Bonfire Night 2026 falls on Thursday, November 5, and the biggest and most famous celebration in the UK is under way tonight in the small East Sussex town of Lewes.
Bonfire Night, also called Guy Fawkes Night, marks the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators tried to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament. Londoners lit bonfires to celebrate, and the tradition has run for more than 420 years.
The world’s biggest Bonfire Night party
Lewes hosts the world’s largest Bonfire Night celebration, and it always takes place on November 5 itself unless that date falls on a Sunday. Seven Bonfire societies from Lewes march in the procession, along with about 30 invited societies from across Sussex.
The torchlight processions begin at about 5 p.m. and last until about 1 a.m., with the main joint procession passing by at around 9 p.m. Access to the fireworks displays is by ticket only, sold by each society.
Most big displays move to the weekend
Because November 5 falls on a Thursday this year, most of London’s large organised displays have moved to the nearest weekend, Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November, including Alexandra Palace’s Fireworks and Drone Festival and Battersea Park. On the night itself, Londoners can still see fireworks at Wimbledon Park, with a child-friendly display at 6:45 p.m. and a louder show at 8:30 p.m., and at Coram’s Fields in Bloomsbury, where fireworks are at 6 p.m.
Lewes is not the only place keeping the date itself, and the town’s societies are famous far beyond Sussex for their torchlit processions through the narrow streets. For visitors, the advice is to arrive early, expect crowds and road closures, and wear ear protection for the fireworks. The processions are a ticketed, stewarded event, and the societies ask spectators to respect the barriers that keep the marchers moving safely.
