Bonfire Night 2026 UK: Ohňostroje, podujatia & sprievodca 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.

TL;DR: 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.

Rýchle fakty	Detail (2026)
Dátum	Thursday 5 November 2026
Poplatok za ETA v Spojenom kráľovstve	20 libier na žiadateľa
ETA decision time	Usually within 1 day (up to 3 working days)
Kto potrebuje UK 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 informačný list Home Office ETA z apríla 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 a širšie 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	Čo očakávať	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
Londýn	Ticketed park displays, riverside fireworks	Tube and rail across the city
Edinburgh	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 Edinburgh - cestovný sprievodca pre držiteľov ETA pairs well with the Edinburgh events overview. Staying south? See our roundups of miesta, ktoré treba navštíviť v Anglicku a top UK atrakcie 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 Sprievodca ubytovaním v Spojenom kráľovstve.
3. Plan transport home. Late trains fill quickly after displays end. The Sprievodca verejnou dopravou v Spojenom kráľovstve 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.

Tip od profesionálov: 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.
• Have your ETA sorted: keep the approval email handy — the ETA is linked digitally to your passport, so airlines check it electronically and there is nothing to print or show at the border. See our ETA app and status-check guide.
• Budget for the fee: . Príručka poplatkov a nákladov UK ETA shows exactly what £20 covers.

Take Marta from Lisbon. She booked a 4 November flight to see Lewes, applied for her ETA the same afternoon, and had approval within a day — cutting it fine, but fine. A family from Madrid driving north to Edinburgh applied a fortnight ahead for all four passports and never gave the admin another thought. Both approaches work; the second sleeps better.

This site is an independent assistance service, not a government body. You can apply for your UK ETA directly on GOV.UK, or use our checking and support service if you would rather someone reviewed the form with you. Timing your visit to the UK in 2026 around Bonfire Night gives autumn travellers one of the country’s most atmospheric evenings.

Still deciding when to come? Bonfire Night sits at the quiet, cheaper end of the travel calendar, and an approved ETA lasts two years — so one November trip can lead straight into a spring return with no new paperwork.

Frequently asked questions about the 5 November celebrations

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.

When exactly is the 5 November event in 2026?

The celebration is on Thursday 5 November 2026. Some towns hold their displays on the nearest weekend, so confirm the exact date and start time with the individual event before you travel.

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.

Where is the best fireworks display in the UK?

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.

Is it legal to buy and set off fireworks around 5 November?

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.

What time do fireworks events usually start?

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.

Can children attend the displays?

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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O autorovi: Eleanor Winslade, Senior Travel Documentation Editor. Eleanor has covered UK entry requirements since 2017 and specialises in plain-English, step-by-step guidance for first-time applicants and families. Every guide is checked against the latest official GOV.UK guidance.
Updated: 2026-08-24