wrap up warm, and double-check when your chosen display starts.

Faits rapides	Détail (2026)
Date	Thursday 5 November 2026
Taxe ETA pour le Royaume-Uni	20 £ par candidat
ETA decision time	Usually within 1 day (up to 3 working days)
Who needs an ETA	Non-visa visitors, including EU citizens
Fireworks curfew (5 Nov)	Extended to midnight

Below you will find who needs a travel permit, where the biggest displays are, and how to get the boring admin sorted before the fun starts. For the wider rules, our guide to the UK ETA and what it means for visitors covers the basics.

When is Bonfire Night 2026 and what is it?

Bonfire Night 2026 falls on Thursday 5 November, the same calendar date every year. It marks the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Guy Fawkes was caught guarding explosives beneath the House of Lords. Four centuries later, towns light bonfires, set off fireworks, and sell toffee apples. Some displays run on the nearest weekend instead, so check dates locally.

The tradition is huge. Outside licensed specialist shops, fireworks can only be sold in a short window — 15 October to 10 November — around this event, according to gov.uk guidance on fireworks law. That short season tells you how central this one night is to the British autumn calendar.

Do you need a UK ETA for Bonfire Night 2026?

Yes — if you are a non-visa national, you must have a UK ETA to attend Bonfire Night 2026, and it costs £20. EU citizens have needed an ETA since 2 April 2025, strict “no permission, no travel” enforcement began on 25 February 2026, and the scheme applies to visitors from the EU, the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and dozens of other countries. Without an approved ETA, the airline will not let you board.

The £20 fee has climbed over time. It started at £10 in October 2023, rose to £16, then reached £20 on 8 April 2026, as confirmed on the official GOV.UK ETA page. The fiche d'information UK ETA de la Home Office d'avril 2026 sets out the enforcement timeline in full. One permit covers multiple trips for two years (or until your passport expires, if sooner), so a November visit and a summer return use the same authorisation.

Not sure whether the rule applies to you? Our pages on ETA requirements for EU nationals et plus largement ETA rules for EU citizens break it down by nationality. You can also read exactly when the scheme became compulsory in our note on the full ETA enforcement date.

Prefer not to fill in the form alone? You can apply directly on GOV.UK for £20, or let us check and submit your application with you.

Where are the best fireworks displays in the UK?

The most famous Bonfire Night event is at Lewes in East Sussex, where costumed societies parade flaming torches through narrow streets. London, Leeds, Edinburgh and Birmingham all host large organised displays too. Big-city shows are ticketed and fill up fast, so book before you fly rather than hoping to buy on the night.

City	À quoi s'attendre	Getting there
Lewes	Historic torchlit processions, several bonfire societies	Train from London Victoria, roughly one hour; services are often restricted on the night, so check before travelling
Londres	Ticketed park displays, riverside fireworks	Tube and rail across the city
Édimbourg	Fireworks with a castle backdrop	Walkable centre, good tram links
Leeds	Free and paid family displays	Frequent trains from northern cities

Heading to Scotland for the show? Our Guide touristique d'Édimbourg pour les titulaires d'une ETA pairs well with the Edinburgh events overview. Staying south? See our roundups of Sites à visiter en Angleterre et le principales attractions du Royaume-Uni to build a fuller trip around one memorable night.

How to plan your fireworks trip step by step

Sort your travel permit first, then your tickets, then the practical details. A little order saves a lot of stress. Here is the sequence that works for most first-time visitors:

1. Apply for your UK ETA early. Decisions usually land within a day but can take up to three working days, so leave a week’s buffer. Check the current wait on our ETA processing times guide.
2. Book event tickets and beds. Rooms near Lewes and central London sell out for the 5th. Compare options in our Guide de l'hébergement au Royaume-Uni.
3. Plan transport home. Late trains fill quickly after displays end. The Guide des transports publics au Royaume-Uni explains last services and night buses.
4. Pack for the cold. Standing still for two hours in November bites. Our weather and packing guide lists the essentials.

Conseil pratique : Buy your fireworks tickets before you apply for the ETA if the event is popular, but do not book flights until your authorisation is approved. A refused permit is rare, yet non-refundable flights around a fixed date are an expensive gamble.

Practical tips for a safe, warm night

Dress warmer than you think you need, arrive early, and keep a torch on your phone charged. November nights get dark quickly — sunset in early November across much of the UK is before 16:45, according to Met Office seasonal data. Displays often start between 6pm and 8pm, once it is fully dark.

• Mind the fireworks law: it is illegal to set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am, though the curfew stretches to midnight on 5 November (gov.uk).
• Keep pets and small children back: most organised displays have a marked safety zone. Follow it.
• Faites trier votre UK ETA : gardez l'email d'approbation à portée de main — l'UK ETA est liée numériquement à votre passeport, donc les compagnies aériennes la vérifient électroniquement et il n'y a rien à imprimer ou à montrer à la frontière. Consultez notre guide de l'application UK ETA et de vérification du statut.
• Budget pour les frais : les Guide des frais et coûts de l'ETA montre exactement ce que £20 couvre.

Prenez Marta de Lisbonne. Elle a réservé un vol du 4 novembre pour voir Lewes, a demandé son ETA le même après-midi et a reçu l'approbation en un jour — c'était juste, mais ça a marché. Une famille de Madrid se dirigeant vers le nord jusqu'à Édimbourg a demandé une quinzaine de jours à l'avance pour les quatre passeports et n'a plus jamais pensé à l'administration. Les deux approches fonctionnent ; la deuxième dort mieux.

Ce site est un service d'assistance indépendant, pas un organisme gouvernemental. Vous pouvez demander votre UK ETA directement sur GOV.UK, ou utiliser notre service de vérification et de soutien si vous préférez que quelqu'un révise le formulaire avec vous. Planifier votre visite au Royaume-Uni en 2026 autour de la Bonfire Night offre aux voyageurs d'automne l'une des soirées les plus atmosphériques du pays.

Vous hésitez encore sur la date de votre visite ? Bonfire Night se situe à la période creuse et moins chère du calendrier de voyage, et un UK ETA approuvé dure deux ans — une visite en novembre peut donc déboucher directement sur un retour au printemps sans nouvelle paperasserie.

Questions fréquemment posées sur les célébrations du 5 novembre

Do I need a UK ETA to attend Bonfire Night 2026?

Yes, if you are a non-visa visitor, including EU citizens. The UK ETA costs £20, links to your passport, and must be approved before you travel. EU citizens have needed one since 2 April 2025, and it has been strictly enforced since 25 February 2026.

À quelle date exacte se déroule l'événement du 5 novembre en 2026 ?

La célébration se déroule le jeudi 5 novembre 2026. Certaines villes organisent leurs spectacles le week-end le plus proche, alors confirmez la date exacte et l'heure de début auprès de l'événement individuel avant de voyager.

How much does a UK ETA cost for a Bonfire Night trip?

The ETA costs £20 per applicant. It became £20 on 8 April 2026, up from £16. One permit lasts two years and covers multiple visits, so a November trip and a later return use the same authorisation.

How early should I apply for my ETA before 5 November?

Apply at least a week ahead. Decisions usually arrive within a day but can take up to three working days, but leaving a buffer protects you against delays. Do not book non-refundable flights until your ETA is approved.

Quel est le meilleur spectacle de feu d'artifice au Royaume-Uni ?

Lewes in East Sussex is the most famous, with torchlit processions and several bonfire societies. London, Edinburgh and Leeds also run large organised displays. Big-city events are ticketed and sell out early.

Est-il légal d'acheter et de déclencher des feux d'artifice autour du 5 novembre ?

Yes, within limits. Shops can sell fireworks from 15 October to 10 November, and you must not set them off between 11pm and 7am, except until midnight on 5 November, under gov.uk fireworks law.

À quelle heure les événements de feu d'artifice commencent-ils généralement ?

Most displays begin between 6pm and 8pm, once it is fully dark. Sunset in early November is before 16:45 across much of the UK, so events start earlier than summer festivals.

Les enfants peuvent-ils assister aux spectacles ?

Yes. Organised events are family-friendly and have marked safety zones. Children who are non-visa nationals still need their own UK ETA, each costing £20 and linked to their own passport.

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À propos de l'auteur : Eleanor Winslade, Rédactrice principale en matière de documentation de voyage. Eleanor couvre les conditions d'entrée au Royaume-Uni depuis 2017 et se spécialise dans les conseils clairs et étape par étape pour les demandeurs novices et les familles. Chaque guide est vérifié par rapport aux dernières orientations officielles de GOV.UK.
Mise à jour : 2026-08-24